SBIR Phase I: Bistable Electrofluidic Device for High-Brightness Electronic Paper

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目将展示一种新的电子纸技术的可行性，该技术承诺大幅改善黑白对比度和明亮、可行的色彩操作。这项技术是一种电流体像素，它使用电压来移动流体中的有色颜料，能够实现现有电子纸解决方案的两倍反射率。反射率的这种改进实现了印刷介质中的颜色饱和度。然而，需要新的电流体像素设计来满足电子纸应用的低功耗要求。这些应用需要具有双稳灰度级的双稳开关态。第一阶段研究项目将设计、制造和演示一种3D像素结构，该结构在未通电状态下提供零杨-拉普拉斯压力，从而创建双稳态。第一阶段的设计将产生超过50%的表面反射率，同时使用与柔性显示器制造兼容的制造步骤。该项目还将为优化光学薄膜以实现进一步提高反射率提供路线图。该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是推动电子纸和电子书技术的改进。该项目展示了反射率的提高，有可能产生饱和颜色，从而克服阻碍彩色电子书进入市场的性能障碍。更重要的是，电子纸和电子书的广泛采用拯救了数百万棵树，减少了垃圾填埋场的废弃物，从而为环境带来了显著的好处。市场机会可能超过100亿美元，并将在为美国带来可持续经济利益的商业模式下支持大量新的美国工作岗位。双稳态电流控技术也非常适合于小型和大型电子标牌。除了商业潜力，这一期SBIR还将开发和传播一种实现3D微流控设备的新工具，并创建一种新技术，该技术将增加对电润湿/电流体和柔性显示器等不断增长的领域的科学兴趣和投资。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will demonstrate feasibility of a new electronic paper technology that promises substantially improved black and white contrast and bright, viable color operation. The technology, an electrofluidic pixel that uses voltage to move a colored pigment in a fluid, is capable of achieving twice the reflectivity of existing e-paper solutions. This improvement in reflectivity enables the color saturation found in printed media. However, new electrofluidic pixel designs are required to meet the low power requirements of e-paper applications. These applications require bistable switching states with bistable grayscale levels. The Phase I research project will design, fabricate, and demonstrate a 3D pixel structure that imparts zero Young-Laplace pressure in the unpowered state, thereby creating a bistable state. The Phase I design will produce a surface reflectivity exceeding 50%, while using fabrication steps that are compatible with flexible display manufacture. This project will also provide a road map for optimizing the optical films to achieve further reflectivity improvements. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to drive improvements to electronic paper and electronic book technology. The improved reflectivity demonstrated in this project has the potential to produce saturated colors, thereby overcoming performance barrier that has blocked color electronic books from entering the market. More importantly, widespread adoption of electronic paper and electronic books provides significant benefits to the environment by saving millions of trees and reducing the landfill waste stream. The market opportunity could exceed $10B, and will support numerous new U.S. jobs under a business model providing a sustainable economic benefit to the U.S.A. Bistable electrofluidic technology is also well-suited for both small and large electronic signage. In addition to commercial potential, this Phase I SBIR will develop and disseminate a new tool for realizing 3D microfluidic devices, and create a new technology that will increase scientific interest and investment in the growing fields of electrowetting/electrofluidics and flexible displays.