Electro-optic displays

Abstract

An electro-optic display comprises first and second substrates and a lamination adhesive layer and a layer of an electro-optic material disposed between the first and second substrates, the lamination adhesive layer having a thickness of from about 14 to about 25 μm.

1 . An electro-optic display comprising first and second substrates and a lamination adhesive layer and a layer of an electro-optic material disposed between the first and second substrates, the lamination adhesive layer having a thickness of from about 14 to about 25 μm.  
     
     
         2 . An electro-optic display according to  claim 1  wherein the lamination adhesive layer has a thickness of from about 14 to about 20 μm.  
     
     
         3 . An electro-optic display according to  claim 1  wherein the electro-optic layer comprises a particle-based electrophoretic material comprising a suspending fluid and a plurality of electrically charged particles suspended in the suspending fluid and capable of moving therethrough on application of an electric field to the electrophoretic material.  
     
     
         4 . An electro-optic display according to  claim 3  wherein the electrophoretic material is an encapsulated electrophoretic material in which the suspending fluid and the electrically charged particles and encapsulated within a plurality of capsules, each of the capsules having a capsule wall.  
     
     
         5 . An electro-optic display according to  claim 1  wherein the lamination adhesive has a volume resistivity, measured at 10° C., which does not change by a factor of more than about 3 after being at 25° C. and 45 per cent relative humidity for 1000 hours.  
     
     
         6 . An electro-optic display according to  claim 1  wherein the lamination adhesive has a peel strength from an electrode material in contact with the lamination adhesive of at least about 2 lb/inch (about 35 Newtons m −1 ).  
     
     
         7 . An electro-optic display according to  claim 1  wherein the lamination adhesive has a volume resistivity which changes by a factor of less than about 10 within a range of 10 to 90 per cent relative humidity and over a temperature range of 10 to 50° C.  
     
     
         8 . An electro-optic display according to  claim 1  wherein the lamination adhesive has a shear modulus at 120° C. of not more than about 1 megaPascal.  
     
     
         9 . An electro-optic display according to  claim 3  wherein the product of the dielectric constant and the volume resistivity of the lamination adhesive are not greater than the product of the dielectric constant and the volume resistivity of the electrophoretic material within a range of 10 to 90 per cent relative humidity and over a temperature range of 10 to 50° C.  
     
     
         10 . An electro-optic display according to  claim 1  wherein the lamination adhesive comprises at least one of an ultra-violet stabilizer and a light absorbing material.  
     
     
         11 . A front plane laminate for forming an electro-optic display, the front plane laminate being an article of manufacture comprising, in order, a light-transmissive electrically-conductive layer, a layer of an electro-optic material, a lamination adhesive having a thickness of from about 14 to about 25 μm, and a release sheet.  
     
     
         12 . A front plane laminate according to  claim 11  wherein the lamination adhesive layer has a thickness of from about 14 to about 20 μm.  
     
     
         13 . A front plane laminate according to  claim 11  wherein the electro-optic layer comprises a particle-based electrophoretic material comprising a suspending fluid and a plurality of electrically charged particles suspended in the suspending fluid and capable of moving therethrough on application of an electric field to the electrophoretic material.  
     
     
         14 . A front plane laminate according to  claim 13  wherein the electrophoretic material is an encapsulated electrophoretic material in which the suspending fluid and the electrically charged particles and encapsulated within a plurality of capsules, each of the capsules having a capsule wall.  
     
     
         15 . An electro-optic display comprising: 
 a backplane comprising at least one electrode;    a layer of electro-optic material; and    a lamination adhesive disposed between the backplane and the layer of electro-optic material, the lamination adhesive comprising an adhesion promoter effective to increase the adhesion between the lamination adhesive and the backplane.    
     
     
         16 . An electro-optic display according to  claim 15  wherein the adhesion promoter comprises any one or more of 1-propanamine, 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, 3-aminopropyldimethylethoxysilane, and hexamethyldisilizane.  
     
     
         17 . A front plane laminate for forming an electro-optic display, the front plane laminate being an article of manufacture comprising, in order, a front substrate, a light-transmissive electrically-conductive layer, a layer of an electro-optic material, and a lamination adhesive layer, wherein the front substrate has a thickness not greater than about 20 mil (about 0.5 mm).  
     
     
         18 . A front plane laminate according to  claim 17  wherein the front substrate has a thickness not greater than about 10 mil (about 0.25 mm).  
     
     
         19 . A front plane laminate according to  claim 17  further comprising a release sheet covering the lamination adhesive.  
     
     
         20 . A front plane laminate according to  claim 19  wherein the release sheet has a thickness not greater than about 15 mil (about 0.37 mm).  
     
     
         21 . A front plane laminate according to  claim 20  wherein the release sheet has a thickness not greater than about 10 mil (about 0.25 mm).  
     
     
         22 . A front plane laminate according to  claim 17  wherein the electro-optic material is an encapsulated electrophoretic material comprising a plurality of capsules, each capsule comprising a capsule wall, a suspending fluid encapsulated within the capsule wall and a plurality of electrically charged particles suspended in the suspending fluid and capable of moving therethrough on application of an electric field to the electrophoretic material.  
     
     
         23 . A front plane laminate for forming an electro-optic display, the front plane laminate being an article of manufacture comprising, in order, a light-transmissive electrically-conductive layer, a layer of an electro-optic material, a lamination adhesive layer, and a release sheet wherein the release sheet has a thickness not greater than about 15 mil (about 0.37 mm).  
     
     
         24 . A front plane laminate according to  claim 23  wherein the release sheet has a thickness not greater than about 10 mil (about 0.25 mm).  
     
     
         25 . A front plane laminate according to  claim 23  wherein the electro-optic material is an encapsulated electrophoretic material comprising a plurality of capsules, each capsule comprising a capsule wall, a suspending fluid encapsulated within the capsule wall and a plurality of electrically charged particles suspended in the suspending fluid and capable of moving therethrough on application of an electric field to the electrophoretic material.  
     
     
         26 . A front plane laminate for forming an electro-optic display, the front plane laminate being an article of manufacture comprising, in order, a light-transmissive electrically-conductive layer, a layer of an encapsulated electrophoretic material comprising a plurality of capsules, each capsule comprising a capsule wall, a suspending fluid encapsulated within the capsule wall and a plurality of electrically charged particles suspended in the suspending fluid and capable of moving therethrough on application of an electric field to the electrophoretic material, and a lamination adhesive layer, wherein the lamination adhesive layer has a peak to valley roughness not greater than about 15 μm.  
     
     
         27 . A front plane laminate according to  claim 26  wherein the lamination adhesive layer has a peak to valley roughness not greater than about 10 μm.  
     
     
         28 . A front plane laminate according to  claim 26  wherein the lamination adhesive layer has a peak to valley roughness not greater than about 5 μm.  
     
     
         29 . A front plane laminate for forming an electro-optic display, the front plane laminate being an article of manufacture comprising, in order, a light-transmissive electrically-conductive layer, a layer of an encapsulated electrophoretic material comprising a plurality of capsules, each capsule comprising a capsule wall, a suspending fluid encapsulated within the capsule wall and a plurality of electrically charged particles suspended in the suspending fluid and capable of moving therethrough on application of an electric field to the electrophoretic material, and a lamination adhesive layer, wherein the lamination adhesive layer has local surface angles not greater than about 15° from the horizontal.  
     
     
         30 . A front plane laminate according to  claim 30  wherein the lamination adhesive layer has local surface angles not greater than about 10° from the horizontal.  
     
     
         31 . A front plane laminate according to  claim 30  wherein the lamination adhesive layer has local surface angles not greater than about 5° from the horizontal.