# US 2014/0192396 A1 · Manufacturing method for an electrowetting device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0192396 A1 - Document ID: US20140192396A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/204,081 - Filed: 2014-03-11 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2010-04-29 - Assignees: Liquavista B.V.; Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd.; Liquavista B.V. - Inventors: Ivar Schram; Akira Nakasuga; Bokke Johannes Feenstra - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140192396A1 ## CPC - G02B 26/005: {based on electrowetting} - G02B 26/004: {based on a displacement or a deformation of a fluid} - Y10T 29/49826: Assembling or joining - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A method of providing a layer of a first fluid and a layer of a second fluid on a first area of a support plate of an electrowetting device includes providing an emulsion of dispersed first fluid and continuous second fluid, the emulsion including an amount of the second fluid for forming the layer of the second fluid. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of providing a layer of a first fluid and a layer of a second fluid on a first area of a support plate of an electrowetting device, the first fluid and the second fluid being immiscible and the first area having a higher wettability for the first fluid than for the second fluid, the method comprising: providing an emulsion of the first fluid and the second fluid, the emulsion including an amount of the second fluid for forming the layer of the second fluid; the emulsion contacting the first area; and the first fluid of the emulsion coalescing to form the layer of the first fluid on the first area. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, the second fluid, upon said coalescing, separating from the first fluid and forming the layer of the second fluid. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, the providing the emulsion including providing the emulsion through a medium which does not include the second fluid. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A method according to claim 3, the providing the emulsion including dispensing the emulsion from a dispenser and through the medium from the dispenser to the first area. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) A method according to claim 3, wherein the medium is a gaseous medium. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, the providing the emulsion including providing the emulsion as a drop from a dispenser configured for forming the drop from an opening of the dispenser. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A method according to claim 6, wherein the method of providing the layer of the first fluid and the layer of the second fluid is a one drop fill method. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, including: providing a second support plate; and coupling the second support plate to the support plate, forming a space between the support plate and the second support plate, the space including the first and second fluids, wherein the providing the emulsion includes providing an amount of the emulsion substantially equal to a volume of the space. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A method according to claim 8, the layer of the first fluid being formed of a volume of the first fluid and the layer of the second fluid being formed of a volume of the second fluid, the amount of the first fluid and the amount of the second fluid in the emulsion being substantially equal, respectively, to the volume of the first fluid and the volume of the second fluid. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) A method according to claim 8, the coupling including sealing the support plate to the second support plate with a sealing member. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A method according to claim 10, including providing the sealing member on the support plate before the contacting of the emulsion with the first area. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) A method according to claim 10 including: forming the space with an opening in one or more of: the sealing member, the support plate or the second support plate; the providing of the emulsion including subsequently filling the space with the emulsion through the opening; and closing the opening. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) A method according to claim 8, the coupling being performed after the contacting of the emulsion with the first area. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, including: preparing a sealing member, the support plate and a second support plate having electrodes and applying the sealing member to one of the support plates to form a seal pattern; bonding the support plate to the second support plate and curing the sealing member to form a cell having an opening; the providing of the emulsion including preparing and injecting the emulsion into the cell through the opening; and sealing the opening, wherein either one of the support plate and the second support plate having the electrodes has a hydrophobic interlayer on its surface. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) A method according to claim 14, wherein the emulsion is an emulsion ink, the first fluid comprises a hydrophobic liquid and the second fluid comprises a hydrophilic liquid, the emulsion ink containing the hydrophilic liquid and the hydrophobic liquid dispersed in the hydrophilic liquid, the electrodes being transparent and the applying of the sealing member to one of the support plates being to form a frame-shaped seal pattern. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) A method according to claim 14, wherein the injecting is performed using one or more of: a pressure between 100 and 1000 mmHg or a syringe. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, wherein the support plate includes at least one first area surrounded by at least one second area, the at least one second area having a higher wettability for the second fluid than for the first fluid, the emulsion including an amount of the second fluid which separates from the first fluid upon the coalescing and adjoins the at least one second area. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, wherein the support plate includes a plurality of first areas and within each of the plurality of first areas an electrode is arranged and the second fluid is an electrolyte, the method including controlling the coalescing of the first fluid by applying a voltage between the emulsion and the electrode. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, the second fluid including one or more of: a compound for increasing interfacial tension between the first fluid and the second fluid or a salt for increasing interfacial tension between the first fluid and the second fluid. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, wherein in the emulsion the first fluid is dispersed as droplets in the second fluid. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, wherein in the emulsion the second fluid forms a continuous body of second fluid surrounding a plurality of discrete bodies of the first fluid, wherein upon said coalescing the plurality of discrete bodies of the first fluid together form a continuous body of the first fluid, thereby forming the layer of the first fluid. ### Claim 22 An electrowetting device including a support plate having a first area with a layer of a first fluid and a layer of a second fluid thereon, the first area having a higher wettability for the first fluid than for the second fluid, the layer of the first fluid and the layer of the second fluid having being formed from an emulsion including the first fluid and the second fluid, the emulsion having contacted the first area and the first fluid of the emulsion having coalesced to form the layer of the first fluid on the first area. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) An electrowetting device according to claim 22, including a second support plate coupled to the support plate to form a space therebetween, the space including the first and the second fluids having been provided by an amount of the emulsion substantially equal to a volume of the space. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) An electrowetting device according to claim 22, wherein the support plate includes at least one first area surrounded by at least one second area, the at least one second area having a higher wettability for the second fluid than for the first fluid, the second fluid being adjoined by an amount of the second fluid having been provided in the emulsion and having separated from the first fluid when said first fluid of the emulsion coalesced to form the layer of the first fluid on the area. ### Claim 25 (depends on 22) An electrowetting device according to claim 22, the second fluid including one or more of: a compound for increasing interfacial tension between the first fluid and the second fluid or a salt for increasing interfacial tension between the first fluid and the second fluid.