A scalable manufacturing process for flexible active-matrix e-paper displays

Abstract

A scalable manufacturing process for fabricating active-matrix backplanes on low-cost flexible substrates, a key enabler for electronic-paper displays, is presented. This process is based on solution processing, ink-jet printing, and laser patterning. A multilayer architecture is employed to enable high aperture ratio and array performance. These backplanes were combined with E Ink electrophoretic media to create high-performance displays that have high contrast, are bistable, and can be flexed repeatedly to a radius of curvature of 5 mm

Current Status and Opportunities of Organic Thin-Film Transistor Technologies

“…Surface modifications of metal contacts with thiol SAMs can be used for obtaining low resistive and preferably ohmic metal/semiconductor contacts as well as good-quality semiconductor films on top of the S/D electrodes for higher performance and better uniformity of electrical characteristics [94]. With these considerations, they are also the choices in OTFT manufacturing trials in industry [95], [96]. Compared to the inverted coplanar structure, the staggered structure has a lower contact resistance for a larger effective area for carriers' injection at the source electrode.…”

Mechanically flexible optically transparent silicon fabric with high thermal budget devices from bulk silicon (100)

“…Finally, although optically transparent and mechanically flexible electronics can be useful tools for next generation see-through devices and technologies, existence of such silicon substrate is rare too 36 . Specially, cost effective process technology such as inkjet printing on plastics, drives the niche of this emerging technology for flexible RFID tags, sensors, displays and medical devices [37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45] . In addition to their low cost manufacturing, their relatively low voltage operation projects them as energy efficient and hence natural contender for portable device applications.…”

Ambient Electronics

“…Motivated by these advantages, many researchers, mainly in industries, are intensively researching flexible displays for practical applications. [70][71][72][73][74][75][76][77][78][79][80][81][82][83][84][85][86] Display elements include organic LED and electrophoretic devices, which can exhibit flexibility through control by TFT drive circuits fabricated on plastic films. Thus far, many flexible displays and electronic papers with excellent definition, luminescence, and other characteristics have been reported.…”

“…Thus far, many flexible displays and electronic papers with excellent definition, luminescence, and other characteristics have been reported. [70][71][72][73][74][75][76][77][78][79][80][81][82][83][84][85][86] For example, Ricoh Co., Ltd., has reported all-printed high-definition displays with a definition of 200 ppi, 82) Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd., have developed color flexible organic LED displays, 83) and Toppan Printing Co., Ltd., have realized large high-definition electrophoretic flexible displays. 84) Focusing on flexibility, TFT-driven organic LED fullcolor displays that can be rolled into a cylinder with the diameter of a pencil were reported by Kazumasa Nomoto of Sony Corporation and colleagues in 2010, which surprised many people and is still a fresh memory.…”