Low voltage electrowetting - 1864
- *Abstract
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Overview
Electrowetting is the modification of the wetting properties of a surface, which is usually hydrophobic, with an applied electrical field. This technique is used in adjustable liquid lenses, e-ink displays, and microfluidicdevices. Most electrowetting applications require a driving voltage between40-200V, which would generate problems such as electrolysis, stability, highvoltage safety concerns, costs, and size. There is particular concern about thehigh-driving voltage in transformers and regulators, especially in portableelectronic applications.
Invention
UK researchers are developing a low voltage electrowettingdevice. This device has a substrate, acharged adhesion layer immobilized on one face of the substrate, and adielectric layer (2-50 nm) bound to the charged adhesion layer. An unbound ionic liquid phase makes contactwith the dielectric layer. The electrowetting device provides electrowetting effectsusing a driving voltage of as little as 70 mV in AC mode and 5 V in DC mode, and this performance is achieved in the absence of a flouropolymer layer and/or anoil bath.
Applications
- semiconductors and electrical devices
Advantages
- applicable to most of the existing electrowetting-based applications
- reduced cost
- reduced size
- reduced power consumption
- increased stability
IP Status: U.S. Patent No. 8,810,893
- Country/Region
- USA
