Display device and manufacturing method thereof

• US 8,803,157 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2012
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E Ink Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: E Ink Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: Hsu, Cheng-Hang, Shinn, Ted-Hong, Tsai, Chuang-Chuang
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thao P
• Application Number:
  US13/726,208
• Publication Number:
  US 20130256677A1
• Time in Patent Office: 597 Days
• Field of Search: 257/72, 257/59, 257/E27.152, 257/E27.131
• US Class Current: 257/72
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/167 by electrophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1214 comprising a plurality of TFTs formed on a non-semiconducting substrate, e.g. driving circuits for AMLCDs
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/046 PV modules composed of a plurality of thin film solar cells deposited on the same substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0465 comprising particular structures for the electrical interconnection of adjacent PV cells in the module H01L31/0463 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0468 comprising specific means for obtaining partial light transmission through the module, e.g. partially transparent thin film solar modules for windows
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/075 the potential barriers being only of the PIN type, e.g. amorphous silicon PIN solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/548 Amorphous silicon PV cells

Abstract

A display device is provided, which includes a transparent substrate, an active device array, a solar cell structure and an electrophoretic display film. The transparent substrate has an upper surface and a lower surface opposite to each other. The active device array has a plurality of pixel structures, in which the pixel structures are disposed on the upper surface of the transparent substrate. The solar cell structure is directly disposed on the lower surface of the transparent substrate. The electrophoretic display film is disposed over the transparent substrate and includes a transparent protection film, an electrode layer and a plurality of display media, in which the electrode layer is disposed between the transparent protection film and the display media and the display media are located between the electrode layer and the active device array.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising:

a transparent substrate, having an upper surface and a lower surface opposite to each other;

an active device array, having a plurality of pixel structures, wherein the pixel structures are disposed on the upper surface of the transparent substrate;

a solar cell structure, directly disposed on the lower surface of the transparent substrate; and

an electrophoretic display film, disposed over the transparent substrate and comprising a transparent protection film, an electrode layer and a plurality of display media, wherein the electrode layer is disposed between the transparent protection film and the display media and the display media are located between the electrode layer and the active device array.

2. The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the solar cell structure comprises a plurality of cell units, each of the cell units comprises a first conductive layer, a second conductive layer and a photovoltaic layer, the first conductive layer is directly disposed on the lower surface of the transparent substrate and the photovoltaic layer is located between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer.

3. The display device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cell units are electrically connected to each other in series.

4. The display device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first conductive layer comprises a first transparent conductive layer, the photovoltaic layer contains a P-type doped microcrystalline silicon, an intrinsic microcrystalline silicon absorber layer and an N-type doped microcrystalline silicon sequentially disposed on the first conductive layer, and the second conductive layer comprises a second transparent conductive layer and a metallic electrode layer.

5. The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the solar cell structure comprises a microcrystalline silicon film solar cell, an organic solar cell, a polysilicon film solar cell or a copper-indium-gallium-selenide solar cell.

6. A manufacturing method of a display device, comprising:

providing a transparent substrate, wherein the transparent substrate has an upper surface and a lower surface opposite to each other;

forming an active device array on the upper surface of the transparent substrate;

directly forming a solar cell structure on the lower surface of the transparent substrate; and

adhering an electrophoretic display film on the active device array, wherein the electrophoretic display film comprises a transparent protection film, an electrode layer and a plurality of display media, the electrode layer is disposed between the transparent protection film and the display media and the display media are located between the electrode layer and the active device array.

7. The manufacturing method of the display device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the solar cell structure is formed prior to forming the active device array and the solar cell structure comprises a microcrystalline silicon film solar cell or a copper-indium-gallium-selenide solar cell.

8. The manufacturing method of the display device as claimed in claim 7, further comprising:

after forming the solar cell structure but prior to forming the active device array, forming a protection layer to cover the solar cell structure; and

after forming the active device array, removing the protection layer to expose out the solar cell structure.

9. The manufacturing method of the display device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the solar cell structure is formed after forming the active device array and the solar cell structure comprises a microcrystalline silicon film solar cell or an organic solar cell.

10. The manufacturing method of the display device as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

after forming the active device array but prior to forming the solar cell structure, forming a protection layer to cover the active device array; and

after forming the solar cell structure, removing the protection layer to expose out the active device array.