Electrowetting display device and manufacturing method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9448399-B2
Application number	US-201414244231-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2014
Priority date	Mar 14, 2012
Publication date	Sep 20, 2016
Grant date	Sep 20, 2016

Abstract

A method of manufacturing an electrowetting display device includes forming a protection layer on a pixel electrode, forming a water-repellent layer on the protection layer, and removing the water-repellent layer from regions surrounding a display area of the pixel electrode. The water-repellent layer is formed by coating the protection layer with a hydrophilic material using a method such as slit coating. The water-repellent layer is removed using a method such as an edge bead removal method. The resulting water-repellent layer has a uniform thickness.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing an electrowetting display device comprising a display area, the method comprising:
forming a pixel electrode in the display area;
forming a protection layer on the pixel electrode of the display area and on a region located between the display area and a pad region of the electrowetting display device;
coating a hydrophobic insulating material on the protection layer to form a water-repellent layer; and
removing the water-repellent layer from the region.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the water-repellent layer is formed on the protection layer by a slit coating method by moving a nozzle in one direction while turning the nozzle on and off, and the water-repellent layer is removed from the region by an edge bead removal (EBR) method which uses an electrode bar to emit a plasma to remove the water-repellent layer, wherein the electrode bar is respectively positioned at upper, lower, right, and left surfaces of the display area.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the protection layer comprises an organic material.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising, after forming the water-repellent layer,
forming partitions with openings that define pixel areas in the display area.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising
forming partitions with openings that define pixel areas in the display area,
wherein the protection layer on the pixel electrode of the display area and on the region is simultaneously formed with the partitions.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein
the partitions and the protection layer are made of an organic layer comprising a black pigment.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising
forming color filters in the display area, wherein
the protection layer on the pixel electrode of the display area and in the region is simultaneously formed with the color filters.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising, after forming the water-repellent layer,
forming partitions with openings that define pixel areas in the display area.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising
forming a black matrix in the display area, wherein
the protection layer on the pixel electrode of the display area and in the region is simultaneously formed with the black matrix.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising, after forming the water-repellent layer,
forming partitions having openings that define pixel areas in the display area.

11. An electrowetting display device comprising:
one or more pad auxiliary electrodes formed in the pad region;
a pixel electrode formed in the display area;
a water-repellent layer positioned on the pixel electrode; and
a protection layer formed in a region that is formed of a same material as a layer formed in the display area between the pixel electrode and the water-repellent layer.

12. The electrowetting display device of claim 11 , wherein
the protection layer formed of the same material as an organic layer is formed between the pixel electrode and the water-repellent layer.

13. The electrowetting display device of claim 11 , wherein
the protection layer formed of the same material as that of partitions is formed between the pixel electrode and the water-repellent layer.

14. The electrowetting display device of claim 11 , wherein
the protection layer formed of the same material as that of color filters is formed between the pixel electrode and the water-repellent layer.

15. The electrowetting display device of claim 11 , wherein
the protection layer formed of the same material as that of a black matrix is formed between the pixel electrode and the water-repellent layer.

16. A method of manufacturing an electrowetting display device, the method comprising:
forming a pixel electrode in the display area and pad auxiliary electrodes in a pad region;
forming a water-repellent layer from a hydrophobic insulating material by a slit coating method by moving a nozzle in one direction while turning the nozzle on and off; and
forming partitions having openings that define pixel areas in the display area.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising, before forming the water-repellent layer, forming a protection layer of an organic material on the pixel electrode of the display area and on a region located between the display area and the pad region, wherein the protection layer is wider than the water-repellent layer.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising forming a protection layer on the pixel electrode of the display area and on a region located between the display area and the pad region when the partitions are formed, wherein the partitions and the protection layer are made of an organic layer comprising a black pigment.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising simultaneously forming color filters in the display area and a protection layer on the pixel electrode of the display area and in a region located between the display area and the pad region.

20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising simultaneously forming a black matrix in the display area and a protection layer on the pixel electrode of the display area and in a region located between the display area and a pad region.

21. The method of claim 16 , further comprising, before forming the partitions, removing the water-repellent layer from a region located between the display area and a pad region.

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Park Dae Jin
• Kwon Seong Gyu
• Yang Ji Seong
• Lee Jun Heui

Classifications

• G02B2207/115

  Electrowetting · CPC title

• G02B26/004 Primary

  based on a displacement or a deformation of a fluid · CPC title

• G09G3/348

  based on the deformation of a fluid drop, e.g. electrowetting · CPC title

• G02B26/005 Primary

  based on electrowetting · CPC title

• B05D1/32

  using means for protecting parts of a surface not to be coated, e.g. using stencils, resists · CPC title