Electrowetting device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9989752-B2
Application number	US-201213609744-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2012
Priority date	Apr 17, 2012
Publication date	Jun 5, 2018
Grant date	Jun 5, 2018

Abstract

An electrowetting device is provided that includes a lower substrate and an upper substrate facing each other, a first electrode positioned on the lower substrate, an edge electrode positioned on the lower substrate and adjacent to an edge of the first electrode, a hydrophobic insulating layer positioned on the first electrode and the edge electrode, a partition positioned on the lower substrate, a second electrode positioned on the upper substrate, and a first liquid and a second liquid positioned between the upper substrate and the lower substrate, wherein an electric field of a portion where the edge electrode is positioned is smaller than an electric field of a portion where the first electrode is positioned.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrowetting device comprising:
a lower substrate and an upper substrate facing each other;
an organic photosensitive passivation layer formed on the lower substrate;
a first electrode formed directly on the organic photosensitive passivation layer;
a partition on the lower substrate, wherein the partition comprises four side walls, and wherein a combination of the four side walls at least partially surrounds the first electrode;
an edge electrode that is
electrically isolated from the first electrode,
formed directly on the organic photosensitive passivation layer, and
between the first electrode and at least three of the four side walls;

a hydrophobic insulating layer on the first electrode and the edge electrode;
a second electrode on the upper substrate; and
a first liquid and a second liquid between the upper substrate and the lower substrate, wherein the first electrode is configured to generate a first electric field if a first voltage is applied to the first electrode, and wherein the edge electrode is configured to generate a second electric field weaker than the first electric field if a second voltage is applied to the edge electrode.

2. The electrowetting device of claim 1 , wherein the edge electrode is positioned at the same layer as the first electrode.

3. The electrowetting device of claim 2 , wherein the edge electrode is positioned along the partition.

4. The electrowetting device of claim 3 , wherein the first liquid is positioned along the edge electrode if the first voltage is applied to the first electrode.

5. The electrowetting device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a thin film transistor on the lower substrate; and
a color filter on the thin film transistor, wherein the first electrode and a terminal of the thin film transistor are connected with each other through a first contact hole formed through the color filter.

6. The electrowetting device of claim 5 , further comprising
a storage electrode on the lower substrate, wherein the storage electrode is electrically connected to the edge electrode.

7. The electrowetting device of claim 6 , wherein the edge electrode and the storage electrode are connected with each other through a second contact hole formed through the color filter.

8. The electrowetting device of claim 7 , wherein the organic photosensitive passivation layer includes a planarization layer directly on the color filter.

9. The electrowetting device of claim 1 , wherein the first liquid includes oil, and the second liquid includes a water-soluble fluid.

10. An electrowetting device comprising at least one pixel, the electrowetting device comprising:
a lower substrate and an upper substrate facing each other;
an insulating layer on the lower substrate;
an organic photosensitive passivation layer formed on the lower substrate;
a first electrode directly on the organic photosensitive passivation layer, wherein the first electrode is configured to form a first electric field;
a hydrophobic insulating layer on the first electrode;
a partition on the lower substrate, wherein the partition partitions the pixel from other pixels;
a second electrode on the upper substrate;
an edge electrode directly on the organic photosensitive passivation layer, wherein the edge electrode is adjacent to a corner of the first electrode, and wherein the edge electrode is electrically isolated from the first electrode; and
a first liquid and a second liquid between the upper substrate and the lower substrate, wherein the insulating layer includes a trench configured to shape a second electric field that is weaker than the first electric field, wherein the trench is (i) at a region adjacent to an inner edge portion of the partition and (ii) at a periphery of the pixel.

11. The electrowetting device of claim 10 , wherein the first liquid is positioned along the trench when a voltage is applied to the first electrode and the second electrode.

12. The electrowetting device of claim 11 , wherein the trench is positioned along the partition.

13. The electrowetting device of claim 10 , wherein the insulating layer is a color filter.

14. The electrowetting device of claim 13 , wherein the organic photosensitive passivation layer includes a planarization layer directly on the color filter.

15. The electrowetting device of claim 10 , further comprising a color filter on the lower substrate, wherein the insulating layer is positioned on the color filter.

16. The electrowetting device of claim 10 , further comprising:
a thin film transistor on the lower substrate; and
a color filter on the thin film transistor, wherein the first electrode and a terminal of the thin film transistor are connected with each other through a first contact hole formed through the color filter.

17. The electrowetting device of claim 13 , further comprising a storage electrode on the lower substrate, wherein the storage electrode is electrically connected to the edge electrode.

18. The electrowetting device of claim 17 , wherein the edge electrode and the storage electrode are connected with each other through a second contact hole formed through the color filter.

19. The electrowetting device of claim 18 , wherein the organic photosensitive passivation layer includes a planarization layer directly on the color filter.

20. The electrowetting device of claim 10 , wherein the first liquid includes oil, and the second liquid includes a water-soluble fluid.

21. The electrowetting device of claim 1 , wherein a substantial portion of the edge electrode is in the same plane as a substantial portion of the first electrode.

Assignees

• Jung Kwang Chul
• Kwon Seong Gyu
• Jung Mee Hye
• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Jung Kwang-Chul
• Kwon Seong Gyu
• Jung Mee Hye

Classifications

• G02B26/004

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

• G02B26/005 Primary

  based on electrowetting · CPC title

• G02B26/002

  the movement or the deformation controlling the frequency of light, e.g. by Doppler effect · CPC title

• G02B3/12

  Fluid-filled or evacuated lenses · CPC title

• G02B2207/115

  Electrowetting · CPC title