COMPONENTS AND TESTING METHODS FOR USE IN THE PRODUCTION OF ELECTRO-OPTIC DISPLAYS

• US 20070153361A1
• Filed: 11/20/2006
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E Ink Corporation (E Ink Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: E Ink Corporation (E Ink Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bouchard, Alain, Ritter, John, Webber, Richard, Whitesides, Thomas, Patry, Shamus, Danner, Guy, Zalesky, Jonathan, O'Malley, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 7,843,621 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/296
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1309 Repairing; Testing
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133354 Arrangements for aligning or assembling substrates
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1334 based on polymer dispersed liquid crystals, e.g. microencapsulated liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133514 Colour filters
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/167 by electrophoresis

Abstract

A laminate comprising a solid electro-optic medium and an electrically conductive layer is tested by passing it over a pair of electrodes at different potentials, with the electrically conductive layer lying on the opposed side of the electro-optic medium from the electrodes. An article which can be tested by this method, and which is useful in the manufacture of electro-optic displays, comprises a layer of a solid electro-optic medium and a release sheet comprising an electrically conductive layer.

Claims

1. A method for testing a laminate comprising a layer of a solid electro-optic medium having two extreme optical states, and an electrically conductive layer, the method comprising:

passing the laminate over a pair of electrodes maintained at different potentials, the laminate being passed over the electrodes such that during this passage the electrically conductive layer lies on the opposed side of the layer of electro-optic medium from the electrodes,

the potential difference between the pair of electrodes being maintained large enough to switch a surface of the electro-optic medium substantially to one of its extreme optical states.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein, after the laminate has passed over said pair or electrodes, the laminate is passed over a second pair of electrodes maintained at different potentials such that passage of the laminate over the second pair of electrodes causes said surface of the electro-optic medium to switch substantially to its opposed extreme optical state.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the pair of electrodes are maintained substantially at +V and −

V relative to ground, where V is an arbitrary drive voltage.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the pair of electrodes contact a surface of the laminate.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein at least one of an air gap and a dielectric layer is present between the pair of electrodes and the laminate.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the surface of the electro-optic layer facing the pair of electrodes is exposed.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein the laminate comprises first and second release sheets disposed on opposed sides of the layer of electro-optic medium, the release sheet on the opposed side of the layer of electro-optic medium from the pair of electrodes comprising the conductive layer.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein the laminate comprises, in order:

the conductive layer;

the layer of electro-optic medium;

an adhesive layer; and

a release sheet.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein the laminate comprises, in order:

the conductive layer;

an adhesive layer;

the layer of electro-optic medium; and

a release sheet.

10. A method according to claim 1 further comprising exposing one surface of the laminate to light, and measuring the amount of light reaching the opposed surface of the laminate.

11. A method for testing a laminate comprising a layer of a solid electro-optic medium having two extreme optical states, and first and second release sheets on opposed sides of the layer of electro-optic medium, each of the release sheets comprising an electrically conductive layer, and at least one of release sheets being light transmissive, the method comprising:

applying between the conductive layers of the two release sheets a potential difference large enough to switch a surface of the electro-optic medium substantially to one of its extreme optical states.

12. An optically inspectable double release optically active film.

13. An article of manufacture comprising a layer of a solid electro-optic medium capable of changing its optical state on application of an electric field thereto, and a release sheet, the release sheet comprising an electrically conductive layer.

14. An article of manufacture according to claim 13 wherein the release sheet is not light transmissive.

15. An article of manufacture according to claim 13 further comprising a second release sheet on the opposed side of the layer of electro-optic medium from the release sheet comprising the electrically conductive layer, at least one of the release sheets being light transmissive.

16. An article of manufacture according to claim 15 wherein the second release sheet comprises a conductive layer.

17. An article of manufacture according to claim 15 wherein the release sheet comprising the conductive layer is not light transmissive, and the second release sheet is light transmissive.

18. An article of manufacture according to claim 13 further comprising an adhesive layer disposed between the release sheet and the layer of electro-optic medium.

19. An article of manufacture according to claim 15 further comprising an adhesive layer disposed between the layer of electro-optic medium and one of the release sheets.

20. An article of manufacture according to claim 19 having two adhesive layers, one adhesive layer being disposed between the layer of electro-optic material and each release sheet.

21. An article of manufacture according to claim 13 wherein the electro-optic medium is a rotating bichromal member or electrochromic medium.

22. An article of manufacture according to claim 13 wherein the electro-optic medium comprises an electrophoretic medium having a plurality of electrically charged particles disposed in a fluid and capable of moving through the fluid on application of an electric field to the electro-optic medium.

23. An article of manufacture according to claim 22 wherein the electrically charged particles and the fluid are confined within a plurality of closed cavities formed in a substrate.

24. An article of manufacture according to claim 23 wherein the electrophoretic medium comprises single type of charged particles having a first color disposed in a dyed liquid having a second color different from the first color.

25. An article of manufacture according to claim 22 wherein the electrically charged particles and the fluid are confined within a plurality of capsules.

26. An article of manufacture according to claim 22 wherein the electrically charged particles and the fluid are present as a plurality of discrete droplets held within a polymeric continuous phase.

27. An article of manufacture according to claim 22 in which the fluid is gaseous.