Electrophoretic displays with luminescent particles and materials for making the same

• US 6,300,932 B1
• Filed: 08/27/1998
• Issued: 10/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: E Ink Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: E Ink Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: Albert, Jonathan D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala, Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEWIS, DAVID LEE
• Application Number:
  US09/141,203
• Time in Patent Office: 1,139 Days
• Field of Search: 345/48, 345/84, 345/85, 345/107, 349/86, 359/296-299, 315/169.3, 204/606
• US Class Current: 345/107
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/4076 printing on rewritable, bistable "electronic paper" by a focused electric or magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/026 based on the rotation of particles under the influence of an external field, e.g. gyricons, twisting ball displays based on orientable dipolar particles G02F1/172; based on electrophoresis G02F1/167
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133305 Flexible substrates, e.g. plastics, organic film
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13336 Combining plural substrates to produce large-area displays, e.g. tiled displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1334 based on polymer dispersed liquid crystals, e.g. microencapsulated liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1345 Conductors connecting electrodes to cell terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/167 by electrophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/28 Adhesive materials or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/302 characterised by the form or geometrical disposition of the individual elements
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/372 the positions of the elements being controlled by the application of an electric field
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 10/462 Insulated gate field-effect transistors [IGFETs]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/30 Coordination compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/60 Organic compounds having low molecular weight H10K85/10 - H10K85/50 take precedence

Abstract

Disclosed herein are novel electrophoretic displays and materials useful in fabricating such displays. In particular, novel encapsulated displays are disclosed. Particles encapsulated therein are dispersed within a suspending, or electrophoretic, fluid. This fluid may be a mixture of two or more fluids or may be a single fluid. The displays may further comprise particles dispersed in a suspending fluid, wherein the particles contain a liquid. In either case, the suspending fluid may have a density or refractive index substantially matched to that of the particles dispersed therein. Finally, also disclosed herein are electro-osmotic displays. These displays comprise at least one capsule containing either a cellulosic or gel-like internal phase and a liquid phase, or containing two or more immiscible fluids. Application of electric fields to any of the electrophoretic displays described herein affects an optical property of the display.

Claims

1. An encapsulated electrophoretic display, comprising:

(a) suspending fluid; and

(b) at least one species of electrophoretically mobile particle comprising a first portion linked with a second portion, wherein the first portion is capable of reflecting visible light and the second portion is capable of emitting visible light.

2. The display of claim 1, wherein said emission of visible light comprises a phenomenon selected from the group consisting of electroluminescence, phosphorescence, and fluorescence.

3. The display of claim 1, wherein said suspending fluid contains a light-blocking material.

4. The display of claim 3, wherein said light-blocking material comprises a plurality of particles.

5. The display of claim 3, wherein said light-blocking material comprises a dye.

6. The display of claim 1, wherein said at least one species of electrophoretically mobile particle is encapsulated with an insulative material to reduce conduction.

7. The display of claim 2, wherein the second portion comprises zinc sulfide.