John I. Kilburn

16.3: Development of a Flexible Electronic Display Using Photographic Technology

A bistable flexible electronic display has been developed based on photographic technology, processes, and materials. Using photographic film coating techniques, an aqueous cholesteric liquid crystal dispersion, a dielectric layer, and a dark layer were deposited onto patterned transparent conductors on a polymeric web. Second conductors were printed over the active display layers to complete display manufacture in a roll-to-roll process. Simple seven-segment displays and matrix displays have been generated using these techniques. The displays can use contact electronics to eliminate drive cost from the displays. Several prototype applications were demonstrated. Displays produced with these processes were low-cost, thin, flexible, passively driven, and retained an image without an applied electric field.