Abstract: A method of producing an array of electronic devices, the method including the steps of: forming one or more first conductive elements of a first electronic device on a substrate and one or more second conductive elements of a second electronic device on said substrate; and forming a layer of channel material over the substrate and the first and second conductive elements to provide a first channel for, in use, the movement of charge carriers between conductive elements of said first electronic device and a second channel for, in use, the movement of charge carriers between conductive elements of said second electronic device; wherein the method also includes the step (a) of using an irradiative technique to decrease in a single step the conductivity of one or more selected portions of the layer of channel material in one or more regions between the first and second conductive elements.

Abstract: A semiconductor device architecture where the top pixel electrode is deposited in an off-set configuration, such as to overlap the COM electrode, and also the gate electrode of the neighboring device. Such a configuration allows for improved device performance, resulting from features such as a greater storage capacitance.

Abstract: A method for forming an electronic device having a multilayer structure, comprising: embossing a surface of a substrate so as to depress first and second regions of the substrate relative to at least a third region of the substrate; depositing conductive or semiconductive material from solution onto the first and second regions of the substrate so as to form a first electrode on the first region and a second electrode on the second region, wherein the electrodes are electrically insulated from each other by the third region.

Abstract: We describe an architecture for a large-area, touch-sensitive electronic document reading device which is able to tolerate bending. In broad terms, a control circuit board is mounted behind a flexible display structure in the housing and at respective points of attachment of first and second laminar connectors to the control circuit board each laminar connector has a plurality of electrical connections running along a longitudinal direction of the laminar connector and disposed alongside one another in a transverse direction across the laminar connector. At the respective points of attachment of the first and second laminar connectors to the control circuit board the longitudinal directions of the laminar connectors are aligned such that, when said device is flexed, a relative displacement in said longitudinal direction between said control circuit board and of said display structure can be tolerated without damage to the control electronics, touch sensitive display screen or connections therebetween.

Abstract: The invention relates to electronic devices, in particular consumer electronic devices, including an electrophoactive display, as well as to electronic document reading devices, sometimes called e-readers, such as electronic books. We describe an electronic device including an electroactive display and a light to illuminate said display, wherein said display has a viewing surface, and wherein said light is configured to illuminate said display from in front and to one side of an edge of said viewing surface, across said viewing surface and through a front-most surface of said display.

Abstract: A method for electroless plating of metal on a laser-patterned substrate. A substrate is provided on which both a thermal imaging layer and catalytic layer are deposited. On exposure to a laser beam, sufficient levels of radiation are converted to heat in the thermal imaging layer to render the exposed regions of the adjacent catalytic layer inactive. The laser-patterned substrate is then exposed to a reaction solution which initiates the growth of a metal film on the unexposed regions of the catalytic layer.

Abstract: A touch sensitive active matrix display device is provided. The device includes a display fabricated on a first flexible substrate, said display having a viewing surface. The device further includes a touch sensitive sensor including a second flexible substrate, under said display. The touch sensor is operated by touching said viewing surface of said display, and said combined display and touch sensitive sensor is flexible.

Abstract: A method for forming an electronic device, comprising: forming a first conductive or semiconductive layer; forming a sequence of at least on insulating layer and at least one semiconducting layer over the first conductive or semiconductive layer; locally depositing solvents at a localized region of the insulating layer so as to dissolve the sequence of insulating and semiconducting layers in the region to leave a void extending through the sequence of layer; and depositing conductive or semiconductive material in the void.

Abstract: A technique for isolating electrodes on different layers of a multilayer electronic device across an array containing more than 100000 devices on a plastic substrate. The technique comprises depositing a bilayer of a first dielectric layer (6) of a solution-processible polymer dielectric and a layer of parylene (9) to isolate layers of conductor or semiconductor on different levels of the device. The density of defects located in the active area of one of the multilayer electronic devices is typically more than 1 in 100000.

Abstract: The present invention relates to flexible resistive touch screen components. In particular, to a flexible resistive touch screen component that incorporates flexible resistive touch screen technology beneath a flexible display.

Abstract: A method for forming an electronic device including at least one electrically conductive and one semiconductive material deposited from solution, the method comprising: forming on the substrate a confinement structure consisting of a least a first zone and a second zone, depositing the electrically conductive material on the substrate, wherein the electrically conductive material is absent from both the first and second zone, and subsequently depositing the electrically semiconductive material from solution, wherein the semiconductive material is absent from the first zone, but not from the second zone.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit (IC) for driving a flexible display includes depositing a pattern of spatially non-repetitive features in a first layer on a flexible substrate, said pattern of spatially non-repetitive features not substantially regularly repeating in both of two orthogonal directions (x,y) in the plane of the substrate; depositing a pattern of spatially repetitive features in a second layer on said first layer; aligning said second layer and said first layer so as to allow electrical coupling between said non-repetitive features and said repetitive features, wherein distortion compensation is applied during deposition of said repetitive features to enable said alignment.

Abstract: A rectifying diode comprising a semiconducting layer, a first electrode, and a second electrode, wherein the width of the region of closest contact between the two electrodes is on the order of the thickness of the semiconducting layer.

Abstract: We describe an electronic document reading device having a front, display surface and a device rear surface, the device including a connector mounted on an edge of the device. The device includes a back panel having an exterior surface to provide the rear surface and an interior surface, wherein the back panel is substantially transparent and the interior surface of the back panel is substantially opaque, and wherein the back panel has a cut-out for the connector such that a rear surface of the connector is substantially flush with the device rear surface provided by the exterior of the transparent back panel, such that the opaque interior surface of the transparent back panel gives the impression of a device thinner than a physical thickness of the device defined by the substantially flush connector rear surface and the device rear surface.

Abstract: A method of selectively eliminating electrical shorts and other electrical defects from specific layers of a multilayer electronic device without damaging underlying layers. The method is based on a combination of an automated detection of the defects and selective laser ablation patterning (SLAP).

Abstract: A method of processing a flexible encapsulation scheme to encapsulate a flexible device, such as a display device in order to provide structural support for the display module. An upper transparent encapsulation layer covers and protects the media and active area of the device. A lower encapsulation layer is deposited over the under side of the display to complete the encapsulation and the two protective encapsulation layers are sealed. A driver housing may be positioned at the opposite end of the device to the overlap region of the encapsulation layers in order to protect the driver electronics.