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Better displays ahead

Date:
August 11, 2010
Source:
American Institute of Physics
Summary:
Researchers are actively pursuing an alternative approach for low-power displays and hope to provide details about what's ahead for display technology.
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Sleek design and ease of use are just two of the main reasons consumers are increasingly attracted to tablets and e-readers. And these devices are only going to get better -- display technology improvements are on the way.

Several e-reader products on the market today use electrophoretic displays, in which each pixel consists of microscopic capsules that contain black and white particles moving in opposite directions under the influence of an electric field. A serious drawback to this technology is that the screen image is closer to black-on-gray than black-on-white. Also, the slow switching speed (~1 second) due to the limited velocity of the particles prevents integration of other highly desirable features such as touch commands, animation, and video.

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati Nanoelectronics Laboratory are actively pursuing an alternative approach for low-power displays. Their assessment of the future of display technologies appears in the American Institute of Physics' Applied Physics Letters.

"Our approach is based on the concept of vertically stacking electrowetting devices," explains professor Andrew J. Steckl, director of the NanoLab at UC's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. "The electric field controls the 'wetting' properties on a fluoropolymer surface, which results in rapid manipulation of liquid on a micrometer scale. Electrowetting displays can operate in both reflective and transmissive modes, broadening their range of display applications. And now, improvements of the hydrophobic insulator material and the working liquids enable EW operation at fairly low driving voltages (~15V)."

Steckl and Dr. Han You, a research associate in the NanoLab, have demonstrated that the vertical stack electrowetting structure can produce multi-color e-paper devices, with the potential for higher resolution than the conventional side-by-side pixel approach. Furthermore, their device has switching speeds that enable video content displays.

What does all of this mean for the consumer? Essentially, tablets and e-readers are about to become capable of even more and look even better doing it. Compared to other technologies, electrowetting reflective display screens boast many advantages. The electrowetting displays are very thin, have a switching speed capable of video display, a wide viewing angle and, just as important, Steckl says, they aren't power hogs.


Story Source:

Materials provided by American Institute of Physics. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. H. You, A. J. Steckl. Three-color electrowetting display device for electronic paper. Applied Physics Letters, 2010; 97 (2): 023514 DOI: 10.1063/1.3464963

Cite This Page:

American Institute of Physics. "Better displays ahead." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 11 August 2010. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100810122033.htm>.
American Institute of Physics. (2010, August 11). Better displays ahead. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 28, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100810122033.htm
American Institute of Physics. "Better displays ahead." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100810122033.htm (accessed March 28, 2024).

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