Electrophoretic display with sub relief structure for high contrast ratio and improved shear and/or compression resistance

• US 20030043450A1
• Filed: 08/27/2002
• Published: 03/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E Ink California, LLC (E Ink Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SiPix Imaging, Inc. (E Ink Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Liang, Rong-Chang, Hosseini, Abbas, Chuang, Hsiao-Ken
• Granted Patent: US 6,795,229 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/296
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134363 for applying an electric field parallel to the substrate, i.e. in-plane switching [IPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/167 by electrophoresis

Abstract

This invention relates to an electrophoretic display comprising isolated cells of well-defined shape, size and aspect ratio which cells have internal sub relief structures and are filled with charged pigment particles dispersed in a dielectric solvent. The display shows an improved contrast ratio and resistance against shear and compression pressures. The display may have the traditional up/down switching mode, an in-plane switching mode or a dual switching mode.

Claims

1. An electrophoretic display comprising

(a) a top transparent layer;

(b) a plurality of isolated cells having well-defined size, shape and aspect ratio, said cells having internal sub relief structures and filled with charged pigment particles dispersed in a dielectric solvent or solvent mixture; and

(c) a bottom layer.

2. The electrophoretic display of claim 1 wherein said sub relief structures are discrete structures.

3. The electrophoretic display of claim 2 wherein said discrete structures are columns, cylinders, wedges or crosses.

4. The electrophoretic display of claim 1 wherein said sub relief structures are continuous structures.

5. The electrophoretic display of claim 4 wherein said continuous structures are walls or grids.

6. The electrophoretic display of claim 1 wherein there are gaps between the top of said sub relief structures and the top transparent layer.

7. The electrophoretic display of claim 6 wherein said gap is about 3 to about 50 microns.

8. The electrophoretic display of claim 7 wherein said gap is about 5 to about 30 microns.

9. The electrophoretic display of claim 8 wherein said gap is about 10 to about 20 microns.

10. The electrophoretic display of claim 1 wherein said sub structures have a round, square, rectangular or oval cross-section.

11. The electrophoretic display of claim 3 herein said sub relief structures have a diameter or width in the range of about 3 to about 50 microns.

12. The electrophoretic display of claim 11 wherein said sub relief structures have a diameter or width in the range of about 5 to about 30 microns.

13. The electrophoretic display of claim 12 wherein said sub relief structures have a diameter or width in the range of about 8 to about 20 microns.

14. The electrophoretic display of claim 1 wherein said display has an average of at least one sub relief structure per cell.

15. The electrophoretic display of claim 1 wherein some of said cells do not have internal sub structures.

16. The electrophoretic display of claim 1 wherein the top surface of said sub structures may be of any shape and is not larger than the bottom surface of said structures.

17. The electrophoretic display of claim 1 wherein the shortest distance between the sub relief structures to any of the cell walls is less than three times of the cell height.

18. The electrophoretic display of claim 17 wherein the shortest distance between the sub relief structures to any of the cell walls is less than two times of the cell height.

19. The electrophoretic display of claim 1 wherein the plurality of cells comprises cells of different sizes and shapes.

20. The electrophoretic display of claim 1 wherein the cells are non-spherical.

21. The electrophoretic display of claim 1 wherein the cells are formed from microcups with an opening area ranging from about 1×

10² to about 1×

10⁶ μ

m².

22. The electrophoretic display of claim 1 wherein the cells are formed from microcups with an opening area ranging from about 1×

10³ to about 1×

10⁵ μ

m².

23. The electrophoretic display of claim 1 wherein the cells are formed from microcups with an opening having a circular, polygonal, hexagonal, rectangular or square shape.

24. The electrophoretic display of claim 1 wherein the cells have a depth in the range from about 5 to about 200 microns.

25. The electrophoretic display of claim 1 wherein the cells have a depth in the range from about 10 to about 100 microns.

26. The electrophoretic display of claim 1 wherein the cells have an opening to total area ratio in the range from about 0.05 to about 0.95.

27. The electrophoretic display of claim 1 wherein the cells have an opening to total area ratio in the range from about 0.4 to about 0.9.

28. The electrophoretic display of claim 1 wherein both said top and bottom layers are electrode plates and said display has the up/down switching mode.

29. The electrophoretic display of claim 1 wherein said top transparent layer is an electrode plate and said bottom layer is an insulator layer and said display has the in-plane switching mode.

30. The electrophoretic display of claim 1 wherein both said top and bottom layers are electrode plates and said display has the dual switching mode.

31. The electrophoretic display of claim 1 wherein said sub relief structures are colored.