METHOD FOR FABRICATING ELECTROWETTING DISPLAYS

• US 20100108232A1
• Filed: 08/12/2009
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Chen, Kuan-Ting, Hsiao, Chih-Chun, Lo, Kuo-Lung, Tsai, Yu-Hsiang, Cheng, Wei-Yuan
• Application Number:
  US12/540,280
• Publication Number:
  US 20100108232A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/60
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/004 based on a displacement or a deformation of a fluid
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor

Abstract

A method for fabricating an electrowetting display is provided. The method includes forming a plurality of hydrophilic ribs on a first substrate, forming a retaining wall surrounding the hydrophilic ribs, filling a non-polar solution within the hydrophilic ribs, forming a polar solution over the non-polar solution and the hydrophilic ribs within the retaining wall, providing a second substrate and assembling the first substrate and the second substrate.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating an electrowetting display, comprising:

forming a plurality of hydrophilic ribs on a first substrate;

forming a retaining wall surrounding the hydrophilic ribs;

filling a non-polar solution within the hydrophilic ribs;

forming a polar solution over the non-polar solution and the hydrophilic ribs within the retaining wall;

providing a second substrate; and

assembling the first substrate and the second substrate.

2. The method for fabricating an electrowetting display as claimed in claim 1, further comprising forming a hydrophobic layer between the hydrophilic ribs and the first substrate.

3. The method for fabricating an electrowetting display as claimed in claim 2, further comprising forming a dielectric layer between the hydrophobic layer and the first substrate.

4. The method for fabricating an electrowetting display as claimed in claim 3, further comprising forming a first electrode between the dielectric layer and the first substrate.

5. The method for fabricating an electrowetting display as claimed in claim 1, further comprising forming a second electrode on the second substrate.

6. The method for fabricating an electrowetting display as claimed in claim 1, further comprising coating a frame seal with at least one breach on the first substrate or the second substrate.

7. The method for fabricating an electrowetting display as claimed in claim 6, further comprising curing the frame seal after the first and second substrates are assembled.

8. The method for fabricating an electrowetting display as claimed in claim 6, further comprising forming a second retaining wall on the second substrate.

9. The method for fabricating an electrowetting display as claimed in claim 8, further comprising forming a second polar solution within the second retaining wall.

10. The method for fabricating an electrowetting display as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hydrophilic ribs are isolated from one another.

11. The method for fabricating an electrowetting display as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the hydrophilic ribs corresponds to a sub-pixel area.

12. The method for fabricating an electrowetting display as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hydrophilic rib comprises photoresist, thermosetting resin or photosetting resin.

13. The method for fabricating an electrowetting display as claimed in claim 8, wherein one of the retaining wall and the second retaining wall has at least one breach.

14. The method for fabricating an electrowetting display as claimed in claim 13, wherein the size of the breach is about 0.1 mm-5 mm.

15. The method for fabricating an electrowetting display as claimed in claim 8, wherein the retaining wall and the second retaining wall have a thickness of about 10 μ

m-100 μ

m.

16. The method for fabricating an electrowetting display as claimed in claim 8, wherein the retaining wall and the second retaining wall comprise photoresist, thermosetting resin or photosetting resin.

17. The method for fabricating an electrowetting display as claimed in claim 1, wherein the non-polar solution is filled within the hydrophilic ribs by inkjet printing, dip coating, slide coating, slot coating or blade coating.

18. The method for fabricating an electrowetting display as claimed in claim 1, wherein the non-polar solution comprises dye or pigment.

19. The method for fabricating an electrowetting display as claimed in claim 1, wherein the polar solution is formed over the non-polar solution and the hydrophilic ribs by inkjet printing, dip coating, slide coating, slot coating or blade coating.

20. The method for fabricating an electrowetting display as claimed in claim 9, wherein the second polar solution is formed within the second retaining wall by inkjet printing, dip coating, slide coating, slot coating or blade coating.

21. The method for fabricating an electrowetting display as claimed in claim 9, wherein the polar solution or the second polar solution comprise water, sodium chloride aqueous solution or potassium chloride aqueous solution.

22. The method for fabricating an electrowetting display as claimed in claim 9, wherein the second polar solution is formed within the second retaining wall after the surface of the second substrate is treated.

23. The method for fabricating an electrowetting display as claimed in claim 6, wherein the size of the breach of the frame seal is about 0.1 mm-5 mm.

24. The method for fabricating an electrowetting display as claimed in claim 6, wherein the frame seal is adjacent to the retaining wall after the first and second substrates are assembled.

25. The method for fabricating an electrowetting display as claimed in claim 6, wherein the frame seal is on the retaining wall after the first and second substrates are assembled.

26. The method for fabricating an electrowetting display as claimed in claim 8, wherein the frame seal is adjacent to the second retaining wall after the first and second substrates are assembled.