Varioptic S.a.

Varioptic

Parrot S.a.

Julien Legrand

Mathieu Maillard

Bruno Berge

Steven J Martin

Christopher M Weikart

Nicolas Verplanck

Yves-Sebastien Boulin

Gaëtan Liogier D'ardhuy

The invention concerns an optical electrowetting device a body comprising at least a first external surface and a second internal surface with a conical shape; a liquid-liquid interface between a first and a second immiscible liquids, the first liquid being a conducting liquid and the second liquid being an insulating liquid, wherein the liquid-liquid interface is able to move on the second internal surface by electrowetting effect; a first electrode in contact with the first liquid; a second electrode insulated from the first liquid by an insulating layer, the second electrode comprising at least a first electrical conductive track to be connected to a voltage source and extending from the first external surface of the body to the second internal surface; and a first layer covering the second internal surface of said body and being covered by the insulating layer, wherein the shape of the liquid-liquid interface is controllable by application of at least a first voltage between the first electrode and the first electrical conductive track, and wherein at least one of the body or the first layer is made of a resistive material.

Optical electrowetting device

The invention concerns an electrowetting optical device comprising a chamber () comprising first and second immiscible liquids () contacting each other at a liquid-liquid interface (), the first liquid being an insulating liquid and the second liquid being a conducting liquid; a first electrode () in the contact with the second liquid; and a second electrode () insulated from the first and second liquids by an insulating layer, wherein the second electrode is formed of a conductive molded polymer material, wherein the curvature of said liquid-liquid interface is controllable by application of a voltage between said first and second electrodes.

Electrowetting device with polymer electrode

A dielectric coating is provided which has both a dielectric constant greater than 2.5 and a hydrophobic surface. The dielectric coating may be provided by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) of organosilane, organosiloxane, organosilazane, organometallic, and/or hydrocarbon precursors. Methods are also provided for altering the contact angle of a liquid in contact with the dielectric coating, e.g., for electrowetting applications.

Dielectric coatings for electrowetting applications

The invention relates to an optical electrowetting device comprising a conductive fluid () and a non-conductive fluid (), said fluids being non miscible, and an insulating substrate () on which both fluids are in contact and form a triple interface, wherein the natural contact angle () of the non-conductive fluid () on the substrate () in presence of the conductive fluid () is comprised between 0&#xb0; and about 20&#xb0;. This device may be a variable focus liquid lens, an optical diaphragm, an optical zoom. The invention further relates to an apparatus such as a camera, a cell phone, an endoscope or a dental video camera, comprising said electrowetting device and a driver or electronic means for controlling the lens.

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Lyons, France

Julien Legrand