Electrowetting device with multi layer support plate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9804383-B2
Application number	US-201615380976-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2016
Priority date	Mar 25, 2015
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

An electrowetting element comprising a first fluid and a second fluid immiscible with the first fluid. A support plate includes an electrode and, located between the electrode and the first fluid, a first layer and a second layer. The first layer comprises an inorganic material and the second layer comprises an organic material. The first layer is in contact with the second layer and between the second layer and the first fluid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrowetting element comprising:
a first fluid;
a second fluid immiscible with the first fluid;
a support plate comprising:
an electrode; and
located between the electrode and the first fluid:
a first layer comprising an inorganic material, a first unit volume of the first layer having a first plurality of voids which together occupy a first total void volume; and
a second layer comprising an organic material, a second unit volume of the second layer having a second plurality of voids which together occupy a second total void volume, a first magnitude of the first total void volume less than a second magnitude of the second total void volume,
the first layer in contact with the second layer and between the second layer and the first fluid.

2. The electrowetting element according to claim 1 , wherein the organic material is an amorphous organic material.

3. The electrowetting element according to claim 1 , wherein the organic material is a substantially crystalline organic material.

4. The electrowetting element according to claim 1 , wherein the organic material comprises at least one of: a thermoplastic polymer, a thermoset polymer, or a co-polymer.

5. The electrowetting element according to claim 1 , wherein the organic material comprises at least one 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.

6. The electrowetting element according to claim 1 , wherein the inorganic material comprises at least one of:
silicon oxide, silicon nitride, aluminum oxide, tantalum oxide, hafnium oxide, titanium dioxide, or zirconium dioxide, an oxy-nitride, a carbide, or a carbo-nitride.

7. The electrowetting element according to claim 1 , wherein the inorganic material is an amorphous inorganic material.

8. The electrowetting element according to claim 1 , wherein the inorganic material is a substantially crystalline inorganic material.

9. The electrowetting element according to claim 1 , wherein the second layer has a thickness of between approximately 50 nanometers and approximately 200 nanometers.

10. The electrowetting element according to claim 1 , comprising:
an insulating layer comprising the first layer and the second layer; and
a further layer between the insulating layer and the electrode.

11. The electrowetting element according to claim 1 , wherein the support plate is a first support plate, the electrode is a first electrode and the second fluid is at least one of electrically conductive or polar,
the electrowetting element comprising a second support plate comprising a second electrode in electrical contact with the second fluid,
the first fluid and the second fluid located between the first support plate and the second support plate.

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

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

14. The electrowetting element according to claim 1 , wherein the first layer is hydrophobic, the first fluid in contact with at least part of the first layer.

15. The electrowetting element according to claim 1 , comprising:
a third layer comprising an inorganic material, the second layer in contact with the third layer and between the first layer and the third layer; and
a fourth layer comprising an organic material, the third layer in contact with the fourth layer and between the second layer and the fourth layer.

16. The electrowetting element according to claim 1 , wherein the first layer comprises a first plurality of pinholes and the second layer comprises fewer pinholes than the first layer.

17. The electrowetting element according to claim 1 , wherein the first layer comprises a first plurality of pinholes,
the electrowetting element comprising a third layer comprising a second plurality of pinholes, the second layer in contact with the third layer and between the first layer and the third layer,
a first pinhole of the first plurality of pinholes laterally offset from a second pinhole of the second plurality of pinholes.

18. An electrowetting display device comprising:
an electrowetting element comprising a first fluid;
a second fluid immiscible with the first fluid;
a support plate comprising:
an electrode; and
located between the electrode and the first fluid:
a first layer comprising an inorganic material, a first unit volume of the first layer having a first plurality of voids which together occupy a first total void volume; and
a second layer comprising an organic material, a second unit volume of the second layer having a second plurality of voids which together occupy a second total void volume, a first magnitude of the first total void volume less than a second magnitude of the second total void volume,
the first layer in contact with the second layer and between the second layer and the first fluid;

at least one processor; and
at least one memory comprising computer program instructions, the at least one memory and the computer program instructions operable to, with the at least one processor, control a configuration of the first fluid and the second fluid.

19. The electrowetting display device according to claim 18 , wherein the organic material is an amorphous organic material.

20. The electrowetting display device according to claim 18 , wherein the second layer has a thickness of between approximately 50 nanometers and approximately 200 nanometers.

21. The electrowetting display device according to claim 18 , wherein the electrowetting element is a first electrowetting element and the electrode is a first electrode associated with the first electrowetting element,
the electrowetting display device comprising:
a second electrowetting element comprising a further first fluid, the further first fluid immiscible with the second fluid;

the support plate comprising:
a second electrode associated with the second electrowetting element; and
a substantially electrically insulative layer between the first electrode and the second electrode.

22. An electrowetting element comprising:
a first fluid;
a second fluid immiscible with the first fluid;
a support plate comprising:
an electrode; and
located between the electrode and the first fluid:
a first layer comprising an inorganic material, the first layer comprising

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• PETCU Cristina Maria
• Boon Gerben

Classifications

• G02B5/003

  Light absorbing elements · CPC title

• G09G3/348 Primary

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

• G02B26/005 Primary

  based on electrowetting · CPC title

• 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