Appliance Design - November 2007 - (Page 28)

DISPLAYS & INDICATORS ColorMatch displays allow designers to match the color of the display to the color of the product housing. Electrowetting technology provides new design option. by richard babyak 28 applianceDESIGN November 2007 n emerging reflective display technology allows product designers to match the inactive part of the display to the housing of the product. (See image above.) Because the method relies on the displacement of dyed oil within a pixel, the display can be designed to show any one of an extensive range of colors simply by changing the color of the dye. It’s even possible to match a specific shade used as an identifying shade, as in a brand color or corporate logo color. The ColorMatch displays are being developed by Liquavista, Eindhoven, The Netherlands, a new technology company spun off from Philips Research in April 2006. The first products that will be produced are simple segmented displays, but the line will be extended to active matrix displays at a later date. Initial sizes available will be small versions for small, portable applications, but Liquavista says the technology is ultimately scalable to both smaller and larger applications, everything from watches to large flat panel displays. The color coordinating capability of electrowetting displays is only one of the technology’s virtues. Liquavista says that the highly reflective displays deliver superior brightness in all viewing conditions, produce a paper-like readability, have a wide viewing angle, and consume A significantly less power, making them an attractive alternative to other technologies, both reflective and emissive. How it works The Liquavista displays bear a conceptual similarity to other reflective displays in that material is moved within a cell to determine whether light is reflected or absorbed. But the similarities end there. The concept of electrowetting in general involves the application of a voltage to modify the wetting properties of a material system to shift it between either a hydrophobic or hydrophilic state. (See water droplet images.) Researchers at Philips took this concept and exploited it to create a reflective electrowetting display technology. The principle of the display can be seen in the illustration. (See Fig. 1.) It shows an optical stack that consists of a reflecting electrode at the bottom covered by a hydrophobic insulator. Over that is a layer of dyed oil, covered by a layer of water. The whole stack is sandwiched between glass or polymer substrates. In equilibrium, the dyed oil spreads out to form a continuous flat film between the insulator and the water because this is the lowest energy state of the system. Within a typical display pixel, measuring 200 microns or less, the surface tenwww.applianceDESIGN.com http://www.appliancedesign.com

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Appliance Design - November 2007 Contents Editorial Shipments/Forecasts News Watch Today’s LEDs are Brighter and More Colorful than Previous Versions, Allowing Designers More Opportunities to Improve and Differentiate Their Products. When Converting from CCFL to LED Backlights in LCD Panels, New Driving Methods are Needed. Electrowetting Technology Allows Displays to be Designed in an Extensive Range of Colors. Noise Problems are Not Always Easy to Find or Fix, but Acoustic Labs Can Help Designers Ferret Out the “Good” Noise from the “Bad.” A New Sanitization Protocol for Clothes Washers Combines the Best of Three Well-Established Provisions to Ensure Efficiency, Quality and Safety. Stricter EMC Requirements Raise the Bar for Appliances with Electronic Controls and Require Testing to New Levels. Despite Added Cost and Complexity, Gas-Modulating Systems have Migrated from Large-Scale Boiler Applications to Smaller Residential and Commercial Furnaces and Appliances. A New Treatment Technology Hardens the Surface of Light Alloys such as Aluminum and Magnesium and Expands Their Potential Applications. DesignMart Advertiser’s Index Association Report: AHAM

Appliance Design - November 2007

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