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AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsXiao-An Zhang, Alexandre Bratkovski, Yong Chen, R. Stanley Williams, Kent D. Vincent
Estimating the term…
An electric field activated molecular system, preferably bi-stable, configured within an electric field generated by a pair of electrodes is provided for use, e.g., as electronic ink or other visual displays. The molecular system has an electric field induced band gap change that occurs via a change (reversible or irreversible) of the extent of the electron conjugation via chemical bonding change to change the band gap, wherein in a first state, there is substantial conjugation throughout the molecular system, resulting in a relatively smaller band gap, and wherein in a second state, the substantial conjugation is destroyed, resulting in a relatively larger band gap. The changing of substantial conjugation may be accomplished in one of the following ways: (1) charge separation or recombination accompanied by increasing or decreasing electron localization in the molecule; or (2) change of substantial conjugation via charge separation or recombination andπ-bond breaking or making. A primary advantage of the molecular system is improved contrast. Because the colorant of the present invention is molecular and thus effectively monoplanar, there should be no backside reflection or excessive scattering from the colorant. A second advantage of the present invention is improved resolution. Finally, each molecule of the present invention will latch to stabilize one or the other of its color states.
A switchable medium for a visual display comprising an electric field activated molecular system configured within an electric field generated by a pair of electrodes, said molecular system having an electric field induced band gap change that occurs via a reversible or irreversible change of extent of the electron conjugation in the molecule via chemical bonding change to change the band gap, wherein in a first state, there is conjugation throughout the molecular system, term, resulting in a first band gap, and wherein in a second state, the conjugation is changed, resulting in a second band gap, where said second band gap is larger than said first band gap.
An electronic ink including an electric field activated molecular system configured within an electric field generated by a pair of electrodes, said molecular system having an electric field induced band gap change that occurs via a reversible or irreversible change of extent of the electron conjugation in the molecule via emical bonding change to change the band gap, wherein in a first state, there is conjugation throughout the molecular system, resulting in a first band gap, and wherein in a second state, the conjugation is changed, resulting in a second band gap, wherein said second band gap is larger than said first band gap.
The electronic ink of 17 wherein said molecular system comprises
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.