Abstract: An additive manufacturing technique, wherein a first layer of powdered material is spread on a build platform, with or without a workpiece positioned therein, the build platform is in a part building module of an additive manufacturing apparatus, the powdered material is a precipitation-hardened superalloy such as a Nickel-based superalloy, for example, a Nickel-based superalloy having a percentage by volume of gamma prime phase equal to or greater than 45 percentage by volume, the first layer forms at least a part of a powder bed formed of the powdered material on the build platform, the powdered material of the first layer is heated to a temperature between 65 percent and 70 percent of a liquidus temperature of the precipitation-hardened superalloy and, after the aforementioned pre-heating, portions of a surface of the first layer are selectively scanned by using an energy beam arrangement to melt or sinter the selectively scanned portions.

Abstract: A backlight unit, which can emit one of s-polarized light and p-polarized light using wire-grid polarizer, and a liquid crystal display apparatus employing the backlight unit are provided. The backlight unit includes: a light source radiating light; a light guide plate disposed with the light source at a lateral side of the light guide plate, guiding the light incident on the lateral side from the light source; a wire-grid polarizer formed on a predetermined layer of the light guide plate transmitting a first polarized component of the light through the predetermined layer and reflecting a second polarized component of light; a reflector reflecting the light to un upper surface of the light guide plate; and a polarization converter changing a polarization of the light not emitted through the upper surface of the light guide plate.

Abstract: An edge light type backlight unit having an improved light-reception portion. The backlight unit includes one or more light sources that emit light, a light guide panel that guides the propagation of light incident on one side edge thereof, one or more light-reception portions having a first entrance face slanted opposite the side edge of the light guide panel on which the light is incident at a predetermined angle, and one or more reflecting elements that are disposed between each of the light-reception portions and each of the light sources and guides the light emitted by the light source so that it is incident on the first entrance face.

Abstract: A backlight unit, which can emit one of s-polarized light and p-polarized light using wire-grid polarizer, and a liquid crystal display apparatus employing the backlight unit are provided. The backlight unit includes: a light source radiating light; a light guide plate disposed with the light source at a lateral side of the light guide plate, guiding the light incident on the lateral side from the light source; a wire-grid polarizer formed on a predetermined layer of the light guide plate transmitting a first polarized component of the light through the predetermined layer and reflecting a second polarized component of light; a reflector reflecting the light to un upper surface of the light guide plate; and a polarization converter changing a polarization of the light not emitted through the upper surface of the light guide plate.

Abstract: A backlight unit including at least one light source that emits light, a light guide panel guiding light that is incident to a side surface thereof, a light incident portion, which protrudes to be inclined with respect to the side surface of the light guide panel, and which has third and fourth light incident surfaces on which light is incident, and first and second guide members which are arranged to face the third and fourth light incident surfaces, respectively, and which guide the light that is emitted from the light source to be incident on each of the third and fourth light incident surfaces, wherein an air gap is formed between each of the third and fourth light incident surfaces and each of the first and second guide members.

Abstract: An edge light type backlight unit having an improved light-reception portion. The backlight unit includes one or more light sources that emit light, a light guide panel that guides the propagation of light incident on one side edge thereof, one or more light-reception portions having a first entrance face slanted opposite the side edge of the light guide panel on which the light is incident at a predetermined angle, and one or more reflecting elements that are disposed between each of the light-reception portions and each of the light sources and guides the light emitted by the light source so that it is incident on the first entrance face.