Micro-valve pump light valve display

• US 5,181,016 A
• Filed: 01/15/1991
• Issued: 01/19/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United States Department of Energy (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: United States Department of Energy (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Lee, Yee-Chun
• Primary Examiner(s): Oberley, Alvin E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Application Number:
  US07/641,391
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 350/269, 350/267, 40/406, 40/407, 340/783, 340/788, 340/763, 340/752, 359/227, 359/228
• US Class Current: 345/84
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/06 Passive matrix structure, i.e. with direct application of both column and row voltages to the light emitting or modulating elements, other than LCD or OLED
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3433 using light modulating elements actuated by an electric field and being other than liquid crystal devices and electrochromic devices using liquid crystal devices G09G3/36; using electrochromic devices G09G3/38

Abstract

A flat panel display incorporates a plurality of micro-pump light valves (MLV'"'"'s) to form pixels for recreating an image. Each MLV consists of a dielectric drop sandwiched between substrates, at least one of which is transparent, a holding electrode for maintaining the drop outside a viewing area, and a switching electrode from accelerating the drop from a location within the holding electrode to a location within the viewing area. The sustrates may further define non-wetting surface areas to create potential energy barriers to assist in controlling movement of the drop. The forces acting on the drop are quadratic in nature to provide a nonlinear response for increased image contrast. A crossed electrode structure can be used to activate the pixels whereby a large flat panel display is formed without active driver components at each pixel.

Claims

1. A flat panel display device for recreating images in pixels, comprising:

a transparent substrate structure defining a plurality of non-conductive transparent viewing areas forming said pixels;

a plurality of drops of a dielectric fluid movably contained within said substrate structure;

holding electrodes for establishing an electric field effective to retain said drops at a location adjacent said viewing areas; and

switching electrodes between said holding electrodes and said viewing areas for establishing an electric field effective to accelerate said drops from said location adjacent said viewing areas to a location within said viewing areas to form said images.

2. A flat panel display according to claim 1 wherein said substrate structure further defines potential energy barrier areas between adjacent ones of said pixels by first non-wetted surface areas facing said drops.

3. A flat panel display according to claim 2, further including second non-wetted surface areas disposed on said substrate structure beneath said switching electrodes and cooperating with said electric field established by said switching electrodes for generating a potential energy gradient effective for accelerating said drop between said locations adjacent said holding electrodes and said viewing areas.

4. A flat panel display according to claim 1, further including mirror means for covering said electrode means and optically enlarging said viewing areas to form a continuous image surface.

5. A flat panel display according to claim 4, further including convex lenses disposed above each said viewing area for increasing the effective viewing angle for said images.

6. A flat panel display according to claim 4 wherein said substrate structure further defines potential energy barrier areas between adjacent ones of said pixels by first non-wetted surface areas facing said drops.

7. A flat panel display according to claim 5 wherein said substrate structure further defines potential energy barrier areas between adjacent ones of said pixels by first non-wetted surface areas facing said drops.

8. A flat panel display according to claim 6, further including second non-wetted surface areas disposed on said substrate structure beneath said switching electrodes and cooperating with said electric field established by said switching electrodes for generating a potential energy gradient effective for accelerating said drop between said locations adjacent said holding electrodes and said viewing areas.

9. A flat panel display according to claim 7, further including second non-wetted surface areas disposed on said substrate structure beneath said switching electrodes and cooperating with said electric field established by said switching electrodes for generating a potential energy gradient effective for accelerating said drop between said locations adjacent said holding electrodes and said viewing areas.

10. A pixel in a flat panel display, comprising a micro-pump light valve using a dielectric fluid drop and having a non-conductive transparent viewing area, a holding electrode, and a switching electrode therebetween for causing said drop to move between said viewing area and said holding electrode, wherein a non-wetted surface is disposed between said switching electrode and said fluid drop for cooperating with an electrical field established by said switching electrode to generate a potential energy gradient effective for accelerating said drop between said holding electrode and said viewing area.

11. A pixel according to claim 10, further including a first non-wetted surface area adjacent said viewing area for creating a potential energy barrier between said viewing area and an abutting adjacent pixel.

12. A pixel according to claim 10, further including mirror means for covering said holding electrode and said switching electrode and optically enlarging said viewing area whereby adjacent pixels form a continuous viewing surface.

13. A pixel according to claim 12, further including a convex lenses disposed above said viewing area for increasing an effective viewing angle onto said viewing area.

14. A pixel according to claim 12, further including a first non-wetted surface area adjacent said viewing are for creating a potential energy barrier between said viewing area and an abutting adjacent pixel.