Granted Patent B2

US 12,313,951 · App. 17/711,237 · Granted May 27, 2025

Inventors: George G. Harris (Woburn, MA); Richard J. Paolini, Jr. (Framingham, MA)

Assignee: E Ink Corporation

G02F1/16755G02F1/133305G02F1/13336G02F1/167G02F1/16753G06F3/1446H05K5/0026H05K5/30B23K26/362G02F1/1676G02F1/1681

Abstract

Claims (31)

1. A method of forming a patterned electrophoretic display comprising in order from top to bottom:

a front electrode comprising a transparent conductor,

a display layer including encapsulated electrophoretic pigment particles in a fluid, and

a plurality of patterned drive electrodes, wherein the front electrode overlaps two or more of the drive electrodes,

the method comprising:

providing a substrate coupled to a continuous conductor layer;

patterning the continuous conductor layer with a laser to create the plurality of patterned drive electrodes;

providing a front plane laminate (FPL) comprising the front electrode comprising a transparent conductor and the display layer including encapsulated electrophoretic pigment particles in a fluid; and

coupling the front plane laminate to the substrate including the plurality of patterned drive electrodes.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising coupling a reverse side conductor layer to the substrate layer on a side of the substrate opposite to the side of the substrate coupled to the continuous conductor layer.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate includes conductive vias and the reverse side conductor forms conductive traces between a voltage source and the plurality of patterned drive electrodes.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of patterned drive electrodes is formed by patterning the continuous conductor layer but not patterning the substrate layer.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of patterned drive electrodes is formed by simultaneously patterning the continuous conductor layer and the substrate layer.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), cyclic olefins, paper, fabric, polyimide, or polycarbonate.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the continuous conductor layer comprises indium tin oxide (ITO), gold, nickel boron, carbon, carbon nanotubes, graphene, or poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT).

8. A patterned electrophoretic display comprising in order from top to bottom:

a front electrode comprising a transparent conductor;

a display layer including encapsulated electrophoretic pigment particles in a fluid;

a plurality of patterned drive electrodes formed by patterning a continuous conductor layer with a laser, wherein the front electrode overlaps two or more of the plurality of patterned drive electrodes; and

a substrate layer coupled to the plurality of patterned drive electrodes.

9. The patterned electrophoretic display of claim 8 , further comprising a reverse side conductor layer coupled to the substrate layer on a side of the substrate opposite to the side of the substrate coupled to the continuous conductor layer.

10. The patterned electrophoretic display of claim 9 , wherein the substrate layer comprises vias between the plurality of patterned drive electrodes and the reverse side conductor layer.

11. The patterned electrophoretic display of claim 10 , wherein the vias are filled with a conductive material.

12. The patterned electrophoretic display of claim 8 , wherein the electrophoretic pigment particles and the fluid are encapsulated in microcapsules.

13. The patterned electrophoretic display of claim 8 , wherein the electrophoretic pigment particles and the fluid are encapsulated in microcells.

14. The patterned electrophoretic display of claim 8 , wherein the electrophoretic pigment particles are charged and move through the fluid under the influence of an electric field to change the appearance of the patterned electrophoretic display.

15. The patterned electrophoretic display of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of patterned drive electrodes is formed by patterning the continuous conductor layer after the continuous conductor layer is coupled to the substrate layer.

16. The patterned electrophoretic display of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of patterned drive electrodes is formed by patterning the continuous conductor layer but not patterning the substrate layer.

17. The patterned electrophoretic display of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of patterned drive electrodes is formed by simultaneously patterning the continuous conductor layer and the substrate layer.

18. The patterned electrophoretic display of claim 8 , wherein the substrate comprises polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), cyclic olefins, paper, fabric, polyimide, or polycarbonate.

19. The patterned electrophoretic display of claim 8 , wherein the continuous conductor layer comprises indium tin oxide (ITO), gold, nickel boron, carbon, carbon nanotubes, graphene, or poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT).

Assignments (1)

Continuity (4)

References Cited (208)