Electronic paper upper substrate, electronic paper module and electronic paper display device

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of electronic paper, and discloses an electronic paper upper substrate, an electronic paper module with the electronic paper upper substrate and an electronic paper display device.The electronic paper upper substrate comprises a substrate layer and a common electrode layer arranged on the substrate layer, and the common electrode layer comprises a first conducting layer and a second conducting layer; the sheet resistances of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer are different, and the first conductive layer or the second conductive layer comprises at least one of a metal material or a metal oxide material, so that the overall conductivity of the common electrode layer can be effectively increased by adding the low-resistance conductive layer on the high-resistance conductive layer; the adaptability of the base material and the conductive material is improved, and the voltage transmitted to the display medium layer can be improved in the electronic paper module, so that the electric field force borne by the display medium is improved, the gravity and the resistance are effectively overcome, and the movement rate of the display medium is increased, namely the number of the display medium participating in display is increased; therefore, the overall display effect of the electronic paper display device is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of electronic paper, and in particular to an electronic paper upper substrate, an electronic paper module and an electronic paper display device. Background Art

[0002] Electronic paper is a technology that uses an array substrate to drive an electronic medium to achieve black and white or color display. Because electronic paper display devices have the characteristics of bistability (no power consumption when displaying static images, and only consume power when switching images), wide viewing angle, rewritability, low power consumption, lightness, durability and portability, they are being used in more and more consumer electronics fields such as electronic tags, e-readers and outdoor displays.

[0003] The structure of an electronic paper display device typically includes an upper substrate, a lower substrate, and a display medium layer. A common electrode is provided on the bottom surface of the upper substrate, and pixel electrodes are provided on the top surface of the lower substrate. The display medium layer is tightly bonded between the common and pixel electrodes. The common electrode is typically made of a transparent, conductive material. Currently, commonly used transparent conductive materials are typically made from acrylic resin with a polymer conductive liquid or carbon powder added to it. Commonly used transparent conductive materials generally have a high resistance, typically in the megohm range. This can easily lead to problems such as low color contrast and slow refresh rates in the display medium, ultimately affecting the proper display of the electronic paper display device. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the problems mentioned in the background art. To this end, the present invention provides an electronic paper upper substrate, an electronic paper module, and an electronic paper display device having the same. The electronic paper upper substrate has excellent electrical conductivity, which can effectively improve its own electrical conductivity and ultimately enhance the overall display effect.

[0005] According to an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, an electronic paper substrate includes a substrate layer and a common electrode layer arranged on the substrate layer, wherein the common electrode layer includes a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer, the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer have different square resistances, and the first conductive layer or the second conductive layer includes at least one of a metal material or a metal oxide material.

[0006] It can be seen that this solution adds a low-resistance conductive layer on the original high-resistance conductive layer. Since the low-resistance conductive layer has the characteristics of high conductivity and good flexibility, it can effectively increase the overall conductivity of the common electrode layer and effectively improve the compatibility of the substrate and the conductive material. In the electronic paper module, it can increase the voltage transmitted to the display medium layer, thereby increasing the electric field force on the display medium, effectively overcoming the display medium's own gravity and resistance to movement, increasing the movement rate of the display medium, and increasing the number of display media participating in the display, thereby improving the display effect of the electronic paper display device.

[0007] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the first conductive layer is a high-resistance conductive layer, and the sheet resistance of the first conductive layer is greater than 100Ω.

[0008] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the first conductive layer is one or a combination of polyacrylic resin, epoxy resin, polythiophene, polyaniline, ion conductive polymer, ionic liquid, carbon nanotube and carbon fiber.

[0009] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the second conductive layer is a low-resistance conductive layer, and the sheet resistance of the second conductive layer is less than 100Ω.

[0010] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the second conductive layer includes one or more of silver nanowires, copper nanowires, carbon nanotubes, polythiophene, polyaniline, ionic liquid, indium tin oxide, titanium nitride, graphene and conductive carbon black.

[0011] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the number of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer is one or more.

[0012] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the thickness of the common electrode layer is between 0.1-500 μm.

[0013] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the electronic paper upper substrate further includes a scattering layer, which is disposed between the common electrode layer and the substrate layer, and on which raised dots arranged in an array are disposed.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention, an electronic paper module comprises, from top to bottom, an upper substrate, a display medium layer, and a lower substrate, wherein the upper substrate is any of the electronic paper upper substrates described above.

[0015] According to an embodiment of a third aspect of the present invention, an electronic paper display device includes the above-mentioned electronic paper module.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0017] The present invention discloses an electronic paper upper substrate, an electronic paper module and an electronic paper display device having the same. The electronic paper upper substrate includes a substrate layer and a common electrode layer arranged on the substrate layer, wherein the common electrode layer includes a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer, the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer have different sheet resistances, and the first conductive layer or the second conductive layer includes at least one of a metal material or a metal oxide material. The present application adds a low-resistance conductive layer on the high-resistance conductive layer. Since the low-resistance conductive layer has the characteristics of high conductivity and good flexibility, the overall conductivity of the common electrode layer can be effectively increased, and the compatibility between the substrate and the conductive material is effectively improved. In the electronic paper module, the voltage transmitted to the display medium layer can be increased, thereby increasing the electric field force on the display medium, effectively overcoming the display medium's own gravity and the resistance to movement, increasing the movement rate of the display medium, and increasing the number of display media participating in the display, thereby improving the display effect of the electronic paper display device.

[0018] Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description which follows, or may be learned by practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The accompanying drawings are only used to illustrate the embodiments and are not to be considered as limiting the present invention. In addition, the same reference symbols are used to represent the same components throughout the drawings. In the drawings:

[0020] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of an electronic paper substrate provided in this application;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a common electrode layer of an electronic paper substrate provided in the present application;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the common electrode layer of the electronic paper substrate provided in this application;

[0023] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of the electronic paper module provided in this application;

[0024] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of the electronic paper display device provided in this application;

[0025] The meanings of the marks in the figure are:

[0026] 100, electronic paper upper substrate; 110, substrate layer; 120, common electrode layer;

[0027] 121, first conductive layer; 122, second conductive layer;

[0028] 130, scattering layer; 131, raised dots;

[0029] 200, electronic paper module; 210, upper substrate; 220, display medium layer; 230, lower substrate;

[0030] 300. Electronic paper display device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The following describes embodiments of the present invention in detail. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended only to explain the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0032] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0033] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they may refer to fixed, detachable, or integral connections; mechanical or electrical connections; direct or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0034] To illustrate the electronic paper upper substrate, electronic paper module and electronic paper display device provided in this application, the following is a detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings and the textual description of the embodiments.

[0035] Reference below Figure 1-Figure 3 The electronic paper upper substrate 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is described as follows: Figure 1-Figure 3As shown, the electronic paper substrate 100 includes a substrate layer 110 and a common electrode layer 120 disposed on the substrate layer 110. The common electrode layer 120 includes a first conductive layer 121 and a second conductive layer 122. The first conductive layer 121 and the second conductive layer 122 have different sheet resistances, that is, a film layer with relatively low resistance exists in the first conductive layer 121 and the second conductive layer 122, and the first conductive layer 121 or the second conductive layer 122 includes at least one of a metal material or a metal oxide material. Therefore, this solution effectively increases the overall conductivity of the common electrode layer 120 by adding a low-resistance conductive layer to the high-resistance conductive layer. Due to the high conductivity and good flexibility of the low-resistance conductive layer, the compatibility between the substrate and the conductive material is effectively improved. In the electronic paper, the voltage transmitted to the display medium can be increased, thereby increasing the electric field force acting on the display medium, effectively overcoming the gravity and movement resistance of the display medium, increasing the movement rate of the display medium, and increasing the number of display media participating in the display, thereby improving the display effect.

[0036] It should be noted that the relationship between the square resistance of the first conductive layer 121 and the second conductive layer 122 can be adjusted. It can be understood that as long as there are two conductive layers with different square resistances in the common electrode layer 120, the square resistance of the first conductive layer 121 can be greater than that of the second conductive layer 122, or the square resistance of the first conductive layer 121 can be smaller than that of the second conductive layer 122. As long as the square resistances of the first conductive layer 121 and the second conductive layer 122 are different, a low-resistance conductive layer can be set on a high-resistance conductive layer, thereby reducing the overall resistance value of the common electrode layer 120.

[0037] It should be noted that sheet resistance refers to the square resistance, which refers to the resistance from edge to edge of a square thin-film conductive material. For thin-film conductive materials, the best way to measure their thickness is to test their sheet resistance.

[0038] It should be noted that the thicknesses of the first conductive layer 121 and the second conductive layer 122 can be the same or different, as long as the square resistances between the first conductive layer 121 and the second conductive layer 122 are different. The thicknesses of the two can be determined according to the specific usage scenario.

[0039] It should be noted that when metal materials or metal oxide materials are used as film layer materials, the film layer can have a lower resistance value, thereby improving the conductive effect.

[0040] It should be noted that the substrate layer 110 can be a polyethylene glycol Terephthalate (PET) layer. It is understandable that PET is a milky white or light yellow, highly crystalline polymer with a smooth and glossy surface. It has excellent physical and mechanical properties over a wide temperature range and an operating temperature of up to 120°C. It has excellent electrical insulation properties and even maintains good electrical properties under high temperature and high frequency conditions. PET has ester bonds and will decompose under the action of strong acids, strong bases, and water vapor. It is resistant to organic solvents and has good weather resistance. Therefore, PET can be selected as the substrate layer 110.

[0041] It should be noted that the electronic paper upper substrate 100 can also be applied to other structures that require electric field driving, such as electrochromic devices and TFT-LCD modules.

[0042] According to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the first conductive layer 121 is a high-resistance conductive layer, and the square resistance of the first conductive layer 121 is greater than 100Ω. Furthermore, the first conductive layer 121 is one or more combinations of polyacrylic resin, epoxy resin, polythiophene, polyaniline, ion conductive polymer, ionic liquid, carbon nanotube and carbon fiber.

[0043] It should be noted that the first conductive layer 121 may also be made of other materials that meet usage requirements, and is not specifically limited here.

[0044] According to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the second conductive layer 122 is a low-resistance conductive layer, and the square resistance of the second conductive layer 122 is less than 100Ω. Furthermore, the second conductive layer 122 includes one or more combinations of silver nanowires, copper nanowires, carbon nanotubes, polythiophene, polyaniline, ionic liquids, indium tin oxide, titanium nitride, graphene and conductive carbon black. It can be understood that when the square resistance of the second conductive layer 122 is less than 100Ω, it has good conductive properties and can reduce the overall resistance of the common electrode layer 120 after combining with the first conductive layer 121, thereby effectively increasing the overall conductivity of the common electrode layer 120 and effectively improving the compatibility of the substrate and the conductive material.

[0045] It should be noted that the second conductive layer 122 may also be made of other materials that meet usage requirements, and is not specifically limited here.

[0046] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the number of the first conductive layer 121 and the second conductive layer 122 are both 1 layer or more. Preferably, when the number of the first conductive layer 121 and the second conductive layer 122 are both 1 layer, only one low-resistance conductive layer needs to be combined on the high-resistance conductive layer. This can simplify the overall production process and improve production efficiency while meeting the conductive performance.

[0047] It should be noted that, in some other embodiments, the number of the first conductive layer 121 and the second conductive layer 122 is not limited to one layer. Figure 2 As shown, the common electrode layer 120 includes four film layers, wherein the first conductive layer 121 and the second conductive layer 122 are arranged in sequence, that is, a second conductive layer 122 is first coated on a first conductive layer 121, and then another first conductive layer 121 is coated on the second conductive layer 122, and then another second conductive layer 122 is coated on the second first conductive layer 121. For example, Figure 3 As shown, the common electrode layer 120 includes three film layers, including one first conductive layer 121 and two second conductive layers 122. At this time, two second conductive layers 122 are sequentially coated on the first conductive layer 121. Therefore, the number and setting method of the first conductive layer 121 and the second conductive layer 122 can be determined according to the actual usage scenario and are not specifically limited here.

[0048] According to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the total thickness of the first conductive layer 121 and the second conductive layer 122 is between 0.1-500μm. It can be understood that when the total thickness of the first conductive layer 121 and the second conductive layer 122, that is, the thickness of the common electrode increases, the overall resistance will be lower, but the overall transparency will also be reduced. Therefore, it is necessary to limit the overall thickness and the thickness of the single layer to a specific numerical range so as to take into account both conductivity and transmittance. Specifically, the total thickness of the first conductive layer 121 and the second conductive layer 122 is between 10-50μm, wherein the thickness of the first conductive layer 121 can be 10-20μm, and the thickness of the second conductive layer 122 can be 1-5μm. At this time, the conductivity and transmittance of the common electrode layer 120 can be taken into account to the greatest extent.

[0049] It should be noted that, in some other embodiments, the total thickness of the first conductive layer 121 and the second conductive layer 122 may also be in other ranges, as long as the conductivity and transmittance are satisfied, and no specific limitation is made here.

[0050] According to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 1As shown, the electronic paper upper substrate 100 further includes a scattering layer 130 , which is disposed between the common electrode layer 120 and the substrate layer 110 . The scattering layer 130 is provided with raised dots 131 arranged in an array. It can be understood that the function of the scattering layer 130 is to increase the diffuse reflection effect, thereby improving its transmittance.

[0051] Reference below Figure 4 An electronic paper module 200 according to an embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention is described. Figure 4 As shown, the electronic paper module 200 includes an upper substrate 210, a display medium layer 220 and a lower substrate 230 from top to bottom. The upper substrate 210 includes a substrate layer 110 and a common electrode layer 120 arranged on the substrate layer 110, wherein the common electrode layer 120 includes a first conductive layer 121 and a second conductive layer 122 arranged alternately in sequence. The first conductive layer 121 and the second conductive layer 122 have different sheet resistances. The thickness of the first conductive layer 121 is greater than that of the second conductive layer 122, and the second conductive layer 122 includes a metal material or a metal oxide material. At least one of the above shows that by adding a low-resistance conductive layer on the high-resistance conductive layer, the low-resistance conductive layer has the characteristics of high conductivity and good flexibility, which can effectively increase the overall conductivity of the common electrode layer 120 and effectively improve the compatibility between the substrate and the conductive material. In the electronic paper module 200, the voltage transmitted to the display medium layer 220 can be increased, thereby increasing the electric field force on the display medium, effectively overcoming the display medium's own gravity and the resistance to movement, increasing the movement rate of the display medium, and increasing the number of display media participating in the display, thereby improving the display effect.

[0052] Reference below Figure 5 An electronic paper display device 300 according to an embodiment of the third aspect of the present invention is described. Figure 5As shown, the electronic paper module 200 includes an upper substrate 210, a display medium layer 220 and a lower substrate 230 from top to bottom. The upper substrate 210 includes a substrate layer 110 and a common electrode layer 120 arranged on the substrate layer 110, wherein the common electrode layer 120 includes a first conductive layer 121 and a second conductive layer 122 alternately arranged in sequence. The first conductive layer 121 and the second conductive layer 122 have different sheet resistances. The thickness of the first conductive layer 121 is greater than the thickness of the second conductive layer 122, and the second conductive layer 122 includes a metal material or a metal oxide material. At least one of the above shows that by adding a low-resistance conductive layer on the high-resistance conductive layer, the low-resistance conductive layer has the characteristics of high conductivity and good flexibility, which can effectively increase the overall conductivity of the common electrode layer 120 and effectively improve the compatibility between the substrate and the conductive material. In the electronic paper module 200, the voltage transmitted to the display medium layer 200 can be increased, thereby increasing the electric field force on the display medium, effectively overcoming the display medium's own gravity and the resistance to movement, increasing the movement rate of the display medium, and increasing the number of display media participating in the display, thereby improving the display effect of the electronic paper display device 300.

[0053] The electronic paper substrate, electronic paper module and electronic paper display device provided above are preferred embodiments and should not be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present application. Those skilled in the art should know that various improvements or replacements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application. All improvements or replacements should be within the scope of protection of the present application, that is, the scope of protection of the present application should be based on the claims.

[0054] In the absence of conflict, the above embodiments and features in the embodiments may be combined with each other.

Claims

1. An electronic paper substrate, characterized in that: It includes a substrate layer and a common electrode layer arranged on the substrate layer, wherein the common electrode layer includes a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer, the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer have different square resistances, and the first conductive layer or the second conductive layer includes at least one of a metal material or a metal oxide material.

2. The electronic paper upper substrate according to claim 1, wherein: The first conductive layer is a high-resistance conductive layer, and the sheet resistance of the first conductive layer is greater than 100Ω.

3. The electronic paper upper substrate according to claim 2, wherein: The first conductive layer is one or a combination of polyacrylic resin, epoxy resin, polythiophene, polyaniline, ion conductive polymer, ionic liquid, carbon nanotube and carbon fiber.

4. The electronic paper upper substrate according to claim 1, wherein: The second conductive layer is a low-resistance conductive layer, and the sheet resistance of the second conductive layer is less than 100Ω.

5. The electronic paper upper substrate according to claim 4, wherein: The second conductive layer includes one or more of silver nanowires, copper nanowires, carbon nanotubes, polythiophene, polyaniline, ionic liquid, indium tin oxide, titanium nitride, graphene and conductive carbon black.

6. The electronic paper upper substrate according to claim 1, wherein: The number of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer is one or more.

7. The electronic paper upper substrate according to claim 1, wherein: The thickness of the common electrode layer is between 0.1 μm and 500 μm.

8. The electronic paper upper substrate according to claim 1, wherein: The electronic paper upper substrate further comprises a scattering layer, which is arranged between the common electrode layer and the substrate layer. The scattering layer is provided with raised dots arranged in an array.

9. An electronic paper module, characterized in that: The electronic paper module comprises an upper substrate, a display medium layer and a lower substrate in order from top to bottom, and the upper substrate is the electronic paper upper substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. An electronic paper display device, characterized in that: The electronic paper display device includes the electronic paper module according to claim 9.

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