Patent Application
20160056216
The present invention disclosed herein relates to dual-mode pixels including emissive device and reflective device, and dual-mode displays using the dual-mode pixels, and more particularly, to dual-mode pixels including emissive device and reflective device which have more improved color reproducibility, and dual-mode displays using the dual-mode pixels.
Typical display techniques may be broadly classified as a transmissive display, an emissive display, and a reflective display. A typical example of the transmissive display may be a thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD). Since TFT-LCDs have excellent picture quality, the TFT-LCDs are used in TVs, monitors, and mobile phones, and currently lead the display market. However, TFT-LCDs may have high power consumption and may not be flexible.
Typical examples of the emissive display may be an organic light-emitting display (OLED) and a plasma display panel (PDP). Since a pixel itself may emit light in the emissive display, the emissive display may have a fast response speed and a high contrast ratio, and may have better color reproducibility than LCDs. Also, since ultra-thin OLEDs may be manufactured, OLEDs are used in a flexible display or a transparent display.
The reflective display may include an electrophoretic display, an electrowetting display, a photonic crystal display, and a microelectromechanical system. The reflective display may be operated by reflecting external light such as sunlight and lighting. Therefore, the reflective display may generate a clearer picture as the surroundings become brighter, and since it is operated by the external light, its power consumption may be low. However, the reflective display may have poorer picture quality than the transmissive display and the emissive display.
The transmissive display and the emissive display may have clear picture quality indoors or in dark places. However, the transmissive display and the emissive display may have poor visibility outdoors or in bright places. Therefore, research has been conducted on displays which may provide clear images both indoors and outdoors, and may have low energy consumption.
The present invention provides a dual-mode pixel including emissive device and reflective device which has more improved color reproducibility and a dual-mode display using the dual-mode pixel.
The object of the present invention is not limited to the aforesaid, but other objects not described herein will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from descriptions below.
Embodiments of the present invention provide dual-mode displays including: a substrate; and a plurality of sub-pixels on the substrate, wherein each sub-pixel includes an emissive device; a color selection reflector disposed on one side of the emissive device; and an optical shutter disposed on another side of the emissive device, wherein the emissive device includes a cathode and an anode, and the cathode and the anode include a carbon-based material including graphene sheets, graphene flakes, and graphene platelets, and a binary or ternary transparent conductive oxide including indium oxide, tin oxide, and zinc oxide.
In some embodiments, the emissive device may be an organic light-emitting device.
In other embodiments, the color selection reflector may be a Fabry-Pérot optical filter, a photonic crystal optical filter, an absorptive optical filter, or a transmissive optical filter including a reflector.
In still other embodiments, the optical shutter may be operated in an electrophoretic mode, an electrowetting mode, an electrochromic mode, or a liquid crystal mode.
In even other embodiments, the emissive device may emit light from both sides thereof.
In yet other embodiments, the color selection reflector may reflect light of the emissive device that is emitted in a direction of the color selection reflector.
In further embodiments, the dual-mode display may further include a thin film transistor between the substrate and the sub-pixels.
In still further embodiments, the dual-mode display may further include a thin film transistor between the emissive device and the optical shutter.
In other embodiments of the present invention, dual-mode displays include: a substrate; and a plurality of sub-pixels on the substrate, wherein each sub-pixel includes a color selection reflector; an optical shutter disposed on the color selection reflector; and an emissive device disposed on the optical shutter, wherein the emissive device includes a cathode and an anode, and the cathode and the anode include a carbon-based material including graphene sheets, graphene flakes, and graphene platelets, and a binary or ternary transparent conductive oxide including indium oxide, tin oxide, and zinc oxide.
In some embodiments, the emissive device may be an organic light-emitting device.
In other embodiments, the color selection reflector may be a Fabry-Pérot optical filter, a photonic crystal optical filter, an absorptive optical filter, or a transmissive optical filter including a reflector.
In still other embodiments, the optical shutter may be operated in an electrophoretic mode, an electrowetting mode, an electrochromic mode, or a liquid crystal mode.
In still other embodiments of the present invention, dual-mode displays include: a substrate; and a plurality of sub-pixels on the substrate, wherein the plurality of sub-pixels include a reflective device having an optical filter function which reflects different colors according to electrical signals applied from outside; and an emissive device disposed on the reflective device, wherein the emissive device includes a cathode and an anode, and the cathode and the anode include a carbon-based material including graphene sheets, graphene flakes, and graphene platelets, and a binary or ternary transparent conductive oxide including indium oxide, tin oxide, and zinc oxide.
In some embodiments, the emissive device may be an organic light-emitting device.
In other embodiments, the emissive device may emit light from both sides thereof.
In still other embodiments, the reflective device may reflect light of the emissive device that is emitted in a direction of the reflective device.
In even other embodiments, the reflective device may be a microelectromechanical system (MEMS)-based reflective device, an electrowetting device, or an electrochromic device.
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain principles of the present invention. In the drawings:
Advantages and features of the present invention, and implementation methods thereof will be clarified through following embodiments described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art. Further, the present invention is only defined by scopes of claims. Like reference numerals denote like elements throughout the specification.
In the following description, the technical terms are used only for explaining specific embodiments while not limiting the present invention. The terms of a singular form may include plural forms unless referred to the contrary. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
Additionally, the embodiment in the detailed description will be described with sectional views as ideal exemplary views of the present invention. In the figures, the dimensions of layers and regions are exaggerated for clarity of illustration. Accordingly, shapes of the exemplary views may be modified according to manufacturing techniques and/or allowable errors. Therefore, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the specific shape illustrated in the exemplary views, but may include other shapes that may be created according to manufacturing processes. For example, an etched region illustrated as a rectangle may have rounded or curved features. Areas exemplified in the drawings have general properties, and are used to illustrate a specific shape of a device region. Thus, this should not be construed as limited to the scope of the present invention.
Referring to
Referring to
The color selection reflector 20, the emissive device 30, and the optical shutter 40 may be vertically stacked on a single substrate to form the sub-pixels 100, 200, and 300. Alternatively, the color selection reflector 20, the emissive device 30, and the optical shutter 40 may be formed on different substrates and may then be vertically stacked on a single substrate to form the sub-pixels 100, 200, and 300. The substrate 1 may be a flexible substrate. The flexible substrate, for example, may be a plastic, thin glass, or metal substrate.
The color selection reflector 20 may be a Fabry-Pérot optical filter, a photonic crystal optical filter, an absorptive optical filter, or a transmissive optical filter including a reflector.
The Fabry-Pérot optical filter has a structure in which a cavity formed of a dielectric material is inserted between metal layers having high reflectance. Among the light incident on the Fabry-Pérot optical filter, light in a specific wavelength range is reflected and light in the remaining wavelength range is transmitted by a multiple interference phenomenon of the cavity. The Fabry-Pérot optical filter may include a silver (Ag) film, a silicon (SiO2) film, a tungsten (W) film, and a silicon oxide (SiO2) film that are sequentially stacked on a substrate.
The photonic crystal optical filter controls the reflection or absorption of light having a specific wavelength that is incident from the outside by using a nanostructure having a size smaller than the light in a specific wavelength range, and thus, the photonic crystal optical filter may transmit light having a desired wavelength and may reflect light having the remaining wavelength.
The absorptive optical filter reflects light having a color to be displayed and absorbs other lights having unwanted colors.
In the transmissive optical filter including a reflector, light in a specific wavelength among the incident light is transmitted through the transmissive optical filter to be reflected by the reflector.
The emissive device 30 may be an organic light-emitting device. The emissive device 30 is not limited to the organic light-emitting device, and any emissive device may be used so long as it is flexible and may be used to fabricate a display. The emissive device 30 may emit specific colored light from both sides thereof.
The emissive device 30 may include an anode 32, an organic layer 34, and a cathode 36 that are sequentially stacked on the color selection reflector 20. The organic layer 34 may include a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, an emission layer, an electron transport layer, and an electron injection layer.
The anode 32 and the cathode 36 may include a material having low reflectance and high transmittance. The anode 32 and the cathode 36, for example, may be a carbon-based material including graphene sheets, graphene flakes, and graphene platelets, and a binary or ternary transparent conductive oxide including indium oxide, tin oxide, and zinc oxide. The emissive device 30 may emit light in both directions.
The optical shutter 40 may be operated in an electrophoretic mode, an electrowetting mode, an electrochromic mode, or a liquid crystal mode. The optical shutter 40 may transmit or block external light and light formed in the emissive device 30.
Electrophoresis is a phenomenon in which charged particles in a state of being dispersed in a fluid are moved by an electric field. In the electrophoretic mode, the particles may function as an optical shutter using the electrophoresis by being adsorbed or non-adsorbed on the surface of an electrode according to whether or not a voltage is applied to the electrode. The electrophoretic mode may have an optical switching speed of about 1 second (sec).
Electrowetting is a phenomenon in which a conductive fluid having a polar group and high transmittance and a colored non-polar oil are moved by an electric field. In the electrowetting mode, the colored non-polar oil may function as an optical shutter by shrinking or not shrinking in one direction according to whether or not a voltage is applied between the electrodes. The electrowetting mode may have an optical switching speed of about 10 milliseconds (msecs).
Electrochromic is a phenomenon in which reversible changes of optical properties are electrochemically performed by an oxidation or reduction process. The electrochromic mode may have an optical switching speed of about 100 msecs.
The liquid crystal mode uses a property in which a screen becomes transparent or blackened according to the fact that the orientation of liquid crystals is changed when a voltage is applied to the liquid crystals having a dye mixed therein. The liquid crystal mode may have an optical switching speed of a few msecs.
When the optical shutter 40 is opened and the emissive device 30 is operated, light formed in the emissive device 30 may be emitted to the outside through the optical shutter 40.
A portion of the light oriented in a direction of the color selection reflector 20 among the light formed in the emissive device 30 may be reflected by or transmitted through the color selection reflector 20. The color selection reflector 20 may be configured to have different reflectances according to the thickness of the color selection reflector 20 and the wavelength of the portion of the light. In order for the portion of the light formed in the emissive device 30 to be reflected by the color selection reflector 20, the color selection reflector 20 may be controlled to reflect a wavelength range of the portion of the light.
When the optical shutter 40 is opened and the emissive device 30 is not operated, external light may be reflected by or transmitted through the color selection reflector 20 by passing through the optical shutter 40 and the emissive device 30. The sub-pixels 100 may be operated by the light reflected by the color selection reflector 20.
When the optical shutter 40 is closed, since the optical shutter 40 blocks the light of the emissive device 30 even in the case in which the emissive device 30 is operated, the sub-pixel 100 may be configured to display black.
When the emissive device 30, the color selection reflector 20, and the optical shutter 40 are integrated into the single sub-pixel 100, the emissive device 30 may not be operated but the sub-pixel 100 may be operated by using the color selection reflector 20 in bright places or outdoors, and the emissive device 30 may be operated in dark places or indoors. As a result, the dual-mode display 1000 may provide more improved picture quality regardless of external environment.
Referring to
According to a driving method of the dual-mode display, a high transmissive and low reflective electrode material may be used for the anode 32 and the cathode 36 of the emissive device 30 in order to effectively emit the light generated by the emissive device 30 and the light reflected by the color selection reflector 20 outside the sub-pixels 100. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a graphene electrode or a transparent conductive electrode may be used as the anode 32 and the cathode 36 of the emissive device 30 so that color reproducibility and luminous efficiency of the dual-mode display 1000 may be improved.
Referring to
The anode 32 and the cathode 36 of the emissive device 30 may include a material having low reflectance and high transmittance. For example, the material may be a carbon-based material including graphene sheets, graphene flakes, and graphene platelets, and a binary or ternary transparent conductive oxide including indium oxide, tin oxide, and zinc oxide. The emissive device 30 may emit light from both sides thereof.
When the optical shutter 40 is closed and the emissive device 30 is operated, most of light emitted from the emissive device 30 may be emitted to the outside. However, a portion of the light emitted in a direction of the optical shutter 40 may not reach the color selection reflector 20 due to the optical shutter 40 and thus, the portion of the light may not be emitted to the outside.
When the optical shutter 40 is opened and the emissive device 30 is operated, most of the light emitted from the emissive device 30 may be directly emitted to the outside, and the portion of the light emitted in the direction of the optical shutter 40 may be emitted to the outside by penetrating the optical shutter 40 and the emissive device 30 after being reflected by the color selection reflector 20. As a result, the light formed on the both sides of the emissive device 30 may be emitted to the outside.
When the optical shutter 40 is opened and the emissive device 30 is not operated, external light is incident on the sub-pixel 200 and the incident external light may sequentially pass the emissive device 30 and the optical shutter 40 to transmit through or be reflected by the color selection reflector 20. The sub-pixel 200 may be operated by the light that is reflected by the color selection reflector 20.
Referring to
The reflective device 70 may have an optical filter function which reflects different colors according to electric signals that are applied to the reflective device 70. For example, the color reflected by the reflective device 70 when a voltage is applied to the reflective device 70 may be different from the color reflected by the reflective device 70 when a voltage is not applied to the reflective device 70. The reflective device 70 may be a microelectromechanical system (MEMS)-based reflective device, an electrowetting device, or an electrochromic device.
The MEMS-based reflective device may be a Fabry-Pérot optical filter. The Fabry-Pérot optical filter may include two metal substrates and a dielectric substrate disposed between the metal substrates. The dielectric substrate may be in contact with one of the metal substrates, and may be disposed and spaced apart from the other metal substrate. A spacing between the metal substrates may be changed according to an electric signal applied to the MEMS-based reflective device. Since the spacing between the metal substrates may be changed, the dielectric substrate may be in contact with the metal substrate that is spaced apart therefrom. A switching speed of the MEMS-based reflective device may be about a few tens of msec.
The color reflected by the MEMS-based reflective device may be changed according to the spacing between the metal substrates. For example, when a voltage is applied to the MEMS-based reflective device, the color reflected according to the spacing between the metal substrates may be any one of red, blue, green, and white. When a voltage is not applied to the MEMS-based reflective device, the color reflected according to the spacing between the metal substrates may be black.
The metal substrates may include any one element of Ag, aluminum (Al), gold (Au), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), and W. The dielectric substrate may be formed of a transparent dielectric material. The dielectric substrate, for example, may be a silicon dioxide (SiO2) substrate or a titanium dioxide (TiO2) substrate.
The electrowetting device may include two substrates and an electrowetting element which reversibly controls the transmission and reflection of the external light by an electric field between the substrates. The electrowetting device may include a colorless conductive fluid having a polar group and high transmittance and a colored non-polar oil. A switching speed of the electrowetting device may be about 10 msecs or less.
The driving principle of the electrowetting device is as follows: A voltage is applied to two electrode sheets that are disposed on the substrates and face to each other. An electric field is formed between the two substrates by the applied voltage and the colorless fluid having conductivity may be formed on surfaces of the substrates due to the electric filed. Therefore, the electrowetting device may be configured to display white. Alternatively, when a voltage is not applied to the two electrodes, the colored non-polar oil may be formed on the surfaces of the substrates. Therefore, since the external light is reflected by the colored non-polar oil, the electrowetting device may appear the color of the non-polar oil.
The electrochromic device is a display device which controls the color of an electrochromic material by controlling a chemical reaction by applying an electric signal. A switching speed of the electrochromic device may be about 100 msecs.
The driving principle of the electrochromic device is as follows: Two electrodes facing each other are included between the transparent substrates that are spaced apart from each other. An electrochromic layer, an electrolyte layer, and an ion storage may be sequentially disposed between the two electrodes. When a current flows from the electrochromic layer to the ion storage by the application of a voltage between the electrodes, the electrochromic layer may be colored, and when the current flows in an opposite direction, the electrochromic layer may be decolorized.
The emissive device 30 may be an organic light-emitting device. The anode 32 and the cathode 36 of the emissive device 30 may include a material having low reflectance and high transmittance. For example, the material may be a carbon-based material including graphene sheets, graphene flakes, and graphene platelets, and a binary or ternary transparent conductive oxide including indium oxide, tin oxide, and zinc oxide. The emissive device 30 is not limited to the organic light-emitting device, and any emissive device may be used so long as it is flexible and may be used to fabricate a display. The emissive device 30 may emit light from both sides thereof and may emit specific colored light.
When the emissive device 30 is not operated, external light may pass through the emissive device 30 to be transmitted or be reflected according to whether or not the reflective device 70 is operated. For example, in a case where the reflective device 70 is an electrowetting device and the electrowetting device is operated, the external light may transmit a colorless conducive fluid. As a result, the sub-pixel 300 may appear white. Alternatively, in a case where the electrowetting device is not operated, the external light may be reflected by the colored non-polar oil. Therefore, the sub-pixel 300 may appear the color of the colored non-polar oil.
When the emissive device 30 is operated, a portion of light among the light generated from the emissive device 30 may be emitted to the outside, and another portion of the light may be incident on the reflective device 70. The another portion of the light incident on the reflective device 70 may be reflected or may be transmitted according to whether or not the reflective device 70 is operated. For example, in a case where the reflective device 70 is an electrowetting device and the electrowetting device is not operated, the another portion of the light may be reflected by the colored non-polar oil to be configured to display the color of the non-polar oil. The luminous efficiency when the external light is incident or emitted by the driving of the reflective device 70 may be highly dependent on the transmittance and reflectance of the light in the emissive device 30. Therefore, color reproducibility and light emission efficiency may be improved by using a material having low reflectance and high transmittance in the anode 32 and the cathode 36 of the emissive device 30.
All thin films constituting a color selection reflector were prepared by a vacuum process. A titanium (Ti) film was deposited on a cleaned silicon substrate to a thickness of 10 nm. The silicon substrate having the Ti film formed thereon was transferred using a load lock system, and a silver (Ag) film was then deposited on the Ti film to a thickness of 200 nm. The Ti film may strengthen the adhesion between the silicon substrate and the Ag film. In order to deposit a silicon oxide (SiO2) film as a dielectric material while the vacuum was continuously maintained, the silicon substrate having the Ag film formed thereon was transferred to a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition apparatus to deposit a silicon oxide film having a predetermined thickness. A tungsten film was deposited on the silicon oxide film by using a sputtering apparatus. A center wavelength of the color selection reflector was determined by a thickness of a cavity formed between the Ag film and the tungsten film. For example, the silicon oxide film was formed to a thickness of 200 nm in order to form a red color selection reflector. The silicon oxide film was formed to a thickness of 340 nm in order to form a green color selection reflector. The silicon oxide film was formed to a thickness of 315 nm in order to form a blue color selection reflector. Finally, a silicon oxide film was deposited on the tungsten film to a thickness of 10 nm in order to provide insulation to the color selection reflector.
A center wavelength of the red color selection reflector was 662 nm, a center wavelength of the green color selection reflector was 536 nm, and a center wavelength of the blue color selection reflector was 476 nm. The reflectors exhibited a reflectance of 80% or more.
Fabrication of Dual-Emission Mode Organic Light-Emitting Device Sample
1. Fabrication of Sample Composed of Glass Substrate/Tin-Doped Indium Oxide Film (70 nm)/Hole Injection Layer/Hole Transport Layer/Emission Layer/Electron Transport Layer/Electron Injection Layer
A 70 nm thick tin-doped indium oxide film (ITO) was deposited on a cleaned glass substrate by using a sputtering apparatus. A hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, an emission layer, an electron transport layer, and an electron injection layer were sequentially deposited on the glass substrate having the ITO film formed thereon by using a thermal evaporator. The hole injection layer, hole transport layer, emission layer, electron transport layer, and electron injection layer may be defined as an organic part. A thickness of the organic part was differently designed and fabricated in order to match center wavelengths of a reflective device and an emissive device.
2. Fabrication of Dual-Emission Mode Organic Light-Emitting Diode Having Silver Cathode
An about 15 nm thick silver cathode was formed on the electron injection layer using a thermal evaporator. The organic part of a red organic light-emitting device was formed to have a thickness of 280 nm, the organic part of a green organic light-emitting device was formed to have a thickness of 220 nm, and the organic part of a blue organic light-emitting device was formed to have a thickness of 180 nm.
3. Preparation of Graphene Cathode Sample
Graphene having nickel and silicon substrate stacked thereon was adhered conformal contact to a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film coated with a silicon release film. Thereafter, the nickel was etched for about 30 minutes by dipping the product thus prepared in a 10% iron (III) chloride (FeCl3) aqueous solution. When the nickel was etched, the graphene was separated from the silicon substrate, and the graphene was formed by being stacked on the silicon release film. The silicon release film was sequentially washed with a dilute hydrochloric acid solution, a sodium borohydride (NaBH4) aqueous solution, and distilled water, and dried in a vacuum drier at about 60° C. for about 1 hour. After the drying was completed, an elastomer was in conformal contact with the silicon release film to complete the silicon release film and the graphene which were sequentially stacked on the elastomer.
4. Fabrication of Dual-Emission Mode Organic Light-Emitting Device Having Graphene Cathode
Referring to
5. Fabrication of Dual-Mode Display Including Color Election Reflector and Emissive Device
A and C respectively represent the results of the simulation of the organic light-emitting devices having a silver cathode and a graphene cathode, and B and D respectively represent the results of the measurement of the organic light-emitting devices having a silver cathode and a graphene cathode.
Referring to
A and C respectively represent the results of the simulation of the organic light-emitting devices having a silver cathode and a graphene cathode, and B and D respectively represent the results of the measurement of the organic light-emitting devices having a silver cathode and a graphene cathode.
Referring to
A represents a blue reflectance spectrum, B represents a green reflectance spectrum, and C represents a red reflectance spectrum.
Referring to
D represents a blue reflectance spectrum, E represents a green reflectance spectrum, and F represents a red reflectance spectrum.
Referring to
Table 1 represents color reproducibility of the dual-mode display including a graphene cathode according to an example and color reproducibility of the dual-mode display including a silver cathode according to a comparative example. Referring to Table 1 simultaneously with
S=0.5×abs{(Rx−Bx)×(Gy−By)−(Gx−Bx)×(Ry−By) Equation 1
Color Reproducibility=S/NTSC area(0.1582) Equation 2
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a low reflective and high transmissive material is used in an anode and a cathode of an emissive device. The low reflective and high transmissive material may be a carbon-based material including graphene sheets, graphene flakes, and graphene platelets, and a binary or ternary transparent conductive oxide including indium oxide, tin oxide, and zinc oxide. Therefore, color reproducibility and luminous efficiency of a dual-mode display may be improved.
While preferred embodiments of the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the accompanying drawings, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2013-0148556 | Dec 2013 | KR | national |
This is a first divisional of co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 14/335,154, filed Jul. 18, 2014, and now allowed on Aug. 5, 2015, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2013-0148556, filed on Dec. 2, 2013, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 14335154 | Jul 2014 | US |
| Child | 14931202 | US |
