Advanced Display Technology Ag

Dieter Jerosch

Andriy Bitman

Frank Bartels

Oliver Mueller-Marc

Markus Rawert

Juergen Rawert

Oliver Müller-Marc

Karlheinz Blankenbach

Andriy Dipl-Ing Bitman

The disclosure relates to a pixel array for an electrofluidic display element, comprising a plurality of adjacent pixels that form the pixel array, each pixel having a pixel chamber with a polygonal, preferably rectangular, pixel surface and a height. Each pixel has at least one main reservoir channel which opens, via a first width (D) and length (L), into the pixel chamber and a single- or multi-part reservoir channel which surrounds the chamber, borders the pixel surface and opens, along its length and a second width into the pixel chamber. A polar and/or electrically conductive liquid is or can be held in the pixels, said liquid being capable of motion back-and-forth between the reservoir channels and the pixel chamber by the application of an electric field, and the reservoir channels surrounding adjacent pixels run towards each other in a corner region in which the adjacent pixels border one another. The invention is characterized in that the second width (A) is smaller than the first width (D), the at least one main reservoir channel of each of the adjacent pixels opens into the surrounding reservoir channel at the corner region via at least one mouth junction having a third width (C) which is smaller than the first width (D), and the height of the pixel chamber is greater than or equal to the second width (A). Also disclosed is a corresponding display element.

Pixel array for an electrofluidic display element and corresponding display element

The invention concerns an electrically controllable display element () for an optical display device, with a structured layer () that has a plurality pixels (), and with at least one electrode layer () directly or indirectly over a structured side () of the structured layer (), as well as with an active matrix () having thin film transistors, which has selectively controllable electrodes, such that individual or multiple particular pixels () can be charged with an electric field, characterized by the fact that the at least one electrode layer () extends in one piece over the structured side () of the structured layer (), and that the active matrix () in the viewing direction is arranged on the display element () above the electrode layer ().

Electrically controllable display element for an optical display device, and corresponding production method

To produce a display element for an electrowetting display, there is provided a quantity of fluid which is greater than both the first volume of a display chamber and the second volume of a reservoir chamber, but less than the sum of the first volume and second volume. The fluid is divided into first and second partial drops, the first being introduced into the display chamber, the second being introduced into the reservoir chamber. The display and reservoir chambers are brought together so that a first opening in a first intermediate film of the display chamber and a second opening in a second intermediate film of the reservoir chamber at least partly overlap. An electrical field is applied to the display chamber and to the reservoir chamber, thereby uniting the first partial drop and the second partial drop.

Method for producing a display element for an electro-wetting display and a display element for an electro-wetting display

The invention relates to a fluidic, in particular an electrofluidic display element, comprising at least one pixel chamber () which is in fluid communication with at least one reservoir volume (), wherein an electrically conducting and/or polar liquid () can be reciprocated between the pixel chamber () and the reservoir volume (), wherein the pixel chamber () has a height (H) and a pixel width (B) and the reservoir volume () has a reservoir width (D) and a length (L), characterized in that the width (D) of the reservoir volume () is insignificantly greater than or equal to the height (H) of the pixel chamber ().

Fluidic, in particular electro-fluidic, display element with reservoir channels

A device for displaying information comprising at least one display element which includes: a liquid, the surface energy thereof being variable by means of an electric field; a first and a second volume for receiving the liquid, wherein said first and said second volume are defined by a first effective radius or a second effective radius, respectively, a fluidic passage between said first and said second volume, wherein in a first state said liquid substantially occupies said first volume and wherein in a second state said liquid substantially occupies said second volume, is characterized in that said passage is configured such that the fraction of the liquid facing to the unoccupied volume comprises a radius which is smaller than the effective radius of the presently occupied volume.

Device for displaying information

The invention relates to a display apparatus having at least one electronically controllable display element that comprises: at least one nonpolar and at least two electrically conductive or polar liquids; a fluidically sealed volume having a visible sub-volume and at least two holding volumes connected fluidically to the visible sub-volume; and at least one voltage source that is applied to a first electrode arrangement; the visible sub-volume being of planar embodiment so that when the first electrode arrangement is in the zero-voltage state, the electrically conductive or polar liquids are drawn into the respective holding volume; and the display element furthermore comprising mechanical and/or electrical means for selectably retaining in their holding volumes those electrically conductive or polar liquids which are not intended to be moved into the visible sub-volume by an impingement of voltage on the first electrode arrangement.

Display device having multi-coloured display elements

The invention relates to a display device having at least one electrically controllable display element comprising a first and at least one further liquid, a plurality of fluidically closed volumes and at least one voltage source which is connected to an electrode array, wherein said volumes include flat visible subvolumes which stacked upon another along their shortest dimension, having associated second subvolumes which pass through those flat visible subvolumes which are underlying that flat visible subvolume which is associated with the respective second subvolume.

Multi-colored display device

Display element with at least one color-generating cell of the first type which has an emissive light source, and with at least one color-generating cell of the second type which has a reflective and/or transmissive and/or transflective light source, whereby each cell of the second type can be driven so that it makes visible one of the chromatic colors red, green, blue, magenta, cyan and yellow and the achromatic colors white and black, to compensate at least partly for the absence of the color impression created by at least one color-generating cell of the first type on account of the ambient light of the display element.

Display element and a method for driving a display element

The invention relates to a security element including at least one display element for non-resettable visible display of information, wherein said display element comprises a first and a second volume which are fluidically connected via at least one duct, and only one electrically controllable electrode which is associated to one of said volumes and is configured, when charged with an electric voltage, to vary the surface tension of a liquid which is present in said associated volume, wherein said liquid comprises at least an electrically conducting and/or polar and a non-polar fraction, and at least said electrically conducting fraction being completely and in a stable manner provided in that of both volumes which is not associated with an electrode and wherein said electrically conducting and/or polar fraction may be moved irreversibly and at least partly due to a single charging of the electrode into the volume which is associated with an electrode.

Security element

The invention relates to the use of a fluid mixture for electrowetting in a device that is suitable for this. According to the invention, the fluid mixture consists of at least two components, namely an electrically inducible liquid and an electrically inert fluid. These two components form a bi- or multiphasic mixture. The electrically inducible liquid responds to a change of an electric field that surrounds it or completely or partly permeates it, in such way that it changes its surface tension so that its form is changed too, particularly if only parts of its surface are permeated by the electric field, or if the field strength is distributed not homogenously. According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the electrically inducible liquid consists of propylene carbonate. As a result of using this liquid, the temperature range, in which a device being based on the electrowetting effect may be operated, is expanded in such way, that application areas are made possible which so far have not been usable using conventional, particularly aqueous, liquids.

Use of a fluid mixture for electrowetting a device

The invention relates to a display device having at least one electronically controllable display element comprising at least one non-polar and at least two electrically conducting or polar liquids, a fluidically closed volume having a visible subvolume, a further subvolume and at least two storage volumes connected to said subvolumes, as well as a voltage source connected to a first electrode array. It is provided thereby that each of said electrically conducting or polar liquids assumes a volume which is dimensioned such that, independent of application of voltage to the electrode array, always a fluidically tight closure for non-polar liquid between the respective storage volume and either the visible or the further subvolume is formed.

Display device comprising display elements without backflow ducts

An arrangement of electrodes is provided in which there is a plurality of electrodes located in two planes and offset from one another in the direction of movement, and which within each plane are arranged in at least two electrically interconnected and alternating groups. A method is also provided for the movement or transport of drops of liquid utilizing the electrowetting effect and utilizing the above arrangement.

Liquid transport using electrowetting supported by effective arrangement of electrodes

An apparatus for the pixel-integrated return of fluid in the pixel of a fluidic display is characterized in that the fluid with which the desired information is to be displayed and/or the carrier fluid in which the fluid is optionally embedded can be returned in a particularly compact manner and in a manner which is invisible to an observer past the visible part of a pixel (image compartment) into a reservoir (reservoir compartment) through or out of the reservoir. The device comprises an image compartment, a reservoir compartment, a connecting duct and at least one return duct, whereby the at least one return duct is formed by the fact that the connecting duct has at least one area with an uninterruptedly enlarged cross section which transitions in a specified manner into the cross section of the original cross section.

Device for the pixel-integrated return of fluid

A layer composition of an electrowetting system with a first electrode layer, an insulator layer on the first electrode layer, and a fluid layer over the insulator layer, wherein the fluid layer comprises at least two immiscible fluids which, under the influence of an applied voltage, reversibly change their wetting behavior of a surface allocated to the insulator layer, wherein the insulator layer being at least in part built of a material with a permittivity of &#x2208;&#x2267;20. The fluid layer is adjacent to at least one layer being repellent for the at least one of the fluids. On the surface of the repellent layer pointing away from the fluid layer is provided an adhesion enhancing layer before the subsequent layer.

Layer composition of an electrowetting system

The apparatus claimed by the invention uses as the display medium colors in the form of colored fluids which are transported by means of transport in a system of compartments within a fluidic chain, whereby they are visible from the direction of an observer only through a single one these compartments (image compartment). Depending on the position of the individual colored fluids, a different color impression is received by the observer. The invention thereby teaches the presence of a fluidic chain in a subpixel and the combination of a plurality of these subpixels in a pixel. The display claimed by the invention consists of a plurality of pixels. With the use of eight colors in connection with an optically created color mixing effect, a color space can be displayed which is sufficient at least for the display of the information typically used on advertising signs.

Growing community of inventors

Bad Soden, Germany

Dieter Jerosch