Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B26/00—Optical devices or arrangements for the control of light using movable or deformable optical elements
  • G02B26/004—Optical devices or arrangements for the control of light using movable or deformable optical elements based on a displacement or a deformation of a fluid
  • G02B26/005—Optical devices or arrangements for the control of light using movable or deformable optical elements based on a displacement or a deformation of a fluid based on electrowetting

Definitions

• the present application relates to the field of display or indicator elements, in particular to elements making use of the electrowetting principle.
• the basic electrowetting optical element is described in EP 1069450.
• This document discloses an optical element having a first fluid and an electroconductive second fluid immiscible with each other and being confined in a sealed space.
• the first and second fluids have different light transmittances.
• By varying a voltage applied to the second fluid the shape of the interface between the two fluids is changed.
• the amount of light passing through the element can thus be changed.
• a further refinement to this concept using said optical element to create a pixel as part of an electrowetting display device is described in WO2004/104670.
• the present invention provides a thin, solid film as the dielectric layer with a conductive layer on one side and the hydrophobic layer on the other side. This ensures that no pinholes are present, which would lead to electrochemical reactions talcing place.
• a flexible device comprising a flexible dielectric layer, one side of the layer being conductive, a hydrophobic layer on the opposing side of the dielectric layer, a first and a second fluid located on the surface of the hydrophobic layer, the fluids being immiscible with each other and the first fluid being a liquid conductor, and means for electrically connecting the conductive layer and the liquid conductor.
• a display device may be formed of at least one flexible device as described above.
• the invention enables the coating of large areas of pin hole free dielectric coatings.
• the display is easier to manufacture than those known in the prior art and generally lighter and of lower cost.
• the flexibility of the dielectric layer allows the roll to roll manufacture of the display area, allowing for lighter, more rugged devices.
• the conformal nature of these displays opens up a wealth of new product opportunities which were not possible with rigid display devices, since they can be fitted in more challenging locations, manufactured with more interesting shapes and can be rolled to save space.
• the coating does not crack when bent, i.e. no pin holes are created on bending.
• the method of the invention does not use high temperatures as required in the prior art.
• Figures IA and IB illustrate the basic requirements to create an electrowetting element on a flexible support
• Figure 2A is a graph illustrating oil contact angle against voltage in respect of example IA
• Figure 2B is a graph illustrating oil contact angle against voltage in respect of example IB
• Figure 3 is a schematic view of the layer structure of an an electrowetting element
• Figure 4 illustrates an example of the layer structure of the conductive layer of the device with respect to example 2;
• Figure 5 is a schematic view of a device in accordance with the invention.
• Figure 6 is a schematic view of a element in accordance with the invention.
• a layer of hydrophobic material 1 is provided. This layer 1 has low surface energy.
• the material may be amorphous Teflon fluoropolymer AF 1600 (Dupont) or a similar material.
• a layer 2 is provided below layer 1.
• Layer 2 is a flexible support, which in this embodiment also acts as a dielectric layer.
• Layer 3 is a conducting layer that forms the bottom electrode. In this embodiment the layer 3 is a layer of sputter coated platinum of approximately lOnm thickness. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that any other suitable material may be used.
• a droplet of oil 4 such as decane is placed on top of this layered structure.
• the droplet 4 is coloured using an oil-soluble, water-insoluble dye such as Oil Blue.
• a conducting liquid 5 is placed on top of the oil droplet.
• the conducting liquid is immiscible with the oil droplet.
• the liquid is usually water with ions dissolved therein.
• the oil drop 4 spreads to cover the hydrophobic layer 1.
• Figure IA When either a DC or AC voltage is applied between the lower conducting layer 3 and the electrode the area of the oil drop in contact with the hydrophobic layer 1 decreases and the contact angle of the oil droplet increases, i.e. the interface between the droplet 4 and the conductive liquid 5 changes.
• Figure IB The change in contact angle is described by the Young-Lippman equation
• the flexible supports used were samples of 23 ⁇ m and 13 ⁇ m thick PET (GoodFellow).
• the supports were first sputter coated with approximately 20nm of platinum using a Plasma voltage of 2500V and current of 20mA for 120s. This yielded a semi-transparent layer of platinum on one side of the PET. This provides the conductive layer.
• the other side of the PET was subsequently spin coated with Teflon fluoropolymer AFl 600 (10OuL) at 2000rpm for 40s to create a hydrophobic layer.
• Teflon fluoropolymer AFl 600 10OuL
• the experiments were performed by first placing a 5OuL drop of millapore water with 0.0 IM KCl onto the hydrophobic side of the sample. Approximately 0.1-0.2 ⁇ L of decane + 0.02M Oil Blue was then carefully placed onto the hydrophobic surface inside the water drop. Care was taken not to move the water drop or include air bubbles. A 5 ⁇ L syringe was used for this part of the procedure. The syringe was weighed before and after the deposition to determine the actual mass, and therefore the volume, of decane deposited. The result was a free water drop with a free drop of decane interior. A Lab View TM program was then used to apply a voltage ramp, and measure both the drop area (from captured images), and leakage current (using a Keithly TM Electrometer).
• Figure 2 A illustrates the voltage dependence of oil contact angle where the dielectric layer was 23 ⁇ m thick PET.
• Figure 2B illustrates the voltage dependence of oil contact angle where the dielectric layer was 13 ⁇ m thick PET.
• Figure 3 illustrates the basic construction of the layer structure of an electrowetting element built up by coating.
• a flexible substrate 10 is coated with a flexible conductor 20.
• the conductor 20 may be, for example, ITO or a metal e.g. silver. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the conductor is not limited to these examples.
• the substrate 10 is coated with the conductor by any suitable means e.g. electroplating on nuclei, sputtering, vacuum deposition.
• the conductor 20 is then coated with a flexible dielectric layer 30 of required thickness by any suitable method e.g. bar coating, hopper coating, curtain coating , silk screen etc. The required thickness could be in the range of 1-100 microns.
• a hydrophobic layer 40 of fluoropolymer or other coating which shows electrowetting behavior is then coated on top of the dielectric layer 30.
• the substrate 10 is not an essential feature of the invention.
• a coating for electrowetting study was made as follows.
• the coating was coated on a metal and ITO coated substrate made by sputtering and vacuum deposition with the structure shown in Figure 4.
• Layers 120, 130, 140, 150 form the conductive layer structure between the substrate 10 and the dielectric layer 30.
• a hydrophobic layer is located on the opposing side to the conductive layer of the dielectric layer.
• the substrate and conductive layer structure used in this example is as follows: 10 is 1600nm PET transparent base, 120 is 35nm ITO, 130 is 3 urn Inconel, 140 is 160nm silver and 150 is 22nm Inconel. It will be understood that this particular structure is an example only.
• substrate 10 could be a non transparent material such as metal, paper or cardboard.
• Figure 5 is a schematic view of the device in accordance with the invention.
• layer 10 is the flexible substrate.
• this coating 10 was coated with polyurethane potting compound supplied by RadioSpares TM made up as instructed, by a RK bar coater with a 12 micron bar. This forms a dielectric layer 30.
• the coating 30 was made such that a narrow uncoated stripe was left on both sides to allow for connection of the metal coating to a power supply. This was cured at 60°C for 16 hours in an oven.
• the coating was connected up as shown in Figure 5.
• An approximately 9mm wide drop of 0.2 molar potassium chloride solution 230 was pipetted onto coating 40.
• An approximately 3mm wide drop 210 of 0.02M solution of Oil Blue N in decane was then applied through this drop 230 to the surface of coating 40 with a 1 microlitre 'MicrocapletTM.
• a platinum wire loop 220 was carefully put into the potassium chloride droplet 230 and connected via an ammeter 240 to a power supply 70.
• the output voltage of the power supply 70 was measured with a voltmeter 60.
• the coating was viewed from above through a linen proofer.
• the diameter of the oil drop 210 was determined at different voltages by reference to a scale put under the proofer adjacent to the drop.
• Table 1 Table 1 diameter in mm voltage 0.02M oil blue2% Sudan Red 462
• Figure 6 illustrates a schematic view of an element in accordance with the invention.
• the laminated coating was kept in a dark box until exposure.
• the coating was exposed to a suitable negative mask with lmm square patterns in a SpektraproofTM contact frame fitted with a 2.5 kW "halogen" lamp set on 100% for a 100 units of exposure using a hard vacuum time of 20s and no diffusion exposure.
• the LaminarTM anti-scratch coating was removed and the coating was processed at 21 0 C for 5 minutes in 1% potassium hydroxide solution to remove the unexposed LaminarTM resist.
• the coating was washed for 1 minute in demineralised water and hung up to dry at 21°C.
• a suitable lmm square cell was selected and a 0.1ml drop of 0.02M KCl solution 230 applied over this.
• a 0.02M solution of Oil Blue N in decane 210 was injected through the drop 230 onto the surface of the coating 40 with a minimal coat such that the surface was covered with the blue solution.
• a platinum wire loop 220 was put into the KCl solution. The loop 220 was connected to the negative supply of a variable 200V power supply 70. The exposed metal along the edge of the coating was connected to the positive terminal of the power supply using the bare metal edges thereof.
• Table 2 As can be seen form Table 2 as the voltage increases so more of the cell is uncovered by the dyed oil showing that the light reflected off the cell can be modulated by voltage applied.
• the cell could form the basis of an indicator or a display.
• Coatings as described above can be used for a large variety of products in all areas of display.
• the invention could be used for signage applications.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Optics & Photonics (AREA)
• Electrochromic Elements, Electrophoresis, Or Variable Reflection Or Absorption Elements (AREA)
• Devices For Indicating Variable Information By Combining Individual Elements (AREA)
• Illuminated Signs And Luminous Advertising (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Cited By (6)

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Citations (2)

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• 2005
  • 2005-12-22 GB GBGB0526230.8A patent/GB0526230D0/en not_active Ceased
• 2006
  • 2006-11-27 EP EP06808679A patent/EP1963904A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2006-11-27 US US12/158,330 patent/US20080316564A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2006-11-27 WO PCT/GB2006/004412 patent/WO2007071904A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2006-11-27 JP JP2008546566A patent/JP2009521003A/ja active Pending
  • 2006-12-21 TW TW095148285A patent/TW200739227A/zh unknown

Patent Citations (2)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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