IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,779,672
Granted Patent B2
US 9,779,672 · App. 15/123,970 · Granted Oct 3, 2017

Oil puncture controlled starting system for EFD apparatus and manufacturing method therefor

Inventors: Guofu Zhou (Guangzhou, CN); Fahong Li (Guangzhou, CN); Robert Andrew Hayes (Guangzhou, CN)
Assignees: South China Normal University; Shenzhen Guohua Optoelectronics Co., Ltd.; Shenzhen Guohua Optoelectronics Institute
G09G3/348G02B26/005
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,779,672
App. No.
15/123,970
Granted
Oct 3, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

An oil puncture controlled starting system for an EFD apparatus and manufacturing method therefor, wherein the EFD display structure comprises a base arranged below a lower electrode, and the base is provided with a step, such that a first liquid has a first thickness outside the step and a second thickness on the step, which is less than the first thickness, such a thickness difference renders the first liquid on the step to be punctured by a second liquid firstly when a lower voltage is applied between a upper electrode and the lower electrode, and the first liquid is pushed by the second liquid to move from a first area to a second area.

Claims (27)

1. An oil puncture controlled starting system for an EFD apparatus, comprising an EFD display structure, said EFD display structure comprising:

an upper electrode arranged in a top portion of the EFD display structure;

a lower electrode arranged in a bottom portion of the EFD display structure;

a dielectric layer comprising a hydrophobic insulating layer and arranged on the lower electrode;

a pixel wall with different heights arranged on the dielectric layer, and comprising a higher pixel wall portion with a first height located in a first area of the EFD display structure, and a lower pixel wall portion with a height lower than the first height, located in a second area of the EFD display structure;

a first liquid filled in an area limited by the pixel wall;

a second liquid filled between the first liquid and the upper electrode;

wherein, the first liquid and the hydrophobic insulating layer are configured to have sufficient wettability, such that the first liquid is contacted with the hydrophobic insulating layer and completely covers the hydrophobic insulating layer under a closed state that no voltage is applied between the upper electrode and the lower electrode, and the height of the lower pixel wall portion is configured to render the first liquid in the second area to be punctured firstly when a preset lower voltage is applied between the upper electrode and the lower electrode.

2. The oil puncture controlled starting system for an EFD apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said EFD display structure further comprises a base arranged below the lower electrode, wherein the base is provided with a step on a portion thereof in the second area, such that portions of the lower electrode and the dielectric layer located on the step are higher than portions of same outside the step, such that the first liquid has a first thickness outside the step and a second thickness on the step, which is less than the first thickness.

3. The oil puncture controlled starting system for an EFD apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the thickness difference between the second thickness and the first thickness of the first liquid is configured to render the first liquid on the step to be punctured by the second liquid firstly when a lower voltage is applied between the upper electrode and the lower electrode, and the first liquid is pushed by the second liquid to move from the second area to the first area.

4. The oil puncture controlled starting system for an EFD apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the base is provided with a plurality of steps on the portion thereof in the second area, and the vertical height of the step further away from the first area is greater than the vertical height of the step closer to the first area.

5. The oil puncture controlled starting system for an EFD apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first liquid is an inert liquid comprising a tinctorial oil layer.

6. The oil puncture controlled starting system for an EFD apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the EFD display structure further comprises a hydrophillic layer arranged between the upper electrode and the second liquid.

7. An EFD display apparatus, comprising a plurality of EFD pixel units having the oil puncture controlled starting system according to claim 1 , wherein the orientations of the first area and the second area in the oil puncture controlled starting system in each of the EFD pixel unit are consistent.

8. An EFD display apparatus, comprising a plurality of EFD pixel units having the oil puncture controlled starting system according to claim 2 , wherein the orientations of the first area and the second area in the oil puncture controlled starting system in each of the EFD pixel unit are consistent.

9. An EFD display apparatus, comprising a plurality of EFD pixel units having the oil puncture controlled starting system according to claim 3 , wherein the orientations of the first area and the second area in the oil puncture controlled starting system in each of the EFD pixel unit are consistent.

10. An EFD display apparatus, comprising a plurality of EFD pixel units having the oil puncture controlled starting system according to claim 4 , wherein the orientations of the first area and the second area in the oil puncture controlled starting system in each of the EFD pixel unit are consistent.

11. An EFD display apparatus, comprising a plurality of EFD pixel units having the oil puncture controlled starting system according to claim 5 , wherein the orientations of the first area and the second area in the oil puncture controlled starting system in each of the EFD pixel unit are consistent.

12. An EFD display apparatus, comprising a plurality of EFD pixel units having the oil puncture controlled starting system according to claim 6 , wherein the orientations of the first area and the second area in the oil puncture controlled starting system in each of the EFD pixel unit are consistent.

13. An oil puncture controlled starting method for an EFD apparatus, comprising the following steps of:

providing an EFD display structure in an oil puncture controlled starting system;

providing a base in the EFD display structure, and on the base forming a step which is higher than the portion of the base outside the step;

forming a lower electrode on the base and coating a dielectric layer such that the vertical heights of the portions of the lower electrode and the dielectric layer on the step are higher than that of the portions thereof outside the step, wherein the dielectric layer is configured to comprise a hydrophobic insulating layer;

forming a pixel wall with different heights on the periphery of the dielectric layer using a photolithography technique, wherein the pixel wall comprise a lower pixel wall portion on the step and a higher pixel wall portion outside the step;

filling a first liquid in the pixel wall, wherein the first liquid has a first thickness outside the step and a second thickness on the step, which is less than the first thickness;

providing an upper electrode above the pixel walls, and filling a second liquid between the upper electrode and the pixel walls.

14. The oil puncture controlled starting method for an EFD apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the thickness difference between the second thickness and the first thickness is configured to render the first liquid on the step to be punctured by the second liquid firstly when a lower voltage is applied between the upper electrode and the lower electrode, and the first liquid is pushed by the second liquid to move from an area above the step to an area outside the step.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 27, 2026
From: SHENZHEN GUOHUA OPTOELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
To: EPAPERVISION TECHNOLOGY (GUANGDONG) CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 074483/0852 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 1, 2024
From: SOUTH CHINA NORMAL UNIVERSITY; SHENZHEN GUOHUA OPTOELECTRONICS CO., LTD.; SHENZHEN GUOHUA OPTOELECTRONICS INSTITUTE
To: SHENZHEN GUOHUA OPTOELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 068158/0894 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE APPLICATION NUMBER PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 043421 FRAME 0091. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT OF ENTIRE INTEREST. Recorded Oct 31, 2017
From: ZHOU, GUOFU; LI, FAHONG; HAYES, ROBERT ANDREW
To: SOUTH CHINA NORMAL UNIVERSITY; SHENZHEN GUOHUA OPTOELECTRONICS CO., LTD; SHENZHEN GUOHUA OPTOELECTRONICS INSTITUTE
Reel/Frame 044298/0821 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 28, 2017
From: ZHOU, GUOFU; LI, FAHONG; HAYES, ROBERT ANDREW
To: SOUTH CHINA NORMAL UNIVERSITY; SHENZHEN GUOHUA OPTOELECTRONICS CO., LTD; SHENZHEN GUOHUA OPTOELECTRONICS INSTITUTE
Reel/Frame 043421/0091 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170162129A1 · Jun 8, 2017