Flexible Electrophoretic Display with Inkjet Printed Active Matrix Backplane

摘要

A 9.6-inch, 25.7-ppi organic-TFT-driven active matrix display backplane was developed and fabricated by using an effective combination of inkjet printing and vacuum processes. This novel process, which consists of a single photolithography step for forming source and drain electrodes and two inkjet printing steps for forming semiconductor layer and gate electrode, is particularly compatible with flexible plastic substrates. The highest temperature in the process was 80℃, and the total processing time required to fabricate the panel was only 30 hours. An active matrix electrophoretic display device was fabricated by laminating an E-Ink Imaging Film on the organic TFT backplane, and was proven to operate stably in the air even without a passivation layer. Thus the effectiveness and adaptability of this hybrid process for e-paper applications was confirmed. The process also enables flexible displays to be produced easily and at low cost. Organic TFT active matrix backplanes fabricated using this process are considered to be viable for display devices used in e-papers, smart cards, and other products with high-volume, low-cost requirements.