Controlled polymeric material conductivity for use in a two-phase electrode layer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9529240-B2
Application number	US-201514599169-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2015
Priority date	Jan 17, 2014
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

An electro-optic display containing a two-phase, light-transmissive electrically-conductive layer comprising a first phase made of a highly electronically-conductive matrix and a second phase made of a polymeric material composition having a controlled volume resistivity. The matrix of the first phase may be formed from carbon nanotubes, silver nanowires, a metal coated open foam structure, or a printed mesh of wires. The polymeric material composition of the second phase may be a conductive polymer, or a polymer and an additive such as a salt, a polyelectrolyte, a polymer electrolyte, or a solid electrolyte, or combinations thereof.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electro-optic display comprising a layer of electro-optic material and an electrode layer arranged to apply an electrical field to the layer of electro-optic material, the electrode layer comprising:
a first phase made of a highly electronically-conductive matrix, and
a second phase made of a polymeric material composition having a controlled volume resistivity.

2. An electro-optic display according to claim 1 wherein the first phase matrix is carbon nanotubes, silver nanowires, a metal coated open foam structure, or a printed mesh of wires, or a combination thereof.

3. An electro-optic display according to claim 1 wherein the first phase matrix is arranged regularly.

4. An electro-optic display according to claim 1 wherein the first phase matrix is arranged irregularly.

5. An electro-optic display according to claim 1 wherein the first phase makes up less than 10% of a viewing area.

6. An electro-optic display according to claim 1 wherein the controlled volume resistivity of the second phase is not more than 1×10 12 Ohm-cm.

7. An electro-optic display according to claim 1 wherein the polymeric material composition of the second phase is made from a conductive polymer.

8. An electro-optic display according to claim 7 wherein the conductive polymer is PEDOT-PSS, polyacetylene, polyphenylene sulfide, or polyphenylene vinylene, or combinations thereof.

9. An electro-optic display according to claim 7 wherein the conductive polymer is an ionic conductive polymer.

10. An electro-optic display according to claim 9 wherein the ionic conductive polymer is a polymeric salt.

11. An electro-optic display according to claim 1 wherein the polymeric material composition of the second phase is made from a polymer and an additive.

12. An electro-optic display according to claim 11 wherein the additive is one or more ionic additives.

13. An electro-optic display according to claim 12 wherein the ionic additive is a salt, a polyelectrolyte, a polymer electrolyte, or a solid electrolyte, or a combination thereof.

14. An electro-optic display according to claim 13 wherein the ionic additive is a salt, and the salt is a fluorine-containing salt.

15. An electro-optic display according to claim 11 wherein the additive is a low number average molecular weight polymer containing hydroxyl.

16. An electro-optic display according to claim 15 wherein the additive is polyethylene glycol.

Assignees

• E Ink Corp

Inventors

• Paolini Jr Richard J
• Telfer Stephen J

Classifications

• G02F2202/36

  Micro- or nanomaterials · CPC title

• G09G3/344

  based on particles moving in a fluid or in a gas, e.g. electrophoretic devices (electrophoretic devices per se G02F1/167) · CPC title

• G02F1/167 Primary

  by electrophoresis · CPC title

• G02F2001/1678

  characterised by the composition or particle type · CPC title

• G09G3/34

  by control of light from an independent source · CPC title