Abstract: An electrowetting display includes first and second substrates facing each other, an electrowetting layer, a first electrode, a second electrode, and a hydrophobic barrier layer. The electrowetting layer is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and includes a first fluid and a second fluid, and the first fluid has an electrical conductivity or a polarity. The first electrode is disposed on the first substrate, and the second electrode forms an electric field in cooperation with the first electrode to control a position of the first fluid. The hydrophobic barrier layer is disposed between the first substrate and the electrowetting layer to cover the first electrode and includes a first surface making contact with the first electrode and a second surface having a hydrophobicity stronger than a hydrophobicity of the first surface and making contact with the electrowetting layer.

Abstract: A method for making a support plate for an electrowetting device includes providing the support plate with a hydrophobic layer; arranging a pattern of hydrophilic material on the hydrophobic layer; and removing a surface layer of the hydrophobic layer by a solvent. The electrowetting device may include a support plate with a hydrophobic layer having a thickness, and a pattern of hydrophilic material arranged on a first area of the hydrophobic layer, the thickness of the hydrophobic layer being larger within the first area than outside the first area.

Abstract: An electrowetting display device including a first base substrate, a second base substrate facing the first base substrate, a first electrode disposed on the first base substrate, a second electrode disposed on the second base substrate to face the first electrode, a partition wall disposed between the first and second electrodes to define a receiving area, a hydrophobic layer disposed on the first electrode, a hydrophilic layer disposed on the second electrode, and first and second fluids accommodated in the receiving area and immiscible with each other. At least one of the first fluid and the second fluid has a polarity. The hydrophilic layer allows droplets separated from a hydrophobic fluid of the first and second fluids to be merged with the hydrophobic fluid. Accordingly, a change in amount of the fluids in each pixel is prevented.

Abstract: An electro-wetting display substrate includes a base substrate including a gate line extending in a first direction and a data line extending in a second direction, where the first direction is different from the second direction, a switching element electrically connected to the gate line and the data line, a pixel electrode electrically connected to the switching element, a notch electrode disposed adjacent to the switching element and overlapping the pixel electrode, and a water-repellent layer disposed over the pixel electrode.

Abstract: A surfactant includes a hydrophobic functional group, a hydrophilic functional group and a linker disposed between the hydrophobic functional group and the hydrophilic functional group, and the linker is connected to the hydrophobic functional group and the hydrophilic functional group. The linker has a cleavable bond with a bond energy lower than a bond energy of a bond included in the hydrophilic functional group and a bond included in the hydrophobic functional group.

Abstract: An electrowetting display apparatus includes a first base substrate, a second base substrate which faces the first base substrate, a first electrode on the first base substrate, and a second electrode on the second base substrate, where the second electrode faces the first electrode. A barrier wall is on the first electrode, where the barrier wall defines a storage area. A surface of the first electrode and the barrier wall is overlapped by a barrier layer. In addition, a water-repellent layer is on the barrier layer which is in the storage area. First and second fluids are in the storage area, the first fluid is separate from the second fluid, and the first fluid or the second fluid has a polarity.

Abstract: An electrowetting display device includes a plurality of pixels each including an array substrate, an opposite substrate, and an electrowetting layer. The array substrate includes a base substrate, a barrier wall defining a pixel area, a partition wall partitioning the pixel area into a plurality of sub-pixel areas, a hydrophobic layer disposed in the sub-pixel areas, and an electronic device controlling the electrowetting layer.

Abstract: An electrowetting display device includes a black matrix that includes a plurality of openings corresponding to pixels, respectively, a first extension portion extending in a driving direction of an electrowetting layer, the driving direction being a direction in which motion of the electrowetting layer is induced when a voltage difference is applied between a common electrode and a pixel electrode, and a partition wall that partitions the pixels. The first extension portion includes first and second areas respectively extending in opposite directions to each other and a third area having a width substantially the same as a width of the partition wall. The first area has a width less than about half of a first length corresponding to a length extending between both sides of each pixel in the driving direction, and the second area has a width less than the width of the first area.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a support plate for an electrowetting device includes providing a first hydrophobic layer on a substrate, reducing the hydrophobicity of a surface of the first hydrophobic layer and providing a second hydrophobic layer on at least part of the surface with reduced hydrophobicity.

Abstract: An electrowetting display device with first and second support plates and a seal arranged to bond the first and second support plates together. The second support plate is arranged to at least partly constrain outward movement of the seal.

Abstract: An electrowetting display apparatus includes a first substrate including a first electrode that receives a gray-scale voltage and a second electrode insulated from the first electrode and receiving a reference voltage, a second substrate, a fluid layer, and a color filter. The color filter has a first thickness in an area corresponding to the first electrode and a second thickness in an area corresponding to the second electrode, and the first thickness is larger than the second thickness. Accordingly, a cell gap of the electrowetting display apparatus is reduced, and color reproducibility of the electrowetting display apparatus is improved without sacrificing brightness.

Abstract: A display apparatus includes an electrowetting display device having at least one picture element with a display area. The display area has an active area and a different, inactive area and a display controller controls a display effect of the picture element in a range between a dark state and a light state, with a three-phase line between a first fluid, a second fluid and a first support plate of the picture element being completely in the inactive area for a first applied voltage corresponding to the dark state.

Abstract: An electrowetting display device includes a picture element having a first support plate and a second support plate. A surface of a second layer of the first support plate is non-planar and has a shape at least partly corresponding with a pattern of a first layer of the first support plate.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an electrowetting display device includes forming a protection layer on a pixel electrode, forming a water-repellent layer on the protection layer, and removing the water-repellent layer from regions surrounding a display area of the pixel electrode. The water-repellent layer is formed by coating the protection layer with a hydrophilic material using a method such as slit coating. The water-repellent layer is removed using a method such as an edge bead removal method. The resulting water-repellent layer has a uniform thickness.

Abstract: An electrowetting display device includes a control system for changing a configuration of first, second and third fluids by applying a voltage level of a first voltage to a first electrode and by applying a voltage level of a second voltage to a second electrode. The voltage level of the first voltage is selected from a first plurality of voltage levels and the voltage level of the second voltage is selected from a second plurality of voltage levels, the second plurality of voltage levels comprising fewer voltage levels than the first plurality of voltage levels.

Abstract: An electrowetting display device includes a greyscale picture element layer having at least one first picture element having a first fluid configurable to provide a greyscale display state, and a colour picture element layer having at least one second picture element having a second fluid configurable to provide a colour display state.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an electrowetting element includes: providing a layer of a first liquid on a first area of a first support plate; providing a layer of a second liquid on the layer of first liquid; and providing a second support plate on the layer of the second liquid by moving the second support plate along a surface of the layer of the second liquid.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrowetting system comprising an electrowetting element, a driver stage for applying a voltage to the element, and a switch connecting the electrowetting element to an output of the driver stage. The element comprises a first fluid and a second, immiscible fluid. The instantaneous position of the fluids is dependent on the voltage applied to the element, the voltage being set when the switch is closed. The voltage on the element is substantially maintained during a holding state longer than 70 ms when the switch is open.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of driving of an electro-optic display having image regions. Each image region has: a first driving state in which a zero voltage, substantially equal to zero, is applied across the image region; and a second driving state in which a non-zero voltage, substantially different from the zero voltage, is applied across the image region. The method of the invention comprises applying: a common voltage signal to a plurality of the image regions; and an actuating voltage signal to one or more selected ones of the plurality of image regions. The method comprises varying both the common voltage signal and the actuating voltage signal when switching the selected regions between the first driving state and the second driving state. The invention further relates to electro-optic display apparatus having image regions and comprising driving circuitry adapted to perform the method of the invention.

Abstract: An electrowetting display device includes a base substrate, an electrowetting layer having first and second fluids immiscible with each other, a wall to define a pixel area, a hydrophobic layer in the pixel area, and an electronic device to control the electrowetting layer. A method of manufacturing the electrowetting display device is also provided.