# US 10,372,009 B2 · Optical device

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- Number: US 10,372,009 B2
- Document ID: US10372009B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/751,245
- Filed: 2016-08-09
- Published: 2018-08-23
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2015-08-11
- Assignees: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Tomoko Teranishi; Hiroyuki Moriwaki; Eiji Satoh; Tadashi Ohtake; Hidefumi Yoshida; Satoshi Matsumura
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10372009B2

## CPC

- G02F 1/16756: Insulating layers
- G02F 1/166: characterised by the electro-optical or magneto-optical effect
- G02F 1/172: {based on a suspension of orientable dipolar particles, e.g. suspended particles displays}
- G09G 3/344: {based on particles moving in a fluid or in a gas, e.g. electrophoretic devices (electrophoretic devices per se G02F1/167)}
- G09G 3/3446: {with more than two electrodes controlling the modulating element}
- G02F 1/1336: {Illuminating devices}
- G02F 1/134363: {for applying an electric field parallel to the substrate, i.e. in-plane switching [IPS]}
- G02F 2201/124: interdigital
- G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
- G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00)

## Abstract

The optical device (100) includes a first substrate (10), a second substrate (20), and an optical layer (30). The first substrate includes a first electrode (11) and a second electrode (12) configured to be provided with mutually different electrical potentials within a pixel. The optical layer may include a medium (31) and a plurality of shape-anisotropic particles (32) dispersed in the medium. At least one of the first electrode and the second electrode may include a plurality of comb teeth portions (11a, 12a) arranged at predetermined intervals along the first direction (D1). When an electric potential difference is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode, the pixel may be configured to have an electrical field distribution in which a strong electric field region having a stronger field intensity than another region is periodically formed parallel to the surface of the optical layer along a second direction (D2) orthogonal to the first direction.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An optical device comprising:
a first substrate and a second substrate provided opposed to each other; and
an optical layer provided between the first substrate and the second substrate,
wherein the optical layer includes a pixel,
the first substrate includes, in the pixel, a first electrode and a second electrode configured to be provided with mutually different electrical potentials,
the optical layer includes a medium and a plurality of shape-anisotropic particles having shape anisotropy diffused in the medium,
at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode includes a plurality of comb teeth portions disposed at predetermined intervals along a first direction, and
when an electrical potential difference is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode, the pixel is configured to have an electrical field distribution in which a strong electric field region having a stronger field intensity than another region is periodically formed parallel to a surface of the optical layer along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The optical device according to claim 1,
wherein each of the first electrode and the second electrode include the plurality of comb teeth portions;
the first electrode and the second electrode are arranged such that the plurality of comb teeth portions engage with each other; and
a horizontal electrical field is generated in the optical layer by the first electrode and the second electrode.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The optical device according to claim 2,
wherein a period Y of the strong electric field region along the second direction and a mode diameter a of the plurality of shape-anisotropic particles satisfy a relationship (0.6)·a≤Y≤(1.4)·a.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The optical device according to claim 2,
wherein a particular comb tooth portion of the plurality of comb teeth portions of the first electrode is denoted as a first comb tooth portion and two comb teeth portions of the plurality of comb teeth portions of the second electrode that are adjacent to the first comb tooth portion are denoted as a second comb tooth portion and a third comb tooth portion; and
the position in the second direction of both the strong electric field region periodically formed between the first comb tooth portion and the second comb tooth portion along the second direction and the strong electric field region periodically formed between the first comb tooth portion and the third comb tooth portion along the second direction is shifted by approximately Y/2.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The optical device according to claim 2,
wherein a particular comb tooth portion of the plurality of comb teeth portions of the first electrode is denoted as a first comb tooth portion and two comb teeth portions of the plurality of comb teeth portions of the second electrode that are adjacent to the first comb tooth portion are denoted as a second comb tooth portion and a third comb tooth portion; and
a distance X along the first direction from a center line between the first comb tooth portion and the second comb tooth portion and a center line between the first comb tooth portion and the third comb tooth portion satisfies a relationship (0.6)·(√3/2)·a≤X≤(1.4)·(√3/2)·a.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The optical device according to claim 2,
wherein a particular comb tooth portion of the plurality of comb teeth portions of the first electrode is denoted as a first comb tooth portion and a particular comb tooth portion of the plurality of comb teeth portions of the second electrode that is adjacent to the first comb tooth portion is denoted as a second comb tooth portion; and
an interval between the first comb tooth portion and the second comb tooth portion in the strong electric field region is smaller than an interval between the first comb tooth portion and the second comb tooth portion in the another region.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The optical device according to claim 6,
wherein each of the plurality of comb teeth portions of both the first electrode and the second electrode is not linear.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The optical device according to claim 6,
wherein each of the plurality of comb teeth portions of one electrode of either the first electrode or the second electrode is approximately linear; and
each of the plurality of comb teeth portions of another electrode of either the first electrode or the second electrode is not linear.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The optical device according to claim 8,
wherein each of the plurality of comb teeth portions of the another electrode is zigzag-shaped.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The optical device according to claim 6,
wherein each of the plurality of comb teeth portions of both the first electrode and the second electrode is approximately linear; and
each of the plurality of comb teeth portions of at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode includes a plurality of protrusions protruding in a direction intersecting with the second direction.

### Claim 11 (depends on 6)

The optical device according to claim 6,
wherein each of the plurality of comb teeth portions of both the first electrode and the second electrode is approximately linear; and
each of the plurality of comb teeth portions of at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode includes a plurality of recessed portions recessed in a direction intersecting with the second direction.

### Claim 12 (depends on 2)

The optical device according to claim 2,
wherein the first substrate further comprises:
a plurality of dielectric layers overlapping with outer edges of the plurality of comb teeth portions of the first electrode and outer edges of the plurality of comb teeth portions of the second electrode, and
a plurality of dielectric layers including a dielectric constant different from the dielectric constant of the medium,
wherein the plurality of dielectric layers are disposed in the strong electric field region or the another region.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The optical device according to claim 12,
wherein the dielectric constant of the plurality of dielectric layers is higher than the dielectric constant of the medium; and
the plurality of dielectric layers are disposed in the strong electric field region.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The optical device according to claim 12,
wherein the dielectric constant of the plurality of dielectric layers is lower than the dielectric constant of the medium; and
the plurality of dielectric layers are disposed in the another region.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The optical device according to claim 1,
wherein each of the first electrode and the second electrode include the plurality of comb teeth portions;
the first electrode and the second electrode are arranged such that the plurality of comb teeth portions engage with each other;
the first substrate further includes a third electrode provided below the first electrode and the second electrode with an insulating layer interposed there between; and
a fringe electrical field is generated in the optical layer by the first electrode, the second electrode, and the third electrode.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The optical device according to claim 15,
wherein a period Y of the strong electric field region along the second direction and a mode diameter a of the plurality of shape-anisotropic particles satisfy a relationship (0.6)·A≤Y≤(1.4)·A.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The optical device according to claim 15,
wherein a particular comb tooth portion of the plurality of comb teeth portions of the first electrode is denoted as a first comb tooth portion and a particular comb tooth portion of the plurality of comb teeth portions of the second electrode that is adjacent to the first comb tooth portion is denoted as a second comb tooth portion; and
the position in the second direction of both the strong electric field region periodically formed along the second direction on the second comb tooth portion side of the first comb tooth portion and the strong electric field region periodically formed along the second direction on the first comb tooth portion side of the second comb tooth portion is shifted by approximately Y/2.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The optical device according to claim 15,
wherein a particular comb tooth portion of the plurality of comb teeth portions of the first electrode is denoted as a first comb tooth portion and a particular comb tooth portion of the plurality of comb teeth portions of the second electrode that is adjacent to the first comb tooth portion is denoted as a second comb tooth portion; and
a distance X along the first direction from a virtual straight line that passes through a point located closest to the second comb tooth portion among the outer edges of the first comb tooth portion and is parallel to the second direction and a virtual straight line that passes through a point located closest to the first comb tooth portion among the outer edges of the second comb tooth portion and is parallel to the second direction satisfies a relationship (0.6)·(√3/2)·a≤X≤(1.4)·(√3/2)·a.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The optical device according to claim 15,
wherein each of the plurality of comb teeth portions of both the first electrode and the second electrode is approximately linear; and
each of the plurality of comb teeth portions of both the first electrode and the second electrode includes a plurality of protrusions protruding in a direction intersecting with the second direction.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The optical device according to claim 15,
wherein the first substrate further comprises:
a plurality of dielectric layers overlapping with outer edges of the plurality of comb teeth portions of the first electrode and outer edges of the plurality of comb teeth portions of the second electrode, and
a plurality of dielectric layers including a dielectric constant different from the dielectric constant of the medium,
wherein the plurality of dielectric layers are disposed in the strong electric field region or the another region.