Reflective display panel, manufacturing method and display device

By using an electrorheological fluid structure layer and a lens layer in the reflective display panel, the problem of low reflectivity in bright states was solved, resulting in better display performance.

CN117806067BActive Publication Date: 2026-06-26BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO LTD +1

Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO LTD
Filing Date
2024-01-02
Publication Date
2026-06-26

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Reflective display devices have low reflectivity and poor display quality when displayed in bright conditions.

Method used

An electrorheological fluid structure layer, a first electrode layer, and a second electrode layer are arranged opposite to each other between a first substrate and a second substrate. The electrode layer is configured to form an electric field in the electrorheological fluid structure layer with the direction of the electric field parallel to that of the first substrate. A lens layer is provided on the first substrate to utilize the electrorheological fluid's electroinduced birefringence effect and the lens layer to reflect light.

Benefits of technology

It increases the reflectivity of the bright display, thus enhancing the display effect.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The present disclosure provides a reflective display panel, a manufacturing method and a display device. The reflective display panel comprises a first substrate and a second substrate arranged oppositely, and a structure layer of electrorheological fluid, a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer between the first substrate and the second substrate. The structure layer of electrorheological fluid comprises insulating oil and metal particles in the insulating oil. The first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are configured to form an electric field in the structure layer of electrorheological fluid, and the direction of the electric field is parallel to the first substrate. A lens layer is arranged on one side of the first substrate close to the second substrate. When the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are powered, the refractive index of the structure layer of electrorheological fluid is less than the refractive index of the lens layer, and the light incident from the side of the first substrate away from the second substrate to the lens layer is reflected back by the lens layer.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of display device technology, and in particular to a reflective display panel, a manufacturing method thereof, and a display device. Background Technology

[0002] This section is intended to provide background or context for the embodiments of this disclosure as set forth in the claims. The description herein is not an admission that it is prior art simply because it is included in this section.

[0003] In related technologies, based on the type of light source used in the display device, including backlight or ambient light, display devices can be divided into three types: transmissive, reflective, and semi-transmissive / semi-reflective. Among them, reflective display devices achieve display by reflecting ambient light incident on them. Because reflective display devices do not require an additional backlight module to provide backlight for their display, they have received widespread attention and application.

[0004] However, reflective display devices in related technologies suffer from low reflectivity and poor display quality when displayed in bright conditions. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide a reflective display panel, a manufacturing method and a display device, which at least to some extent solves one of the technical problems in the related art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, a first aspect of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provides a reflective display panel, comprising:

[0007] A first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite to each other, and an electrorheological fluid structure layer, a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer located between the first substrate and the second substrate;

[0008] The electrorheological fluid structure layer includes insulating oil and metal particles located in the insulating oil;

[0009] The first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are configured to form an electric field in the electrorheological fluid structure layer with the electric field direction parallel to the first substrate;

[0010] A lens layer is disposed on the side of the first substrate near the second substrate.

[0011] Based on the same inventive concept, a second aspect of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provides a method for manufacturing a reflective display panel as described in the first aspect, comprising:

[0012] The lens layer is formed on the first substrate;

[0013] The electrorheological fluid structure layer, the first electrode layer, and the second electrode layer are formed on the second substrate;

[0014] The first substrate and the second substrate are assembled.

[0015] Based on the same inventive concept, a third aspect of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provides a display device including a reflective display panel as described in the first aspect.

[0016] As can be seen from the above description, the reflective display panel, manufacturing method, and display device provided in this disclosure include: a first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite to each other, and an electrorheological fluid structure layer, a first electrode layer, and a second electrode layer located between the first substrate and the second substrate; the electrorheological fluid structure layer includes insulating oil and metal particles located in the insulating oil; the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are configured to form an electric field in the electrorheological fluid structure layer with the direction of the electric field parallel to the first substrate; a lens layer is disposed on the side of the first substrate near the second substrate. When the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are energized, the refractive index of the electrorheological fluid structure layer is less than the refractive index of the lens layer, and light incident on the lens layer from the side of the first substrate away from the second substrate is reflected back by the lens layer. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this disclosure or related technologies, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments or related technologies will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only embodiments of this disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a reflective display panel provided as an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 2 A schematic diagram illustrating the propagation of light in a dark display mode using a reflective display panel provided as an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure;

[0020] Figure 3 A schematic diagram illustrating the propagation of light in a reflective display panel under bright display conditions, provided as an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure;

[0021] Figure 4 Another structural schematic diagram of a reflective display panel provided as an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure;

[0022] Figure 5 Another structural schematic diagram of a reflective display panel provided as an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure;

[0023] Figure 6 Another schematic diagram illustrating the propagation of light in a dark display state using a reflective display panel provided as an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure;

[0024] Figure 7 Another schematic diagram illustrating the propagation of light in a reflective display panel under bright display conditions, provided as an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure;

[0025] Figure 8 Another structural schematic diagram of a reflective display panel provided as an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure;

[0026] Figure 9 A schematic flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a reflective display panel provided as an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure.

[0027] Explanation of reference numerals in the drawings: First substrate 101, lens layer 102, filter layer 103, color filter 1031, black matrix 1032, planarization layer 104, second substrate 201, first light-absorbing layer 202, first barrier structure 203, first electrode layer 2041, second electrode layer 2042, first dielectric layer 205, electrorheological liquid structure layer 301, light beam 401, third substrate 501, second barrier structure 502, third electrode layer 503, first alignment layer 504, polarizing layer 505, fourth substrate 601, second light-absorbing layer 602, polarizing layer 603, second dielectric layer 604, fourth electrode layer 605, second alignment layer 606, liquid crystal structure layer 701. Detailed Implementation

[0028] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this disclosure clearer, the principles and spirit of this disclosure will be described below with reference to several exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are provided merely to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and implement this disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure in any way. Rather, these embodiments are provided to make this disclosure more thorough and complete, and to fully convey the scope of this disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0029] In this document, it should be understood that any number of elements in the accompanying drawings is for illustrative purposes only and not for limitation, and any naming is for distinction only and has no limiting meaning. In the drawings, the size of constituent elements, the thickness of layers, or areas are sometimes exaggerated for clarity. Therefore, this disclosure is not necessarily limited to these dimensions, and the shapes and sizes of the components in the drawings do not reflect true proportions. Furthermore, the drawings schematically illustrate ideal examples, and this disclosure is not limited to the shapes or values ​​shown in the drawings.

[0030] It should be noted that, unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in the embodiments of this disclosure should have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms "first," "second," and similar words used in the embodiments of this disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Terms such as "comprising" or "including" mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses the elements or objects listed following the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Terms such as "connected" or "linked" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. Terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" are used only to indicate relative positional relationships; when the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly. The article "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the existence of multiple such elements.

[0031] The principles and spirit of this disclosure will be explained in detail below with reference to several representative embodiments.

[0032] As described in the background section, in related technologies, display devices can be classified into three types—transmissive, reflective, and semi-transmissive / semi-reflective—based on the type of light source used, including backlight or ambient light. Among these, reflective display devices achieve display by reflecting ambient light incident upon them. Because reflective display devices do not require an additional backlight module to provide backlighting, they have received widespread attention and application.

[0033] However, the inventors of this disclosure have discovered that reflective display devices in the related art suffer from low reflectivity and poor display effect when displayed in a bright state.

[0034] To address the aforementioned problems, this disclosure provides a reflective display panel, specifically comprising: a first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite to each other, and an electrorheological fluid structure layer, a first electrode layer, and a second electrode layer located between the first substrate and the second substrate; the electrorheological fluid structure layer comprises insulating oil and metal particles located in the insulating oil; the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are configured to form an electric field in the electrorheological fluid structure layer with an electric field direction parallel to the first substrate; a lens layer is disposed on the side of the first substrate closer to the second substrate. When the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are energized, the refractive index of the electrorheological fluid structure layer is less than the refractive index of the lens layer, and light incident on the lens layer from the side of the first substrate away from the second substrate is reflected back by the lens layer.

[0035] After introducing the basic principles of this disclosure, various non-limiting embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below.

[0036] refer to Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a reflective display panel provided in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] Reflective display panels include:

[0038] A first substrate 101 and a second substrate 201 disposed opposite to each other, and an electrorheological fluid structure layer 301, a first electrode layer 2041 and a second electrode layer 2042 located between the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 201.

[0039] The electrorheological fluid structure layer 301 includes insulating oil and metal particles located in the insulating oil;

[0040] The first electrode layer 2041 and the second electrode layer 2042 are configured to form an electric field in the electrorheological fluid structure layer 301 with the electric field direction parallel to the first substrate 101.

[0041] A lens layer 102 is provided on the first substrate 101 on the side close to the second substrate 201.

[0042] In this exemplary embodiment, the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 201 include transparent plate-like structures.

[0043] In a specific implementation, the first substrate 101 includes a CF substrate, and the second substrate 201 includes a TFT substrate.

[0044] In specific implementation, the direction in which the second substrate 201 points towards the first substrate 101 is the display direction of the reflective display panel, and the side of the first substrate 101 away from the second substrate 201 is the display side. The user views the displayed content of the reflective display panel from the display side. Figure 1 Taking the orientation shown as an example, the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 201 are arranged vertically along the longitudinal direction, and the first substrate 101 is located above the second substrate 201. That is to say, the first substrate 101 is the upper substrate and the second substrate 201 is the lower substrate. The display direction of the reflective display panel is the vertical direction from bottom to top, and the display side is located in the area above the first substrate 101.

[0045] In this exemplary embodiment, the insulating oil includes at least one of the following: transformer oil, mineral oil, silicone oil, edible oil, etc.

[0046] In specific implementation, the mineral oil includes isoparaffins, etc.

[0047] In this exemplary embodiment, the metal particles include at least one of the following: gold particles, silver particles, etc.

[0048] In specific implementation, the metal particles include metal particles that have been modified with surfactants.

[0049] In this exemplary embodiment, the first electrode layer 2041 and the second electrode layer 2042 include at least one of the following: a metal electrode layer, a transparent electrode layer, etc.

[0050] In practice, the transparent electrode layer is made of a transparent material, such as indium tin oxide (ITO) or indium zinc oxide (IZO).

[0051] In this exemplary embodiment, the lens layer 102 includes a plurality of curved lenses, the curved surfaces of which face the second substrate 201.

[0052] In a specific implementation, the curved lens is a convex structure made of a transparent material. This convex structure protrudes from the first substrate 101 toward the second substrate 201 and has an outwardly convex curved surface toward the second substrate 201. This outwardly convex curved surface can be a part of a sphere (e.g., a spherical surface or an ellipsoidal surface). For example, in this embodiment, the curved lens is half of a sphere, and the outwardly convex curved surface is a hemispherical curved surface. The material of the curved lens can be a transparent inorganic or organic material. For example, the organic material forming the curved lens can include at least one of polystyrene and acrylic resin, and the inorganic material forming the curved lens can include at least one of silicon dioxide, silicon oxynitride, and silicon nitride. The curved lens can also be formed of titanium dioxide.

[0053] In this exemplary embodiment, when the first electrode layer 2041 and the second electrode layer 2042 are energized, the refractive index of the electrorheological fluid structure layer 301 is less than the refractive index of the lens layer 102.

[0054] In practice, electrorheological fluid is a suspension under normal conditions, and it can transform from liquid to solid under the influence of an electric field. When the applied electric field strength is much lower than a certain critical value, the electrorheological fluid is in a liquid state; when the electric field strength is much higher than this critical value, it becomes a solid state. Near the critical value of the electric field strength, the viscosity of this suspension increases with the increase of the electric field strength, and at this point it is difficult to say whether it is in a liquid or solid state.

[0055] Electrorheological fluids are typically suspensions formed by dispersing high-dielectric-constant particles in insulating oil. A key characteristic is that their viscosity changes rapidly and continuously with the intensity of an applied electric field, exhibiting adjustable rheological properties. This field-tunable rheological property stems from the transformation of the internal structure of the electrorheological fluid under the influence of an electric field. Specifically, the dielectric particles in the fluid become polarized under the applied electric field, resulting in interparticle interactions and an arrangement into a chain-like structure. This transforms the internal structure of the electrorheological fluid from isotropic in the absence of an electric field to anisotropic in the presence of an electric field. This structural transformation not only affects mechanical properties but also significantly influences the electrical, optical, electromagnetic, and acoustic properties of the electrorheological fluid.

[0056] Under the influence of an electric field, some electrorheological fluids exhibit significant electro-induced birefringence, and this birefringence can be modulated by changing the electric field strength. For example, an electrorheological fluid formed by adding a certain amount of surfactant-modified metal particles to insulating oil exhibits significant electro-induced birefringence. The insulating oil can be transformer oil, isoalkanes, or other mineral oils, or silicone oil, edible oil, etc., and the metal particles can be gold, silver, or other metals.

[0057] In this exemplary embodiment, a first barrier structure 203 is provided between the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 201;

[0058] The first substrate 101, the second substrate 201 and the first barrier structure 203 define a first pixel cavity, and the electrorheological fluid structure layer 301 is housed in the first pixel cavity;

[0059] The first electrode layer 2041 and the second electrode layer 2042 are disposed opposite to each other on the first retaining wall structure 203.

[0060] In specific implementation, the material of the first retaining wall structure 203 includes thermoplastic materials, which include at least one of the following: polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS), ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene terpolymer), polyoxymethylene (POM), polycarbonate (PC), polyamide (PA), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polysulfone, polyphenylene ether, chlorinated polyether, etc.

[0061] In a specific implementation, the height of the first retaining wall structure 203 in the direction perpendicular to the second substrate 201 is greater than the arch height of the curved lens.

[0062] In this exemplary embodiment, a first light-absorbing layer 202 is provided on the side of the second substrate 201 near the first substrate 101.

[0063] In a specific implementation, the first light-absorbing layer 202 is configured to absorb unwanted light 401 to avoid interference from these light 401, wherein unwanted light 401 is, for example, light 401 reflected back from reflective elements on the side of the second substrate 201 away from the first substrate 101.

[0064] In this exemplary embodiment, a first dielectric layer 205 is provided on the inner surface of the first pixel cavity;

[0065] The first dielectric layer 205 covers the first electrode layer 2041, the second electrode layer 2042 and the first light-absorbing layer 202, but does not cover the lens layer 102.

[0066] In a specific implementation, the first dielectric layer 205 is configured to prevent the first electrode layer 2041, the second electrode layer 2042, and the electrorheological fluid structure layer 301 from conducting.

[0067] In specific implementation, the first dielectric layer 205 can be made of an inorganic insulating material. For example, the first dielectric layer 205 includes at least one of silicon nitride SiNx, silicon oxide SiOx, and silicon oxynitride SiNxOy.

[0068] In the exemplary embodiments described above, one structure of a reflective display panel was presented. The following will refer to... Figure 2 Introduction as follows Figure 1 The light propagation of the reflective display panel shown is illustrated in dark conditions:

[0069] When the first electrode layer 2041 and the second electrode layer 2042 are not energized, the refractive index of the electrorheological fluid structure layer 301 is the same as that of the lens layer 102. Light 401 passes directly through the lens layer 102 and is finally absorbed by the first light-absorbing layer 202, forming a dark state.

[0070] In the above exemplary embodiments, as described above, Figure 1 The reflective display panel shown illustrates the light propagation in dark conditions. The following will refer to... Figure 3 Introduction as follows Figure 1 The light propagation of the reflective display panel shown is as follows when it is in bright state:

[0071] When the first electrode layer 2041 and the second electrode layer 2042 are energized, an electric field (hereinafter referred to as the transverse electric field) is formed in the electrorheological fluid structure layer 301 with the electric field direction parallel to the first substrate 101. The refractive index of the electrorheological fluid structure layer 301 in the transverse electric field will change. Specifically, the refractive index parallel to the direction of the transverse electric field will decrease.

[0072] In this configuration, light 401 enters the interface between the lens layer 102 and the electrorheological fluid structure layer 301 from the side of the first substrate 101 away from the second substrate 201. Light 401 with a polarization direction parallel to the transverse electric field direction undergoes total internal reflection when it enters the low refractive index region (the lens layer 102) from the high refractive index region (the electrorheological fluid structure layer 301), and is reflected back to the side of the first substrate 101 away from the second substrate 201, forming a bright state. Light 401 with a polarization direction perpendicular to the transverse electric field direction passes through the interface and is absorbed by the first absorption layer.

[0073] As a specific example, the refractive index of the electrorheological fluid structure layer 301, made of transformer oil and gold nanoparticles, can be reduced from 1.45 to 1.05 under the action of an electric field.

[0074] In the exemplary embodiments described above, one structure of a reflective display panel was introduced. Below, another structure of a reflective display panel will be described.

[0075] refer to Figure 4 Reflective display panels, including:

[0076] A first substrate 101 and a second substrate 201 disposed opposite to each other, and an electrorheological fluid structure layer 301, a first electrode layer 2041 and a second electrode layer 2042 located between the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 201.

[0077] The electrorheological fluid structure layer 301 includes insulating oil and metal particles located in the insulating oil;

[0078] The first electrode layer 2041 and the second electrode layer 2042 are configured to form an electric field in the electrorheological fluid structure layer 301 with the electric field direction parallel to the first substrate 101.

[0079] A filter layer 103, a planarization layer 104, and a lens layer 102, including a black matrix 1032 and a color filter 1031, are stacked on the first substrate 101 along the direction close to the second substrate 201.

[0080] In this exemplary embodiment, the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 201 include transparent plate-like structures.

[0081] In a specific implementation, the first substrate 101 includes a CF substrate, and the second substrate 201 includes a TFT substrate.

[0082] In specific implementation, the direction in which the second substrate 201 points towards the first substrate 101 is the display direction of the reflective display panel, and the side of the first substrate 101 away from the second substrate 201 is the display side. The user views the displayed content of the reflective display panel from the display side. Figure 1 Taking the orientation shown as an example, the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 201 are arranged vertically along the longitudinal direction, and the first substrate 101 is located above the second substrate 201. That is to say, the first substrate 101 is the upper substrate and the second substrate 201 is the lower substrate. The display direction of the reflective display panel is the vertical direction from bottom to top, and the display side is located in the area above the first substrate 101.

[0083] In this exemplary embodiment, the insulating oil includes at least one of the following: transformer oil, mineral oil, silicone oil, edible oil, etc.

[0084] In practice, the mineral oil includes isoalkanes.

[0085] In this exemplary embodiment, the metal particles include at least one of the following: gold particles, silver particles, etc.

[0086] In specific implementation, the metal particles include metal particles that have been modified with surfactants.

[0087] In this exemplary embodiment, the first electrode layer 2041 and the second electrode layer 2042 include at least one of the following: a metal electrode layer, a transparent electrode layer, etc.

[0088] In practice, the transparent electrode layer is made of a transparent material, such as indium tin oxide (ITO) or indium zinc oxide (IZO).

[0089] In this exemplary embodiment, the filter layer 103 may include a variety of color filters 1031. The color filters 1031 are made of color resist material, and light 401 can display different colors after passing through different color filters 1031. The color filters 1031 correspond to the colors of pixels, and pixels display colors by passing through the corresponding color filters 1031. Taking RGB pixels as an example in this embodiment, the filter layer 103 includes a red filter corresponding to red pixels, a blue filter composed of blue pixels, and a green filter corresponding to green pixels.

[0090] The filter layer 103 also has a black matrix 1032 (abbreviated BM) between adjacent color filters 1031. The black matrix 1032 is a light-shielding structure used to avoid crosstalk between different colors of light between adjacent pixels and to prevent external light 401 from shining into the display panel from the position between the pixels.

[0091] In this exemplary embodiment, the material of the planarization layer 104 includes materials such as photoresist (OC resist).

[0092] In this exemplary embodiment, the lens layer 102 includes a plurality of curved lenses, the curved surfaces of which face the second substrate 201.

[0093] In a specific implementation, the curved lens is a convex structure made of a transparent material. This convex structure protrudes from the first substrate 101 toward the second substrate 201 and has an outwardly convex curved surface toward the second substrate 201. This outwardly convex curved surface can be a part of a sphere (e.g., a spherical surface or an ellipsoidal surface). For example, in this embodiment, the curved lens is half of a sphere, and the outwardly convex curved surface is a hemispherical curved surface. The material of the curved lens can be a transparent inorganic or organic material. For example, the organic material forming the curved lens can include at least one of polystyrene and acrylic resin, and the inorganic material forming the curved lens can include at least one of silicon dioxide, silicon oxynitride, and silicon nitride. The curved lens can also be formed of titanium dioxide.

[0094] In this exemplary embodiment, when the first electrode layer 2041 and the second electrode layer 2042 are energized, the refractive index of the electrorheological fluid structure layer 301 is less than the refractive index of the lens layer 102.

[0095] In practice, electrorheological fluid is a suspension under normal conditions, and it can transform from liquid to solid under the influence of an electric field. When the applied electric field strength is much lower than a certain critical value, the electrorheological fluid is in a liquid state; when the electric field strength is much higher than this critical value, it becomes a solid state. Near the critical value of the electric field strength, the viscosity of this suspension increases with the increase of the electric field strength, and at this point it is difficult to say whether it is in a liquid or solid state.

[0096] Electrorheological fluids are typically suspensions formed by dispersing high-dielectric-constant particles in insulating oil. A key characteristic is that their viscosity changes rapidly and continuously with the intensity of an applied electric field, exhibiting adjustable rheological properties. This field-tunable rheological property stems from the transformation of the internal structure of the electrorheological fluid under the influence of an electric field. Specifically, the dielectric particles in the fluid become polarized under the applied electric field, resulting in interparticle interactions and an arrangement into a chain-like structure. This transforms the internal structure of the electrorheological fluid from isotropic in the absence of an electric field to anisotropic in the presence of an electric field. This structural transformation not only affects mechanical properties but also significantly influences the electrical, optical, electromagnetic, and acoustic properties of the electrorheological fluid.

[0097] Under the influence of an electric field, some electrorheological fluids exhibit significant electro-induced birefringence, and this birefringence can be modulated by changing the electric field strength. For example, an electrorheological fluid formed by adding a certain amount of surfactant-modified metal particles to insulating oil exhibits significant electro-induced birefringence. The insulating oil can be transformer oil, isoalkanes, or other mineral oils, or silicone oil, edible oil, etc., and the metal particles can be gold, silver, or other metals.

[0098] In this exemplary embodiment, a first barrier structure 203 is provided between the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 201;

[0099] The first substrate 101, the second substrate 201 and the first barrier structure 203 define a first pixel cavity, and the electrorheological fluid structure layer 301 is housed in the first pixel cavity;

[0100] The first electrode layer 2041 and the second electrode layer 2042 are disposed opposite to each other on the first retaining wall structure 203.

[0101] In specific implementation, the material of the first retaining wall structure 203 includes thermoplastic materials, which include at least one of the following: polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS), ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene terpolymer), polyoxymethylene (POM), polycarbonate (PC), polyamide (PA), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polysulfone, polyphenylene ether, chlorinated polyether, etc.

[0102] In a specific implementation, the height of the first retaining wall structure 203 in the direction perpendicular to the second substrate 201 is greater than the arch height of the curved lens.

[0103] In this exemplary embodiment, a first light-absorbing layer 202 is provided on the side of the second substrate 201 near the first substrate 101.

[0104] In a specific implementation, the first light-absorbing layer 202 is configured to absorb unwanted light 401 to avoid interference from these light 401, wherein unwanted light 401 is, for example, light 401 reflected back from reflective elements on the side of the second substrate 201 away from the first substrate 101.

[0105] In this exemplary embodiment, a first dielectric layer 205 is provided on the inner surface of the first pixel cavity;

[0106] The first dielectric layer 205 covers the first electrode layer 2041, the second electrode layer 2042 and the first light-absorbing layer 202, but does not cover the lens layer 102.

[0107] In a specific implementation, the first dielectric layer 205 is configured to prevent the polarization layer 603 and the first electrode layer 2041 from conducting.

[0108] In specific implementation, the first dielectric layer 205 can be made of an inorganic insulating material. For example, the first dielectric layer 205 includes at least one of silicon nitride SiNx, silicon oxide SiOx, and silicon oxynitride SiNxOy.

[0109] In comparison, such as Figure 4 The reflective display panel shown is similar to... Figure 1 The main differences between the reflective display panels shown are: Figure 4 In the reflective display panel shown, between the first substrate 101 and the lens layer 102, a filter layer 103 and a planarization layer 104, including a black matrix 1032 and a color filter 1031, are further stacked on the first substrate 101 along a direction close to the second substrate 201. Therefore, as... Figure 4 The reflective display panel shown illustrates the light propagation in both dark and bright states, as well as... Figure 1 The light propagation of the reflective display panel shown is the same in both dark and bright states, so it will not be described again here.

[0110] In the above exemplary embodiments, light rays 401 perpendicular to the direction of the transverse electric field are absorbed by the first light-absorbing layer 202. In some exemplary embodiments, in order to utilize part of the light rays 401 to improve the reflectivity of the bright state, this disclosure provides a reflective display panel that reuses light rays 401 perpendicular to the direction of the transverse electric field through reflection.

[0111] refer to Figure 5 Reflective display panels, including:

[0112] A first substrate 101 and a second substrate 201 disposed opposite to each other, and an electrorheological fluid structure layer 301, a first electrode layer 2041 and a second electrode layer 2042 located between the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 201.

[0113] The electrorheological fluid structure layer 301 includes insulating oil and metal particles located in the insulating oil;

[0114] The first electrode layer 2041 and the second electrode layer 2042 are configured to form an electric field in the electrorheological fluid structure layer 301 with the electric field direction parallel to the first substrate 101.

[0115] A lens layer 102 is provided on the first substrate 101 on the side close to the second substrate 201;

[0116] A liquid crystal cell is disposed on the side of the second substrate 201 away from the first substrate 101.

[0117] In this exemplary embodiment, the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 201 include transparent plate-like structures.

[0118] In a specific implementation, the first substrate 101 includes a CF substrate, and the second substrate 201 includes a TFT substrate.

[0119] In specific implementation, the direction in which the second substrate 201 points towards the first substrate 101 is the display direction of the reflective display panel, and the side of the first substrate 101 away from the second substrate 201 is the display side. The user views the displayed content of the reflective display panel from the display side. Figure 1 Taking the orientation shown as an example, the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 201 are arranged vertically along the longitudinal direction, and the first substrate 101 is located above the second substrate 201. That is to say, the first substrate 101 is the upper substrate and the second substrate 201 is the lower substrate. The display direction of the reflective display panel is the vertical direction from bottom to top, and the display side is located in the area above the first substrate 101.

[0120] In this exemplary embodiment, the insulating oil includes at least one of the following: transformer oil, mineral oil, silicone oil, edible oil, etc.

[0121] In practice, the mineral oil includes isoalkanes.

[0122] In this exemplary embodiment, the metal particles include at least one of the following: gold particles, silver particles, etc.

[0123] In specific implementation, the metal particles include metal particles that have been modified with surfactants.

[0124] In this exemplary embodiment, the first electrode layer 2041 and the second electrode layer 2042 include at least one of the following: a metal electrode layer, a transparent electrode layer, etc.

[0125] In practice, the transparent electrode layer is made of a transparent material, such as indium tin oxide (ITO) or indium zinc oxide (IZO).

[0126] In this exemplary embodiment, the lens layer 102 includes a plurality of curved lenses, the curved surfaces of which face the second substrate 201.

[0127] In a specific implementation, the curved lens is a convex structure made of a transparent material. This convex structure protrudes from the first substrate 101 toward the second substrate 201 and has an outwardly convex curved surface toward the second substrate 201. This outwardly convex curved surface can be a part of a sphere (e.g., a spherical surface or an ellipsoidal surface). For example, in this embodiment, the curved lens is half of a sphere, and the outwardly convex curved surface is a hemispherical curved surface. The material of the curved lens can be a transparent inorganic or organic material. For example, the organic material forming the curved lens can include at least one of polystyrene and acrylic resin, and the inorganic material forming the curved lens can include at least one of silicon dioxide, silicon oxynitride, and silicon nitride. The curved lens can also be formed of titanium dioxide.

[0128] In this exemplary embodiment, when the first electrode layer 2041 and the second electrode layer 2042 are energized, the refractive index of the electrorheological fluid structure layer 301 is less than the refractive index of the lens layer 102.

[0129] In practice, electrorheological fluid is a suspension under normal conditions, and it can transform from liquid to solid under the influence of an electric field. When the applied electric field strength is much lower than a certain critical value, the electrorheological fluid is in a liquid state; when the electric field strength is much higher than this critical value, it becomes a solid state. Near the critical value of the electric field strength, the viscosity of this suspension increases with the increase of the electric field strength, and at this point it is difficult to say whether it is in a liquid or solid state.

[0130] Electrorheological fluids are typically suspensions formed by dispersing high-dielectric-constant particles in insulating oil. A key characteristic is that their viscosity changes rapidly and continuously with the intensity of an applied electric field, exhibiting adjustable rheological properties. This field-tunable rheological property stems from the transformation of the internal structure of the electrorheological fluid under the influence of an electric field. Specifically, the dielectric particles in the fluid become polarized under the applied electric field, resulting in interparticle interactions and an arrangement into a chain-like structure. This transforms the internal structure of the electrorheological fluid from isotropic in the absence of an electric field to anisotropic in the presence of an electric field. This structural transformation not only affects mechanical properties but also significantly influences the electrical, optical, electromagnetic, and acoustic properties of the electrorheological fluid.

[0131] Under the influence of an electric field, some electrorheological fluids exhibit significant electro-induced birefringence, and this birefringence can be modulated by changing the electric field strength. For example, an electrorheological fluid formed by adding a certain amount of surfactant-modified metal particles to insulating oil exhibits significant electro-induced birefringence. The insulating oil can be transformer oil, isoalkanes, or other mineral oils, or silicone oil, edible oil, etc., and the metal particles can be gold, silver, or other metals.

[0132] In this exemplary embodiment, a first barrier structure 203 is provided between the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 201;

[0133] The first substrate 101, the second substrate 201 and the first barrier structure 203 define a first pixel cavity, and the electrorheological fluid structure layer 301 is housed in the first pixel cavity;

[0134] The first electrode layer 2041 and the second electrode layer 2042 are disposed opposite to each other on the first retaining wall structure 203.

[0135] In specific implementation, the material of the first retaining wall structure 203 includes thermoplastic materials, which include at least one of the following: polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS), ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene terpolymer), polyoxymethylene (POM), polycarbonate (PC), polyamide (PA), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polysulfone, polyphenylene ether, chlorinated polyether, etc.

[0136] In a specific implementation, the height of the first retaining wall structure 203 in the direction perpendicular to the second substrate 201 is greater than the arch height of the curved lens.

[0137] In this exemplary embodiment, a first dielectric layer 205 is provided on the inner surface of the first pixel cavity;

[0138] The first dielectric layer 205 covers the first electrode layer 2041, the second electrode layer 2042 and the first substrate 101, but does not cover the lens layer 102.

[0139] In a specific implementation, the first dielectric layer 205 is configured to prevent the first electrode layer 2041, the second electrode layer 2042, and the electrorheological fluid structure layer 301 from conducting.

[0140] In specific implementation, the first dielectric layer 205 can be made of an inorganic insulating material. For example, the first dielectric layer 205 includes at least one of silicon nitride SiNx, silicon oxide SiOx, and silicon oxynitride SiNxOy.

[0141] In this exemplary embodiment, the liquid crystal cell includes:

[0142] A third substrate 501 and a fourth substrate 601 disposed opposite to each other, and a liquid crystal structure layer 701 located between the third substrate 501 and the fourth substrate 601;

[0143] A second barrier structure 502 is provided between the third substrate 501 and the fourth substrate 601. The third substrate 501, the fourth substrate 601 and the second barrier structure 502 limit the second pixel cavity. The liquid crystal structure layer 701 is accommodated in the second pixel cavity.

[0144] A polarizing layer 505 is provided on the side of the third substrate 501 away from the fourth substrate 601;

[0145] A third electrode layer 503 and a first alignment layer 504 are stacked on the third substrate 501 along the direction close to the fourth substrate 601;

[0146] The fourth substrate 601 is provided with a second light-absorbing layer 602, a polarizing layer 603, a second dielectric layer 604, a fourth electrode layer 605, and a second alignment layer 606 stacked on it in the direction close to the third substrate 501.

[0147] In this exemplary embodiment, the liquid crystal cell is connected to the second substrate 201 via the side of the polarizing layer 505 away from the third substrate 501.

[0148] In a specific implementation, the polarizing layer 505 includes a polarizer.

[0149] In this exemplary embodiment, the third substrate 501 and the fourth substrate 601 include transparent plate-like structures.

[0150] In a specific implementation, the third substrate 501 includes a CF substrate, and the fourth substrate 601 includes a TFT substrate.

[0151] In this exemplary embodiment, the third electrode layer 503 is made of a transparent material. The transparent material used to fabricate the third electrode layer 503 can be a transparent conductive oxide material such as indium tin oxide (ITO) or indium zinc oxide (IZO). The third electrode layer 503 includes a third electrode corresponding to each pixel; in this embodiment, the third electrode layer 503 is a common electrode used to provide a common voltage to multiple pixels during display driving. That is, multiple pixels share the same third electrode.

[0152] In this exemplary embodiment, the first alignment layer 504 is in direct contact with the liquid crystal and is configured to align the liquid crystal molecules in a certain direction and angle.

[0153] In this exemplary embodiment, the polarization layer 603 includes a wire grid polarizer (WGP).

[0154] In this exemplary embodiment, the second dielectric layer 604 is configured to prevent the polarization layer 603 and the fourth electrode layer 605 from conducting.

[0155] In specific implementation, the fourth dielectric layer can be made of an inorganic insulating material. For example, the fourth dielectric layer includes at least one of silicon nitride (SiNx), silicon oxide (SiOx), and silicon oxynitride (SiNxOy).

[0156] In this exemplary embodiment, the fourth electrode layer 605 is made of a transparent material. The transparent material used to fabricate the fourth electrode layer 605 can be a transparent conductive oxide material such as indium tin oxide (ITO) or indium zinc oxide (IZO). The fourth electrode layer 605 includes a fourth electrode corresponding to each pixel; in this embodiment, the fourth electrode layer 605 is a common electrode used to provide a common voltage to multiple pixels during display driving. That is, multiple pixels share the same fourth electrode.

[0157] In this exemplary embodiment, the second alignment layer 606 is in direct contact with the liquid crystal and is configured to align the liquid crystal molecules in a certain direction and angle.

[0158] In the exemplary embodiments described above, another structure of the reflective display panel was introduced. The following will refer to... Figure 6 Introduction as follows Figure 5 The light propagation of the reflective display panel shown is illustrated in dark conditions:

[0159] When the first electrode layer 2041 and the second electrode layer 2042 are not energized, the refractive index of the electrorheological fluid is the same as that of the lens layer 102. Light 401 passes directly through the lens layer 102 until it reaches the polarizing layer 505. The transmission axis of the polarizing layer 505 is perpendicular to the horizontal electric field direction, so horizontally polarized light 401 is absorbed, while vertically polarized light 401 passes through and enters the liquid crystal cell. The liquid crystal cell is in TN mode, with the first alignment layer 504 aligned vertically and the second alignment layer 606 aligned horizontally. The liquid crystal cell thickness d = λ / 2 / Δn. After passing through the liquid crystal layer, the polarization direction of light 401 changes from vertical to horizontal and then reverses. The transmission axis of the polarizing layer 603 is horizontal. Light 401 passes through the polarizing layer 603 and is absorbed by the absorption layer, displaying a dark state.

[0160] In the above exemplary embodiments, as described above, Figure 5 The reflective display panel shown illustrates the light propagation in dark conditions. The following will refer to... Figure 7 Introduction as follows Figure 5 The light propagation of the reflective display panel shown is as follows when it is in bright state:

[0161] When the first electrode layer 2041 and the second electrode layer 2042 are energized, a transverse electric field is formed in the electrorheological fluid structure layer 301. The refractive index of the electrorheological fluid structure layer 301 in the transverse electric field will change. Specifically, the refractive index parallel to the direction of the transverse electric field will decrease.

[0162] In this case, light 401 is incident from the side of the first substrate 101 away from the second substrate 201 onto the interface between the lens layer 102 and the electrorheological fluid structure layer 301. When light 401 with a polarization direction parallel to the transverse electric field direction enters the low refractive index region (the lens layer 102) from the high refractive index region (the electrorheological fluid structure layer 301), total internal reflection occurs, and the light is reflected back to the side of the first substrate 101 away from the second substrate 201, forming a bright state.

[0163] Light rays 401, whose polarization direction is perpendicular to the transverse electric field direction, pass through the interface and reach the polarizing layer 505. The polarizing layer 505 has a transmission axis perpendicular to the electric field direction, and the light rays 401, perpendicular to the electric field direction, pass through the polarizing layer 505. When the liquid crystal cell is powered on, the liquid crystals are vertically aligned, and the light rays 401 pass directly through the liquid crystal layer without deflection. The light rays 401 continue to propagate to the polarizing layer 603. The transmission axis of the polarizing layer 603 is perpendicular to the polarization direction of the light rays 401, and the light rays 401 are reflected. The polarization direction of the reflected light rays 401 remains unchanged, allowing them to pass through the liquid crystal cell and the electrorheological liquid crystal cell. Finally, the light rays 401 exit from above, displaying a white state.

[0164] In the above exemplary embodiments, as described above, Figure 5 The reflective display panel shown can reuse light rays 401 perpendicular to the direction of the transverse electric field through reflection to improve the white state reflectivity. This disclosure can also realize a color reflective display panel based on this reflective display panel.

[0165] refer to Figure 8 Reflective display panels, including:

[0166] A first substrate 101 and a second substrate 201 disposed opposite to each other, and an electrorheological fluid structure layer 301, a first electrode layer 2041 and a second electrode layer 2042 located between the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 201.

[0167] The electrorheological fluid structure layer 301 includes insulating oil and metal particles located in the insulating oil;

[0168] The first electrode layer 2041 and the second electrode layer 2042 are configured to form an electric field in the electrorheological fluid structure layer 301 with the electric field direction parallel to the first substrate 101.

[0169] A filter layer 103, a planarization layer 104, and a lens layer 102, including a black matrix 1032 and a color filter 1031, are stacked on the first substrate 101 along the direction close to the second substrate 201.

[0170] A liquid crystal cell is disposed on the side of the second substrate 201 away from the first substrate 101.

[0171] In this exemplary embodiment, the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 201 include transparent plate-like structures.

[0172] In a specific implementation, the first substrate 101 includes a CF substrate, and the second substrate 201 includes a TFT substrate.

[0173] In specific implementation, the direction in which the second substrate 201 points towards the first substrate 101 is the display direction of the reflective display panel, and the side of the first substrate 101 away from the second substrate 201 is the display side. The user views the displayed content of the reflective display panel from the display side. Figure 1 Taking the orientation shown as an example, the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 201 are arranged vertically along the longitudinal direction, and the first substrate 101 is located above the second substrate 201. That is to say, the first substrate 101 is the upper substrate and the second substrate 201 is the lower substrate. The display direction of the reflective display panel is the vertical direction from bottom to top, and the display side is located in the area above the first substrate 101.

[0174] In this exemplary embodiment, the insulating oil includes at least one of the following: transformer oil, mineral oil, silicone oil, edible oil, etc.

[0175] In practice, the mineral oil includes isoalkanes.

[0176] In this exemplary embodiment, the metal particles include at least one of the following: gold particles, silver particles, etc.

[0177] In specific implementation, the metal particles include metal particles that have been modified with surfactants.

[0178] In this exemplary embodiment, the first electrode layer 2041 and the second electrode layer 2042 include at least one of the following: a metal electrode layer, a transparent electrode layer, etc.

[0179] In practice, the transparent electrode layer is made of a transparent material, such as indium tin oxide (ITO) or indium zinc oxide (IZO).

[0180] In this exemplary embodiment, the filter layer 103 may include a variety of color filters 1031. The color filters 1031 are made of color resist material, and light 401 can display different colors after passing through different color filters 1031. The color filters 1031 correspond to the colors of pixels, and pixels display colors by passing through the corresponding color filters 1031. Taking RGB pixels as an example in this embodiment, the filter layer 103 includes a red filter corresponding to red pixels, a blue filter composed of blue pixels, and a green filter corresponding to green pixels.

[0181] The filter layer 103 also has a black matrix 1032 (abbreviated BM) between adjacent color filters 1031. The black matrix 1032 is a light-shielding structure used to avoid crosstalk between different colors of light between adjacent pixels and to prevent external light 401 from shining into the display panel from the position between the pixels.

[0182] In this exemplary embodiment, the material of the planarization layer 104 includes materials such as photoresist (OC resist).

[0183] In this exemplary embodiment, the lens layer 102 includes a plurality of curved lenses, the curved surfaces of which face the second substrate 201.

[0184] In a specific implementation, the curved lens is a convex structure made of a transparent material. This convex structure protrudes from the first substrate 101 toward the second substrate 201 and has an outwardly convex curved surface toward the second substrate 201. This outwardly convex curved surface can be a part of a sphere (e.g., a spherical surface or an ellipsoidal surface). For example, in this embodiment, the curved lens is half of a sphere, and the outwardly convex curved surface is a hemispherical curved surface. The material of the curved lens can be a transparent inorganic or organic material. For example, the organic material forming the curved lens can include at least one of polystyrene and acrylic resin, and the inorganic material forming the curved lens can include at least one of silicon dioxide, silicon oxynitride, and silicon nitride. The curved lens can also be formed of titanium dioxide.

[0185] In this exemplary embodiment, when the first electrode layer 2041 and the second electrode layer 2042 are energized, the refractive index of the electrorheological fluid structure layer 301 is less than the refractive index of the lens layer 102.

[0186] In practice, electrorheological fluid is a suspension under normal conditions, and it can transform from liquid to solid under the influence of an electric field. When the applied electric field strength is much lower than a certain critical value, the electrorheological fluid is in a liquid state; when the electric field strength is much higher than this critical value, it becomes a solid state. Near the critical value of the electric field strength, the viscosity of this suspension increases with the increase of the electric field strength, and at this point it is difficult to say whether it is in a liquid or solid state.

[0187] Electrorheological fluids are typically suspensions formed by dispersing high-dielectric-constant particles in insulating oil. A key characteristic is that their viscosity changes rapidly and continuously with the intensity of an applied electric field, exhibiting adjustable rheological properties. This field-tunable rheological property stems from the transformation of the internal structure of the electrorheological fluid under the influence of an electric field. Specifically, the dielectric particles in the fluid become polarized under the applied electric field, resulting in interparticle interactions and an arrangement into a chain-like structure. This transforms the internal structure of the electrorheological fluid from isotropic in the absence of an electric field to anisotropic in the presence of an electric field. This structural transformation not only affects mechanical properties but also significantly influences the electrical, optical, electromagnetic, and acoustic properties of the electrorheological fluid.

[0188] Under the influence of an electric field, some electrorheological fluids exhibit significant electro-induced birefringence, and this birefringence can be modulated by changing the electric field strength. For example, an electrorheological fluid formed by adding a certain amount of surfactant-modified metal particles to insulating oil exhibits significant electro-induced birefringence. The insulating oil can be transformer oil, isoalkanes, or other mineral oils, or silicone oil, edible oil, etc., and the metal particles can be gold, silver, or other metals.

[0189] In this exemplary embodiment, a first barrier structure 203 is provided between the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 201;

[0190] The first substrate 101, the second substrate 201 and the first barrier structure 203 define a first pixel cavity, and the electrorheological fluid structure layer 301 is housed in the first pixel cavity;

[0191] The first electrode layer 2041 and the second electrode layer 2042 are disposed opposite to each other on the first retaining wall structure 203.

[0192] In specific implementation, the material of the first retaining wall structure 203 includes thermoplastic materials, which include at least one of the following: polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS), ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene terpolymer), polyoxymethylene (POM), polycarbonate (PC), polyamide (PA), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polysulfone, polyphenylene ether, chlorinated polyether, etc.

[0193] In a specific implementation, the height of the first retaining wall structure 203 in the direction perpendicular to the second substrate 201 is greater than the arch height of the curved lens.

[0194] In this exemplary embodiment, a first dielectric layer 205 is provided on the inner surface of the first pixel cavity;

[0195] The first dielectric layer 205 covers the first electrode layer 2041, the second electrode layer 2042 and the first substrate 101, but does not cover the lens layer 102.

[0196] In a specific implementation, the first dielectric layer 205 is configured to prevent the first electrode layer 2041, the second electrode layer 2042, and the electrorheological fluid structure layer 301 from conducting.

[0197] In specific implementation, the first dielectric layer 205 can be made of an inorganic insulating material. For example, the first dielectric layer 205 includes at least one of silicon nitride SiNx, silicon oxide SiOx, and silicon oxynitride SiNxOy.

[0198] In this exemplary embodiment, the liquid crystal cell includes:

[0199] A third substrate 501 and a fourth substrate 601 disposed opposite to each other, and a liquid crystal structure layer 701 located between the third substrate 501 and the fourth substrate 601;

[0200] A second barrier structure 502 is provided between the third substrate 501 and the fourth substrate 601. The third substrate 501, the fourth substrate 601 and the second barrier structure 502 limit the second pixel cavity. The liquid crystal structure layer 701 is accommodated in the second pixel cavity.

[0201] A polarizing layer 505 is provided on the side of the third substrate 501 away from the fourth substrate 601;

[0202] A third electrode layer 503 and a first alignment layer 504 are stacked on the third substrate 501 along the direction close to the fourth substrate 601;

[0203] The fourth substrate 601 is provided with a second light-absorbing layer 602, a polarizing layer 603, a second dielectric layer 604, a fourth electrode layer 605, and a second alignment layer 606 stacked on it in the direction close to the third substrate 501.

[0204] In this exemplary embodiment, the liquid crystal cell is connected to the second substrate 201 via the side of the polarizing layer 505 away from the third substrate 501.

[0205] In a specific implementation, the polarizing layer 505 includes a polarizer.

[0206] In this exemplary embodiment, the third substrate 501 and the fourth substrate 601 include transparent plate-like structures.

[0207] In a specific implementation, the third substrate 501 includes a CF substrate, and the fourth substrate 601 includes a TFT substrate.

[0208] In this exemplary embodiment, the third electrode layer 503 is made of a transparent material. The transparent material used to fabricate the third electrode layer 503 can be a transparent conductive oxide material such as indium tin oxide (ITO) or indium zinc oxide (IZO). The third electrode layer 503 includes a third electrode corresponding to each pixel; in this embodiment, the third electrode layer 503 is a common electrode used to provide a common voltage to multiple pixels during display driving. That is, multiple pixels share the same third electrode.

[0209] In this exemplary embodiment, the first alignment layer 504 is in direct contact with the liquid crystal and is configured to align the liquid crystal molecules in a certain direction and angle.

[0210] In this exemplary embodiment, the polarization layer 603 includes a wire grid polarizer (WGP).

[0211] In this exemplary embodiment, the second dielectric layer 604 is configured to prevent the polarization layer 603 and the fourth electrode layer 605 from conducting.

[0212] In specific implementation, the fourth dielectric layer can be made of an inorganic insulating material. For example, the fourth dielectric layer includes at least one of silicon nitride (SiNx), silicon oxide (SiOx), and silicon oxynitride (SiNxOy).

[0213] In this exemplary embodiment, the fourth electrode layer 605 is made of a transparent material. The transparent material used to fabricate the fourth electrode layer 605 can be a transparent conductive oxide material such as indium tin oxide (ITO) or indium zinc oxide (IZO). The fourth electrode layer 605 includes a fourth electrode corresponding to each pixel; in this embodiment, the fourth electrode layer 605 is a common electrode used to provide a common voltage to multiple pixels during display driving. That is, multiple pixels share the same fourth electrode.

[0214] In this exemplary embodiment, the second alignment layer 606 is in direct contact with the liquid crystal and is configured to align the liquid crystal molecules in a certain direction and angle.

[0215] In comparison, such as Figure 8 The reflective display panel shown is similar to... Figure 7 The main differences between the reflective display panels shown are: Figure 8In the reflective display panel shown, between the first substrate 101 and the lens layer 102, a filter layer 103 and a planarization layer 104, including a black matrix 1032 and a color filter 1031, are further stacked on the first substrate 101 along a direction close to the second substrate 201. Therefore, as... Figure 8 The reflective display panel shown illustrates the light propagation in both dark and bright states, as well as... Figure 7 The light propagation of the reflective display panel shown is the same in both dark and bright states, so it will not be described again here.

[0216] Through the above exemplary embodiments, this disclosure utilizes the property of electro-birefringence to achieve black-and-white display of a reflective display panel. The refractive index change under an electric field is ≥0.4, thus allowing most light to be totally reflected back. Furthermore, the upper substrate film layer in the device structure is simple and has the same refractive index, reducing reflection between different film layers and lowering the black-state reflectivity, resulting in higher contrast.

[0217] Based on the same inventive concept, corresponding to the display panel of any of the above embodiments, this disclosure also provides a method for manufacturing a display panel.

[0218] refer to Figure 9 The manufacturing method of a reflective display panel includes the following steps:

[0219] Step S910: Form the lens layer on the first substrate;

[0220] Step S920: Form the electrorheological fluid structure layer, the first electrode layer, and the second electrode layer on the second substrate;

[0221] Step S930: Align the first substrate and the second substrate.

[0222] Based on the same inventive concept, corresponding to the display panel of any of the above embodiments, this disclosure also provides a display device, which includes the reflective display panel in the above embodiments. The display device can be any product or component with display function, such as a mobile phone, tablet computer, television, monitor, laptop computer, or navigator.

[0223] It should be noted that the above description describes some embodiments of this disclosure. Other embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims. In some cases, the actions or steps recorded in the claims can be performed in a different order than that shown in the above embodiments and still achieve the desired result. Furthermore, the processes depicted in the drawings do not necessarily require a specific or sequential order to achieve the desired result. In some embodiments, multitasking and parallel processing are also possible or may be advantageous.

[0224] Furthermore, although the operations of the methods of this disclosure are described in a specific order in the accompanying drawings, this does not require or imply that these operations must be performed in that specific order, or that all of the operations shown must be performed to achieve the desired result. Rather, the steps depicted in the flowcharts may be executed in a different order. Additionally or alternatively, certain steps may be omitted, multiple steps may be combined into one step, and / or one step may be broken down into multiple steps.

[0225] It should be noted that although several modules or units for the device used to perform actions have been mentioned in the detailed description above, this division is not mandatory. In fact, according to the embodiments of this application, the features and functions of two or more modules or units described above can be embodied in one module or unit. Conversely, the features and functions of one module or unit described above can be further divided and embodied by multiple modules or units.

[0226] Those skilled in the art should understand that the discussion of any of the above embodiments is merely exemplary and is not intended to imply that the scope of this application (including the claims) is limited to these examples; within the framework of this application, the technical features of the above embodiments or different embodiments can also be combined, the steps can be implemented in any order, and there are many other variations of different aspects of the embodiments of this application as described above, which are not provided in the details for the sake of brevity.

[0227] Although this application has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, many substitutions, modifications and variations of these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description.

[0228] The embodiments of this application are intended to cover all such substitutions, modifications, and variations that fall within the broad scope of the appended claims. Therefore, any omissions, modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the embodiments of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

[0229] While the spirit and principles of this disclosure have been described with reference to several specific embodiments, it should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed specific embodiments, and the division of aspects does not imply that features in these aspects cannot be combined for benefit; such division is merely for convenience of expression. This disclosure is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. The scope of the appended claims is to be interpreted in the broadest sense, thereby encompassing all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.

Claims

1. A reflective display panel, characterized in that, include: A first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite to each other, and an electrorheological fluid structure layer, a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer located between the first substrate and the second substrate; The electrorheological fluid structure layer includes insulating oil and metal particles located in the insulating oil; The first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are configured to form an electric field in the electrorheological fluid structure layer with the electric field direction parallel to the first substrate; A lens layer is disposed on the side of the first substrate near the second substrate.

2. The reflective display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are energized, the refractive index of the electrorheological fluid structure layer is less than the refractive index of the lens layer.

3. The reflective display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, A first barrier structure is provided between the first substrate and the second substrate; The first substrate, the second substrate, and the first barrier structure define a first pixel cavity, and the electrorheological fluid structure layer is housed in the first pixel cavity; The first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are disposed opposite to each other on the first retaining wall structure.

4. The reflective display panel according to claim 3, characterized in that, A first light-absorbing layer is disposed on the side of the second substrate near the first substrate.

5. The reflective display panel according to claim 4, characterized in that, A first dielectric layer is disposed on the inner surface of the first pixel cavity; The first dielectric layer covers the first electrode layer, the second electrode layer, and the first light-absorbing layer, but does not cover the lens layer.

6. The reflective display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, A liquid crystal cell is disposed on the side of the second substrate away from the first substrate.

7. The reflective display panel according to claim 6, characterized in that, The liquid crystal cell includes: A third substrate and a fourth substrate disposed opposite to each other, and a liquid crystal structure layer located between the third substrate and the fourth substrate; A second barrier structure is provided between the third substrate and the fourth substrate, and the third substrate, the fourth substrate and the second barrier structure define a second pixel cavity, in which the liquid crystal structure layer is housed; A polarizing layer is disposed on the side of the third substrate away from the fourth substrate; A third electrode layer and a first alignment layer are stacked on the third substrate along the direction close to the fourth substrate; The fourth substrate has a second light-absorbing layer, a light-vibrating layer, a second dielectric layer, a fourth electrode layer, and a second alignment layer stacked on it in the direction close to the third substrate.

8. The reflective display panel according to claim 7, characterized in that, The liquid crystal cell is connected to the second substrate via the side of the polarizing layer away from the third substrate.

9. The reflective display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, A filter layer comprising a black matrix and a color filter is disposed on the side of the first substrate near the second substrate.

10. The reflective display panel according to claim 9, characterized in that, A planarization layer is provided on the side of the filter layer near the second substrate.

11. A method for manufacturing a reflective display panel as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, include: The lens layer is formed on the first substrate; The electrorheological fluid structure layer, the first electrode layer, and the second electrode layer are formed on the second substrate; The first substrate and the second substrate are assembled.

12. A display device, characterized in that, Including the reflective display panel as described in any one of claims 1 to 10.