Issue 22, 2012

Particle chain display – an optofluidic electronic paper

Abstract

A particle-based display medium and a driving mechanism insensitive to the charge polarity of those particles, based on the transformation of particle chains, are developed for reflective electronic paper displays. Particle chains are formed by dipole–dipole interactions between polarized particles with an appropriate electric field applied across the tested display medium, i.e. the solution that regulates the light in the field of display technology, containing neutral polystyrene (PS) particles dispersed in water. Formation of the particle chains results in a large change in optical transmittance and reflectance of the display medium. The performance of the particle chain displays (PCD) was evaluated according to macroscopic (device), microscopic (particle) and optical (reflectance) points of view. A display medium (thickness 100 μm) containing colored PS particles (3 μm, 2.5% w/v) was polarized to display the fixed images of the directly driven electrodes and programmable images of arrayed (5 × 5) electrodes with electric fields (0.48 MV m−1 and 0.09 MV m−1, 500 kHz, respectively). The formation of particle chains under electric fields (0.2 MV m−1 and 0.4 MV m−1, 500 kHz) was observed in the microscopic images of a display medium (thickness 100 μm) with fluorescent PS particles (5 μm, 1%). Images recorded with a confocal microscope demonstrated the particle chains. The opacity, a common parameter serving to characterize a display medium, was derived by measuring the reflectance ratio of a black background to a white background of the display medium with varied thickness and particle concentration. The temporal response of a display medium (thickness 50 μm) with black PS particles (3 μm, 5%) was tested. When an electric field (0.6 MV m−1, 500 kHz) was applied, the reflectance increased twice at the first data point in 0.7 s, attaining a contrast ratio of 2. Application of a voltage (20 s) yielded a contrast ratio of 10. The performance of a tested display medium, composed of simple PS particles and water and driven to form particle chains by polarization, is reported.

Graphical abstract: Particle chain display – an optofluidic electronic paper

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
01 May 2012
Accepted
05 Sep 2012
First published
06 Sep 2012

Lab Chip, 2012,12, 4870-4876

Particle chain display – an optofluidic electronic paper

S. Fan, C. Chiu, C. Hsu, S. Chen, L. Huang, Y. Lin, W. Fang, J. Chen and J. Yang, Lab Chip, 2012, 12, 4870 DOI: 10.1039/C2LC40480J

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements