Electrowetting device with multi layer support plate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9529188-B2
Application number	US-201514667896-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2015
Priority date	Mar 25, 2015
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

An electrowetting element comprising a first fluid and a second fluid immiscible with the first fluid. A support plate includes an electrode for applying a voltage to control a configuration of the first and second fluids and a plurality of layers between the electrode and at least one of the first or second fluids. The plurality of layers includes a first layer comprising a first plurality of pinholes and a second layer comprising fewer pinholes than the first layer. The first layer is disposed on the second layer, between the second layer and at least one of the first or second fluids.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrowetting element comprising:
a first fluid;
a second fluid immiscible with the first fluid; and
a support plate comprising:
an electrode; and
a plurality of layers between the electrode and at least one of the first fluid or the second fluid, the plurality of layers comprising:
a first layer comprising a first plurality of pinholes; and
a second layer comprising fewer pinholes than the first layer,
the first layer disposed on the second layer, between the second layer and the at least one of the first fluid or the second fluid.

2. The electrowetting element according to claim 1 , wherein
the first layer comprises a first material with a first transmission rate for transmission of a component of the at least one of the first fluid or the second fluid through the first layer; and
the second layer comprises a second material with a second transmission rate for transmission of the component of the at least one of the first fluid or the second fluid through the second layer,
the first transmission rate lower than the second transmission rate.

3. The electrowetting element according to claim 1 , wherein at least one pinhole of the first plurality of pinholes comprises:
a first pinhole end closest to the at least one of the first fluid or the second fluid,
a second pinhole end closest to the second layer, and
a pinhole pathway extending from the first pinhole end to the second pinhole end.

4. The electrowetting element according to claim 3 , the pinhole pathway having a pinhole length which is one or more of:
substantially equal to a thickness of the first layer; or
greater than the first thickness by at least one of: 20%, 30%, 40%, less than 50%, approximately 50%, or 50%, of the first thickness.

5. The electrowetting element according to claim 1 , wherein the second layer has:
a first surface contacting the first layer,
a second surface closest to the electrode, and
a plurality of migration pathways each extending from the first surface to the second surface.

6. The electrowetting element according to claim 5 , a migration pathway of the plurality of migration pathways having a migration pathway length which is at least twice a second thickness of the second layer.

7. The electrowetting element according to claim 5 , a migration pathway of the plurality of migration pathways extending laterally through the second layer such that one or more of:
the migration pathway extends laterally through the second layer by a distance which is at least twice a second thickness of the second layer, or
the migration pathway extends laterally into a second layer of an adjacent electrowetting element.

8. The electrowetting element according to claim 5 , wherein a pinhole of the first plurality of pinholes comprises:
a first pinhole end closest to the at least one of the first fluid or the second fluid,
a second pinhole end closest to the second layer, and
a pinhole pathway extending from the first pinhole end to the second pinhole end for a component of the at least one of the first fluid or the second fluid to pass through the first layer; and
a migration pathway of the plurality of migration pathways comprises:
a first migration pathway end closest to the first layer, and
a second migration pathway end closest to the electrode; and

the first migration pathway end is laterally offset from the second pinhole end.

9. The electrowetting element according to claim 1 , wherein
a first unit volume of the first layer has a first plurality of voids together occupying a first total void volume; and
a second unit volume of the second layer has a second plurality of voids together occupying a second total void volume,
the first total void volume lower than the second total void volume.

10. The electrowetting element according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of layers comprises a third layer comprising a second plurality of pinholes, the second layer disposed on the third layer, between the first layer and the third layer.

11. The electrowetting element according to claim 10 , wherein a first pinhole of the first plurality of pinholes is laterally offset from a second pinhole of the second plurality of pinholes.

12. The electrowetting element according to claim 10 , wherein a lateral distance between one or more of:
two neighbouring pinholes of the first plurality of pinholes, or
two neighbouring pinholes of the second plurality of pinholes is larger than a second thickness of the second layer.

13. The electrowetting element according to claim 1 , wherein
the first layer comprises a first material with a first dielectric constant which is one of substantially equal to or higher than 3.5; and
the second layer comprises a second material with a second dielectric constant which is one of substantially equal to or higher than 3.5.

14. The electrowetting element according to claim 1 , wherein the second layer comprises:
a first material having a dielectric constant which is one of substantially equal to or higher than 3.5; and
a second material having a dielectric constant which is less than 3.5.

15. The electrowetting element according to claim 1 , wherein the first layer comprises at least one inorganic material and the second layer comprises at least one organic material.

16. The electrowetting element according to claim 1 , wherein the second layer comprises one or more of: poly(vinylidene fluoride), poly(vinylidene fluoride) comprising titanium dioxide particles, poly(vinylidene fluoride) comprising zirconium dioxide particles, poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene), poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) comprising titanium dioxide particles, poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) comprising zirconium dioxide particles, poly(vinyl alcohol), poly(vinyl alcohol) comprising titanium dioxide particles, poly(vinyl alcohol) comprising zirconium dioxide particles, cyanoEthylPullulan, cyanoEthylPullulan comprising titanium dioxide particles, cyanoEthylPullulan comprising zirconium dioxide particles, polyimide, polyimide comprising titanium dioxide particles, polyimide comprising zirconium dioxide particles or an organosilicon-based material.

17. The electrowetting element according to claim 1 , wherein the first layer comprises one or more of: silicon oxide, silicon nitride, aluminium oxide, tantalum oxide, hafnium oxide, titanium dioxide, or zirconium dioxide.

18. The electrowetting element according to claim 1 , wherein the support plate comprising a hydrophobic layer, the first fluid adjoining a surface of the hydrophobic layer.

19. The electrowetting element according to claim 1 , wherein the second layer is substantially free from pinholes.

20. A display device comprising:
an electrowetting element comprising:
a first fluid;
a second fluid immiscible with the first fluid; and
a support plate comprising:
an electrode; and
a plurality of layers between the electrode and at least one of the first fluid or the second fluid, the plurality of layers comprising:
a first layer comprising a first plurality of pinholes; and
a second layer comprising fewer pinholes than the first layer,
the first layer disposed on the second layer, between the second layer and the at least one of the first fluid or the second fluid;

a processor; and
a memory comprising computer program instructions, the memory and the computer program instructions being configured to, with the processor, control the electrowetting display device to c

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• PETCU Cristina Maria
• Boon Gerben

Classifications

• G02B1/06

  made of fluids in transparent cells · CPC title

• G02B1/04

  made of organic materials, e.g. plastics (G02B1/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B26/005 Primary

  based on electrowetting · CPC title

• G09G3/348 Primary

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

• G02B5/003

  Light absorbing elements · CPC title