Display device

• US 7,529,012 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2004
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Liquavista B.V. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Camps, Ivo G. J., Feenstra, Bokke J., Hage, Leendert M., Wolf, Ronald M., Schlangen, Lucas J. M., Morks, Ewout V., Jaulneau, Patrice G. C., Hayes, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cherry; Euncha P
• Application Number:
  US10/557,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20070127108A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,818 Days
• Field of Search: 359/228
• US Class Current: 359/228
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/005 based on electrowetting
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3538 based on displacement or deformation of a liquid controlling the intensity of light by displacement or deformation of a fluid in general G02B26/004; fluid-filled lens of variable focal length G02B3/14

Abstract

An optical switch, e.g., a display device based on layer break up or layer displacement having at least two different states, in which one of the fluids, e.g., oil in a first state, adjoins at least a first support plate and, in the second state, the other fluid at least partly adjoins the first support plate, in which picture elements are separated by areas having a hydrophilic surface.

Claims

1. A display device comprising picture elements, each picture element having at least one first fluid and a second fluid immiscible with each other within a space of said picture element between a first transparent support plate and a second support plate, the second fluid being electroconductive or polar, the first fluid being confined to the space and the second fluid being shared between the picture elements,

wherein said picture element has a surface area of at least one of the support plates that is less wettable to the second fluid, and

areas having a more wettable surface area to the second fluid and arranged between the less wettable surface areas of neighboring picture elements.

2. A display device according to claim 1 in which the less wettable surface area is surrounded by said more wettable surface areas.

3. A display device according to claim 1 in which the first fluid of said picture element is switchable between a first state and a second state, the first fluid adjoining an edge of the less wettable surface area in the first state and in the second state.

4. A display device according to claim 1 in which the first fluid of said picture element is switchable between a first state and a second state, the first fluid adjoining the less wettable surface area and more wettable surface areas in the first state and in the second state.

5. A display device according to claim 1 provided with walls between the less wettable surface areas of neighboring picture elements, in which the more wettable surfaces are provided on the walls.

6. A display device according to claim 5, in which the first fluid is switchable between a first state and a second state, the first fluid adjoining a wall in said first state and in said second state.

7. A display device according to any one of claims 3, 4 or 6, wherein a zero voltage is applied between the second fluid and an electrode on said one support plate in said first state, and a non-zero voltage is applied between the second fluid and said electrode in said second state.

8. A display device according to claim 5, in which the lower parts of the walls are less wettable to the second fluid.

9. A display device according to claim 5 in which the walls have a height of at most 20 μ

m.

10. A method for manufacturing a display device according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 in which at least part of said one support plate is made more wettable to the second fluid by means of laser radiation, a UV-ozone treatment or an oxygen-plasma treatment.

11. A method for manufacturing a display device according to claim 10 in which said one support plate is provided with walls by means of a mold.

12. A method according to claim 11 in which said one support plate is pre-treated by means of reactive ion-etching.

13. A method for manufacturing a display device according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 in which the more wettable part to the second fluid of said one support plate is made by means of a printing method.