IP Library Granted Patent US 7,050,218
Granted Patent B2
US 7,050,218 · App. 11/205,005 · Granted May 23, 2006

Electrophoretic dispersion, electrophoretic display device, method of manufacturing electrophoretic display device, and electronic system

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,050,218
App. No.
11/205,005
Granted
May 23, 2006
Kind
B2
Abstract

To provide an electrophoretic dispersion capable of reducing or preventing the aggregation of electrophoretic particles, an electrophoretic display device using the electrophoretic dispersion, a method of manufacturing the electrophoretic display device, and an electronic system superior in display performance; an electrophoretic display device (electrophoretic display unit) has: a first substrate with a first electrode; a second substrate with a second electrode opposite the first electrode; and an electrophoretic dispersion provided between the first substrate and second substrate. The electrophoretic dispersion (dispersion for electrophoretic display units) includes a liquid phase insulative dispersion medium and electrophoretic particles dispersed in the dispersion medium, the particles electrophoretically migrated under an influence of an electric field. Also included as the electrophoretic particles, inorganic particles and resin particles dyed a color different from that of the inorganic particles and having an electrical polarity opposite to that of the inorganic particles.

Claims (43)

1. An electrophoretic dispersion, comprising:

a liquid medium; and

a plurality of particles which are dispersed in the liquid medium and including a first kind of particles and a second kind of particles,

the first kind of particles and the second kind of particles being inorganic particles and resin particles, respectively.

2. The electrophoretic dispersion according to claim 1 , at least one of the first kind of particles and the second kind of particles migrating electrophoretically in response to an electric field.

3. The electrophoretic dispersion according to claim 1 , a behavior of the first kind of particles in response to an electric field being different from a behavior of the second kind of particles in response to the electric field.

4. The electrophoretic dispersion according to claim 1 , an electric property of the first kind of particles being different from an electric property of the second kind of particles.

5. The electrophoretic dispersion according to claim 1 , wherein the resin particles are dyed a color different from a color of inorganic particles.

6. The electrophoretic dispersion according to claim 1 , the resin particles being composed mainly of an acrylic resin.

7. The electrophoretic dispersion according to claim 1 , the resin particles being dyed any one of red, green, blue, and black.

8. The electrophoretic dispersion according to claim 1 , the inorganic particles having an average particle size of A[μm] and the resin particles having an average particle size of B[μm], B/A falling in a range of 1.5–200.

9. An electrophoretic display device, comprising:

a first electrode;

a second electrode facing the first electrode and forming a pair of electrodes;

a liquid medium provided between the first electrode and the second electrode; and

a plurality of particles which are dispersed in the liquid medium and including a first kind of particles and second kind of particles,

the first kind of particles and the second kind of particles being inorganic particles and resin particles.

10. The electrophoretic display device according to claim 9 , an electric field being produced by the first electrode and the second electrode.

11. An electronic system, comprising:

the electrophoretic display device according to claim 10 .

12. The electrophoretic display device according to claim 9 , an electric field being applied between the first electrode and the second electrode.

13. The electrophoretic display device according to claim 9 , a behavior of the first kind of particles in response to an electric field being different from a behavior of the second kind of particles in response to the electric field.

14. The electrophoretic display device according to claim 9 , an electric property of the first kind of particles being different from an electric property of the second kind of particles.

15. The electrophoretic display device according to claim 9 , further comprising:

a plurality of thin film transistor elements arranged in a matrix and a plurality of pixel electrodes that are one of the pair of electrodes, the thin film transistor elements corresponding to the pixel electrodes.

16. The electrophoretic display device according to claim 9 , further comprising:

a plurality of thin film transistor elements arranged in a matrix and

a plurality of cell spaces partitioned off by partition and formed between first substrate and a second substrate,

the cell spaces being each filled with the liquid medium and the plurality of particles; and

each of the cell spaces corresponding to at least one of the thin film transistor elements.

17. An electrophoretic display device, comprising:

a first electrode;

a second electrode facing the first electrode;

a liquid medium provided between the first electrode and the second electrode; and

a plurality of particles which are dispersed in the liquid medium and including a first kind of particles and a second kind of particles,

the first kind of particles and the second kind of particles being inorganic particles and resin particles,

the liquid medium and the plurality of particles being encapsulated as microcapsules.

18. The electrophoretic display device according to claim 17 , a behavior of the first kind of particles in response to an electric field being different from a behavior of the second kind of particles in response to the electric field.

19. The electrophoretic display device according to claim 17 , an electric property of the first kind of particles being different from an electric property of the second kind of particles.

20. The electrophoretic display device according to claim 17 , further comprising:

a plurality of thin film transistor elements arranged in a matrix,

plural kind of the microcapsules including the resin particles dyed different colors and being provided between a first substrate and a second substrate, and

each of the microcapsules corresponding to at least one of the thin film transistor elements.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 11, 2019
From: KANBE, SADAO
To: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 048565/0027 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 13, 2018
From: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
To: E INK CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 047072/0325 →