Applying color elements and busbars to a display substrate

• US 7,897,303 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2005
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Geisow, Adrian Derek, Kitson, Stephen Christopher, Rudin, John Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): McPherson; John A.
• Application Number:
  US10/587,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20070099095A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,175 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 430/7
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133516 Methods for their manufacture, e.g. printing, electro-deposition or photolithography
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133528 Polarisers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13439 characterised by their electrical, optical, physical properties; materials therefor; method of making

Abstract

A method of applying to a display substrate color elements and addressing busbars in a defined alignment relative to each other includes: forming said color elements and said busbars on a surface of a transfer carrier; 10 adhering said color elements and said busbars to said display substrate; and removing said transfer carrier.

Claims

1. A method of applying color elements and addressing busbars to a display substrate in a defined alignment relative to each other, the method comprising:

forming a series of translucent dielectric structures on a planar surface of a carrier, each structure comprising a color element receiving surface region and a raised levee, adjacent dielectric structures being spaced apart to define a trench therebetween;

forming the busbars by at least partially filling each of the trenches with an electrically conductive material;

depositing a color element material on each of the color element receiving surface regions to form a series of color elements;

affixing the color elements and levees to a translucent display substrate using a translucent adhesive material; and

removing the carrier.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the color elements are light filters.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the light filters are at least partially ultraviolet (UV) absorbent.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the color element material is deposited via an inkjet print head.

5. A method according to claim 3, further comprising applying a layer of a translucent conductor material in contact with the busbars, and treating the conductor material using UV light transmitted through the display substrate and the levees to form the conductor material into translucent electrode tracks in alignment with and in contact with the busbars.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising providing a polariser between the levees and the display substrate.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the polariser is provided by applying a coatable polariser layer on the color elements and the levees.

8. A method according to claim 6, wherein the polariser is provided adhered on the display substrate and wherein affixing the color elements and the levees to the display substrate comprises affixing the color elements and the levees to the polariser.

9. A method according to claim 1, further comprising providing an optical film between the levees and the display substrate.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the optical film comprises a compensation retarder.

11. A method according to claim 1, further comprising providing a polariser between a color element and a color element receiving surface region.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the polariser is provided by applying a coatable polariser layer on the translucent dielectric structures prior to depositing the color element material.

13. A method according to claim 1, further comprising providing a transparent conducting layer on each color element receiving surface region prior to depositing the color element material.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the transparent conducting layer is uniformly coated and forms a patterned layer upon drying determined by the raised levees.

15. A method according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the carrier is conductive, and wherein the busbars are formed by electroplating.

16. A method of applying light filters and addressing busbars to a display substrate in a defined alignment relative to each other, the method comprising:

forming the light filters and the busbars on a conductive surface of a transfer carrier with the busbars being in electrical contact with the conductive surface;

adhering the light filters and the busbars to the display substrate;

and removing the transfer carrier.

17. A method of applying light filters and addressing busbars to a display substrate in a defined alignment relative to each other, the method comprising:

forming a series of translucent dielectric structures on a planar surface of a carrier, each structure comprising a filter receiving surface region and a raised levee, adjacent dielectric structures being spaced apart to define a trench therebetween;

forming the busbars by at least partially filling each of the trenches with an electrically conductive material;

depositing a light filter material on each of the filter receiving surface regions to form a series of light filters;

affixing the light filters and levees to a translucent display substrate using a translucent adhesive material; and

removing the carrier.

18. A method of applying color filters and addressing busbars to a display substrate in a defined alignment relative to each other, the method comprising:

forming a series of translucent dielectric structures on a planar, conductive surface of a carrier, each structure comprising a wettable surface region and a raised levee, adjacent dielectric structures being spaced apart to define a trench therebetween;

forming the busbars by at least partially filling each of the trenches with a metal by electroplating;

depositing a colored material on each of the wettable surface regions by inkjet printing to form a series of color filters;

affixing the color filters and levees to a translucent display substrate using a translucent adhesive material; and

removing the carrier.

19. A method of applying emissive color elements and addressing busbars to a display substrate in a defined alignment relative to each other, the method comprising:

forming the emissive color elements and the busbars on a surface of a transfer carrier;

adhering the emissive elements and the busbars to the display substrate; and

removing the transfer carrier, wherein the color elements at least partially absorb ultraviolet (UV) light and are spaced apart from each other by regions that are substantially transmissive of UV light.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the color elements are photoluminescent.

21. A method according to claim 19, further comprising:

forming a transparent conductor layer on the busbars after removal of the transfer carrier, the transparent conductor layer being capable of being rendered substantially non-conductive after exposure to UV light of sufficient intensity and duration;

illuminating the conductor layer with light of sufficient intensity and duration through the display substrate to cause substantial loss of conductivity in regions of the conductor layer corresponding to spaces between the color elements;

thereby forming a plurality of transparent electrode tracks, each of which is in electrical contact with a busbar.

22. A method according to claim 19, further comprising:

forming a transparent conductor layer on the busbars after removal of the transfer carrier;

applying a layer of positive photoresist material to the conductor layer;

illuminating the photoresist material with UV light of sufficient intensity and duration through the display substrate to effect a chemical change in exposed regions of the photoresist material corresponding to spaces between the color elements;

developing the photoresist to remove the photoresist in the exposed regions;

etching the conductor layer in regions where the photoresist has been removed, thereby forming a plurality of transparent electrode tracks, each of which is in electrical contact with a busbar; and

removing remaining photoresist.

23. A method of applying color elements and addressing busbars to a display substrate in a defined alignment relative to each other, the method comprising:

forming the color elements and the busbars on a surface of a transfer carrier;

adhering the color elements and the busbars to the display substrate; and

removing the transfer carrier;

wherein the color elements at least partially absorb ultraviolet (UV) light and are spaced apart from each other by regions that are substantially transmissive of UV light.

24. A method according to claim 23, further comprising:

forming a transparent conductor layer on the busbars after removal of the transfer carrier, the transparent conductor layer being capable of being rendered substantially non-conductive after exposure to UV light of sufficient intensity and duration;

illuminating the conductor layer with UV light of sufficient intensity and duration through the display substrate to cause substantial loss of conductivity in regions of the conductor layer corresponding to spaces between the color elements;

thereby forming a plurality of transparent electrode tracks, each of which is in electrical contact with a busbar.

25. A method according to claim 23, further comprising:

forming a transparent conductor layer on the busbars after removal of the transfer carrier;

applying a layer of positive photoresist material to the conductor layer;

illuminating the photoresist material with UV light of sufficient intensity and duration through the display substrate to effect a chemical change in exposed regions of the photoresist material corresponding to spaces between the color elements;

developing the photoresist to remove the photoresist in the exposed regions;

etching the conductor layer in regions where the photoresist has been removed, thereby forming a plurality of transparent electrode tracks, each of which is in electrical contact with a busbar; and

removing remaining photoresist.

26. A method of applying color elements and addressing busbars to a display substrate in a defined alignment relative to each other, the method comprising:

forming the color elements and the busbars on a conductive surface of a transfer carrier with the busbars in electrical contact with the conductive surface;

adhering the color elements and the busbars to the display substrate; and

removing the transfer carrier.

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein the busbars are formed on the conductive surface by electroplating.

28. A transfer carrier comprising a substrate having a conductive surface on which is releasably mounted a plurality of color elements and a plurality of busbars in a defined alignment relative to each other, the busbars being in electrical contact with the conductive surface.

29. A transfer carrier according to claim 28, wherein the surface is planar.

30. A transfer carrier according to claim 28, wherein each of the plurality of color elements is provided on a substantially transparent dielectric structure on the surface of the substrate.

31. A transfer carrier according to any of claims 28, wherein the color elements are light-filters.