microcup ® electronic paper by roll-to-roll manufacturing processes

Page 16 Volume 16 Issue 2 2003 The Spectrum A high performance, light-weight, flexible and durable electronic paper/display with low power consumption and affordable cost has been pursued for years to replace paper or book. Bistable electrophoretic display (EPD) based on electrophoresis of charged pigment particles in a dielectric solvent was introduced in the early 1970s. It has received extraordinarily attention in the past decade because of its outstanding properties in bistability, power consumption, viewing angle, and reflective contrast ratio. However, until now, no EPD technology in the prior art is capable of delivering all the features and cost structure required to achieve any significant business success. In this paper, electronic paper manufactured by a rollto-roll process based on novel Microcup and top-sealing technologies will be discussed. Rolls of ultra thin, ultra light, and flexible EPDs with format flexibility, excellent physicomechanical properties and wide viewing angle have been produced on a continuous plastic web at high speed and low cost.