Multi-phase liquid composition and optical electrowetting device that incorporates the same

• US 7,780,874 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2007
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Varioptic (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Amiot, Franck, Liogier D'Ardhuy, Gaëtan, Malet, Geraldine
• Primary Examiner(s): Kopec; Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Khanh Tuan
• Application Number:
  US11/700,089
• Publication Number:
  US 20070179200A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,301 Days
• Field of Search: 252/299.63, 252/500, 349/1, 359/665, 359/666
• US Class Current: 252/500
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/004 based on a displacement or a deformation of a fluid
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/005 based on electrowetting
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/14 of variable focal length

Abstract

The present invention relates to a multi-phase liquid composition comprising a conductive fluid and a non-conductive fluid, the non-conductive fluid being immiscible in the conductive fluid, the composition having a mean arithmetic cinematic viscosity of between about 1.5 cSt and about 40 cSt, within a temperature range of about −20° C. to about +70° C. The invention also pertains to an optical electrowetting device comprising said multi-phase liquid composition, as well as an optical lens driven by electrowetting, and apparatus comprising the same.

Claims

1. A method of making an optical electrowetting device, comprising:

incorporating, into an electrowetting structure, a non-conductive fluid comprising a mono germane compound substituted by one or more aryl groups.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mono germane compound is diphenyldimethylgermane or phenyltrimethylgermane.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the optical electrowetting device is an optical lens driven by electrowetting.

4. A method of making an optical electrowetting device, comprising:

incorporating, into an electrowetting structure, a non-conductive fluid comprising one selected from a group consisting of a compound of formula (I), a compound of formula (II), and a mixture thereof, as hydrolysis-resistant compound;

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the hydrolysis-resistant compound is 1-bromo-4-ethylbenzene or α

,ω

-dichloro-octane.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the optical electrowetting device is an optical lens driven by electrowetting.

7. A method of making an optical electrowetting device, comprising:

incorporating into an electrowetting structure a non-conductive fluid comprising at least one compound of formula (III)

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the optical electrowetting device is an optical lens driven by electrowetting.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one compound of formula (III) is diphenyldimethylgermane or phenyltrimethylgermane.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one compound of formula (III) is used as a wetting agent.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one compound of formula (III) is used as a hydrolysis-resistant compound.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one compound of formula (III) is used as a viscosity-lowering agent.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one compound of formula (III) is used as a density adjusting agent compound.

14. An optical electrowetting device comprising a conductive fluid and a non-conductive fluid that is immiscible in the conductive fluid, wherein the non conductive fluid comprises at least one compound of formula (III)