Display device

• US 20070127108A1
• Filed: 05/13/2004
• Published: 06/07/2007
• 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: Hayes, Robert, Camps, Ivo, Hage, Leendert, Feenstra, Bokke, Schlangen, Lucas, Wolf, Ronald, Morks, Ewout, Jaulneau, Parice
• Granted Patent: US 7,529,012 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/245
• 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 displcement having at least two different states, in which one of the fluids (5) e.g oil in a first state adjoins at least a first support plate (3) and in the second state the other fluid (6) at least partly adjoins the first support plate, in which picture elements are separated by areas (13) having a hydrophilic surface.

Claims

1. An optical switch comprising at least one first fluid (5) and a second fluid (6) immiscible with each other within a space between a first transparent support plate (3) and a second support plate (4), the second fluid being electroconductive or polar, the device on at least one of the support plates comprising within said space a surface area less wettable to the second fluid, the less wettable surface area being surrounded by areas having a more wettable surface area.

2. An optical switch according to claim 1 in which the less wettable surface area is separated by more wettable surfaces (13^a) provided on walls (13).

3. An optical switch according to claim 2 in which the lower parts of the walls are more wettable by the first fluid.

4. An optical switch according to claim 2 in which the walls have a height of at most 20 μ

m

5. A display device comprising picture elements having at least one first fluid and a second fluid immiscible with each other within a space between a first transparent support plate and a second support plate, the second fluid being electroconductive or polar, a picture element having an optical switch according to claim 1.

6. A method for manufacturing an optical device according to claim 1 in which at least part of the one support plate is made less wettable by means of laser radiation, a UV-ozone treatment or an oxygen-plasma treatment.

7. A method for manufacturing an optical device according to claim 6 in which the one support plate is provided with walls by means of a mold.

8. A method for manufacturing an optical device according to claim 1 in which the less wettable part of the one support plate is made by means a printing method.

9. A method according to claim 8 in which the substrate is pre-treated by means of reactive ion-etching.