以電場極化並排列微粒串之新型電子紙驗證

Abstract

電子紙為一個新興的顯示技術，期望以輕便簡單的可攜式顯示器取 代紙張。近年來，研究人員陸續提出各種不同之技術來實現電子紙，包含以電場驅動帶電粒子之電泳技術。本論文以電場極化不帶電之中性微奈米球體，改變液體中微奈米球體之排列方式，並造成光穿透率的改變以實現電子紙。此型電子紙具有結構及製程簡單、低功率消耗等優點，並有實現彩色之電子紙之潛力。本論文將研究(1) 微奈米球體在交流電場下之變化、(2) 聚苯乙烯無色微球體在圖形化電極上之觀察、(3) 外加電場強度及頻率對於穿透率之影響以及(4) 微奈米球體極化式電子紙之原型。並設計且實作出2 吋 × 2 吋特殊形狀電極顯示元件。本論文研究成果成功地以500 kHz, 48 VRMS 驅動直徑3 μm 之聚苯乙烯黑色微球體形成微粒串，並且顯示在圖形化之ITO 電極上，形成我們所設計之圖案。

Electronic paper (e-paper) is a frontier display technique, which may replace the real papers by portable and lightweight displays. In recent years, researchers have demonstrated various methods to realize E-paper, including utilizing electrophoresis to manipulate charged particles. In this thesis, we propose a new way to arrange neutral micro/nanospheres dispersed in liquid by electric polarization. By applying an electric field, neutral micro/nanospheres can be polarized. The polarized spheres then attract each other and form particle chains. The arrangement of the micro/nanospheres can regulate the incident light and provide display functions. The key features of such an e-paper are simple structure and configuration, easy fabrication, low power consumption, and the possibility to realize color e-paper. The thesis focuses on the investigations of (1) the phenomena of micro/nanospheres under an AC electric field, (2) observation of uncolored polystyrene on the patterned electrode, (3) relationship between the transmittance and frequency or intensity of the electric field, and (4) the prototype of e-paper by electrically polarized and arranged particle chains. A 2 in. × 2 in. e-paper is demonstrated. We successfully drive 3-μm black polystyrene microspheres to form particle chains and display the pattern by applying 500 kHz, 48 VRMS on the ITO electrodes.