Static and addressable emissive displays

• US 8,183,772 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2010
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NthDegree Technologies Worldwide Inc.
• Original Assignee: NthDegree Technologies Worldwide Inc.
• Inventors: Ray, William Johnstone, Lowenthal, Mark David, Claypole, Timothy Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Roy, Sikha
• Application Number:
  US12/753,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20100308719A1
• Time in Patent Office: 779 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 313/512
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0426 Layout of electrodes and connections
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/30 using electroluminescent panels
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/06 Electrode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/10 Apparatus or processes specially adapted to the manufacture of electroluminescent light sources

Abstract

The various embodiments of the invention provide an addressable or a static emissive display comprising a plurality of layers, including a first substrate layer, wherein each succeeding layer is formed by printing or coating the layer over preceding layers. Exemplary substrates include paper, plastic, rubber, fabric, glass, ceramic, or any other insulator or semiconductor. In an exemplary embodiment, the display includes a first conductive layer attached to the substrate and forming a first plurality of conductors; various dielectric layers; an emissive layer; a second, transmissive conductive layer forming a second plurality of conductors; a third conductive layer included in the second plurality of conductors and having a comparatively lower impedance; and optional color and masking layers. Pixels are defined by the corresponding display regions between the first and second plurality of conductors. Various embodiments are addressable, have a substantially flat form factor with a thickness of 1-3 mm, and are also scalable virtually limitlessly, from the size of a mobile telephone display to that of a billboard.

Claims

1. An emissive display comprising:

an embossed substrate comprising a first sealing layer and a plurality of peaks forming a corresponding plurality of spaced apart valleys;

a first plurality of conductors coupled to the embossed substrate, each conductor of the first plurality of conductors within a corresponding valley of the plurality of spaced apart valleys of the embossed substrate;

a dielectric layer coupled to a first conductor of the first plurality of conductors;

an emissive layer coupled to the dielectric layer;

a third, optically transmissive conductor coupled to the emissive layer and coupled to a second conductor of the first plurality of conductors; and

a second sealing layer coupled to the third, optically transmissive conductor or to any intervening layer, the second sealing layer further coupled to the first sealing layer.

2. The emissive display of claim 1, wherein the embossed substrate and the first sealing layer are integrally combined.

3. The emissive display of claim 1, wherein the embossed substrate further comprises at least one valley, of the plurality of spaced apart valleys, having a halo configuration.

4. The emissive display of claim 1, wherein the embossed substrate further comprises at least one valley, of the plurality of spaced apart valleys, having a grid configuration.

5. The emissive display of claim 1, wherein the first sealing layer and the second sealing layer are comprised of a hydrophobic compound.

6. The emissive display of claim 1, wherein the first sealing layer and the second sealing layer are comprised of a lacquer-based compound.

7. The emissive display of claim 1, wherein the first sealing layer and the second sealing layer are further comprised of a colorant.

8. The emissive display of claim 7, wherein the colorant has a visually neutral density substantially matching a coloration of an adjacent region of the emissive display.

9. The emissive display of claim 7, wherein the colorant has a visually neutral density substantially matching a coloration of the first plurality of conductors.

10. The emissive display of claim 1, further comprising a first topological leveling layer, the first topological leveling layer coupled substantially adjacent to a periphery of the emissive layer, or coupled to the first plurality of conductors, or coupled to the dielectric layer, or coupled to both the first plurality of conductors and the dielectric layer.

11. The emissive display of claim 10, wherein the first topological leveling layer comprises a vinyl-based compound or a lacquer-based compound.

12. The emissive display of claim 10, further comprising:

a second topological leveling layer comprised of a vinyl-based compound or a lacquer-based compound.

13. The emissive display of claim 1, wherein a portion of the second conductor of the first plurality of conductors is spaced apart from a periphery of the first conductor of the first plurality of conductors by a substantially uniform and predetermined distance.

14. The emissive display of claim 1, wherein the second conductor of the first plurality of conductors further comprises a unitary and continuous conductor having a halo and a grid configuration.

15. The emissive display of claim 1, further comprising:

a fourth conductor coupled to the third, optically transmissive conductor, the fourth conductor having an impedance comparatively lower than an impedance of the third, optically transmissive conductor.

16. The emissive display of claim 15, wherein the fourth conductor comprises at least one conductive path and is formed from a conductive ink or a conductive polymer.

17. The emissive display of claim 1, wherein an intervening layer comprises at least one fluorescent colorant or color conversion material.

18. The emissive display of claim 1, wherein an intervening layer comprises a plurality of red, green and blue pixels or subpixels.

19. The emissive display of claim 18, further comprising:

a masking layer coupled to the intervening layer, the masking layer comprising a plurality of opaque areas to mask selected pixels or subpixels of the plurality of red, green and blue pixels or subpixels.

20. The emissive display of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of conductors are spaced apart and disposed substantially parallel in a first orientation, and wherein the third, optically transmissive conductor further comprises:

a second plurality of optically transmissive conductors, the second plurality of optically transmissive conductors spaced apart and disposed substantially parallel in a second, different orientation.

21. The emissive display of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of conductors comprise a cured conductive ink or a cured conductive polymer.

22. The emissive display of claim 1, wherein the emissive layer comprises a phosphor.

23. The emissive display of claim 1, wherein the third, second, optically transmissive conductor comprises antimony tin oxide, indium tin oxide, or polyethylene-dioxithiophene.

24. An emissive display comprising:

an optically transmissive substrate;

at least one color layer coupled to the optically transmissive substrate;

a plurality of conductors, a first, optically transmissive conductor of the plurality of conductors coupled to the at least one color layer or to the optically transmissive substrate;

an emissive layer coupled to the first, optically transmissive conductor;

a dielectric layer coupled to the emissive layer;

a second conductor of the plurality of conductors coupled to the first, optically transmissive conductor, the second conductor comprising a unitary and continuous conductor having a halo and a grid configuration;

a third conductor of the plurality of conductors is coupled to the dielectric layer; and

a first sealing layer coupled to the second and third conductors of the plurality of conductors and to the optically transmissive substrate.

25. The emissive display of claim 24, wherein the first sealing layer and the optically transmissive substrate are comprised of one or more substantially hydrophobic compounds.

26. The emissive display of claim 24, further comprising a topological leveling layer, wherein the topological leveling layer comprises a vinyl-based compound or a lacquer-based compound.

27. The emissive display of claim 24, further comprising a second sealing layer coupled to the first, optically transmissive conductor or to the emissive layer.

28. The emissive display of claim 27, wherein the second sealing layer is comprised of a colorant having a visually neutral density substantially matching a coloration of its adjacent region of the emissive display.

29. The emissive display of claim 24, wherein the emissive layer comprises at least one semiconductor, or a phosphor, or a combination of at least one semiconductor and a phosphor.

30. The emissive display of claim 24, wherein a portion of the second conductor of the plurality of conductors is spaced apart from a periphery of the third conductor of the plurality of conductors by a substantially uniform and predetermined distance.

31. The emissive display of claim 24, further comprising:

a fourth conductor coupled to the first, optically transmissive conductor, the fourth conductor having an impedance comparatively lower than an impedance of the first, optically transmissive conductor.

32. The emissive display of claim 24, wherein the first, optically transmissive conductor comprises antimony tin oxide, indium tin oxide, or polyethylene-dioxithiophene.

33. The emissive display of claim 24, wherein the first sealing layer is integrally combined with a second substrate to form an embossed substrate.

34. The emissive display of claim 24, wherein the optically transmissive substrate is a polymeric material.

35. The emissive display of claim 33, wherein the embossed substrate further comprises a plurality of peaks forming a corresponding plurality of spaced apart valleys.

36. The emissive display of claim 35, wherein the second and third conductors of the plurality of conductors are disposed within corresponding valleys of the plurality of spaced apart valleys of the embossed substrate.

37. An emissive display comprising:

a substrate integrally combined with a first sealing layer;

a plurality of conductors, a first conductor of the plurality of conductors comprising a unitary and continuous conductor having a halo and a grid configuration spaced apart from a second conductor of the plurality of conductors;

a dielectric layer coupled to the second conductor of the plurality of conductors;

an emissive layer coupled to the dielectric layer;

a third, optically transmissive conductor of the plurality of conductors coupled to the emissive layer and coupled to the first conductor of the plurality of conductors; and

a second sealing layer coupled to the second, optically transmissive conductor or to any intervening layer, the second sealing layer further coupled to the first sealing layer or to the substrate.

38. The emissive display of claim 37, wherein the substrate and the first sealing layer further comprise an embossed substrate having a plurality of peaks forming a corresponding plurality of spaced apart valleys.

39. The emissive display of claim 37, wherein the first sealing layer and the second sealing layer are comprised of a hydrophobic compound.

40. The emissive display of claim 37, wherein the first sealing layer and the second sealing layer are comprised of a lacquer-based compound.

41. The emissive display of claim 37, further comprising at least one topological leveling layer, wherein the at least one topological leveling layer is coupled substantially adjacent to a periphery of the emissive layer, or coupled to the first plurality of conductors, or coupled to the dielectric layer, or coupled to both the first plurality of conductors and the dielectric layer.

42. The emissive display of claim 41, wherein the at least one topological leveling layer comprises a vinyl-based compound or a lacquer-based compound.

43. The emissive display of claim 37, further comprising:

a fourth conductor coupled to the third, optically transmissive conductor, the fourth conductor having an impedance comparatively lower than an impedance of the third, optically transmissive conductor.

44. The emissive display of claim 37, wherein an intervening layer comprises at least one fluorescent colorant or color conversion material.

45. The emissive display of claim 37, wherein an intervening layer comprises a plurality of red, green and blue pixels or subpixels.

46. The emissive display of claim 45, further comprising:

a masking layer coupled to the intervening layer, the masking layer comprising a plurality of opaque areas to mask selected pixels or subpixels of the plurality of red, green and blue pixels or subpixels.

47. The emissive display of claim 37, wherein the emissive layer comprises a phosphor, or at least one semiconductor, or a combination of at least one semiconductor and a phosphor.

48. The emissive display of claim 37, wherein the second, optically transmissive conductor comprises antimony tin oxide, indium tin oxide, or polyethylene-dioxithiophene.