A full description of a simple and scalable fabrication process for electrowetting displays

Electrowetting displays provide a high white state reflectance of >50% and have attracted substantial world-wide interest, yet are primarily an industrially led effort with few details on preferred materials and fabrication processes. Reported herein is the first complete description of the electrowetting display fabrication process. The description includes materials selection, purification and all fabrication steps from substrate selection to sealing. Challenging materials and fabrication processes include dielectric optimization, fluoropolymer selection, hydrophilic grid patterning, liquid dosing, dye purification and liquid ionic content. The process described herein has produced pixel arrays that were switched at <15 V on active-matrix backplanes, and which have individual sub-pixel areas of <50 × 150 μm2. The majority of fabrication processes can conform to liquid-crystal style manufacturing equipment, and therefore can be readily adopted by many display practitioners. Also presented are additional tips and techniques, such as controlling the onset of oil film break-up in an electrowetting display. This paper should enable anyone skilled in displays or microfabrication to quickly and successfully set up research and fabrication of electrowetting displays. (Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version)