Electronic ink

Not so long ago, electronic ink was created, which is gradually beginning to replace traditional ones. For many, this mysterious phrase is unfamiliar at all, some have heard it, but no one knows what it is.

At the end of the last century, scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology developed a unique technology for the formation of images. In the same year, 1997, the E-Ink Corporation was formed. Its task was further improvement of the developed technology, as well as its commercialization. It consisted in making profits from displays - devices in the creation of which electronic ink was used.

The principle of operation of this device of visual communication is extremely simple. The formation of the image on this device is as follows: in the base of the active layer of the screen there are miniature transparent capsules with black and white pigment. They react differently to the electrical potential: white particles (positively charged) are attracted to electrodes with a negative charge, black (negatively charged) to positively charged contacts.

Electronic ink, consisting of microcapsules, are so small that their diameter is equal to human hair. In the neutral state, these black and white particles are in an arbitrary position inside the microcapsules. By giving the back side of the electron-ink layer of the active area of the screen a positive charge, all particles with a white pigment move to the front part. At this time, the electronic field affects black particles, attracting this pigment to the "back" side of the microcapsules. From the eyes of the user, these movements are hidden. The result of such actions is the appearance on the electronic display of a white spot or a white point.

The technology of electronic ink allows, when changing the polarity of the electrical potential, to get black particles of the pigment on the left side of the capsules, and on the right side - white ones. In this case, a black spot will form on this place of the screen. In order to obtain complex images of large dimensions, it is necessary to form a matrix that controls the electrodes. For example, a system of this type is used in LCD displays. Electronic ink will allow you to transfer the image to a segmented or symbolic matrix, above which the active area of the screen will be located.

E-Ink Corporation has partnered with manufacturers of color filters used in flat panel monitors. This allows the development of color displays of a new type.

Developed technology of electronic ink allowed to establish the production of displays with a high level of resolution. They are used in PCs, electronic books, mobile communication devices, etc. It was designed to provide full communication of users using various electronic devices at the level of visual information. At the same time, information is read from the device screens as from plain paper. Because of this similarity technology is also called "electronic paper". It allows you to create legible, portable images.

In this case, the color electronic ink is very stable, and the generated image can remain legible for several months. When reading there is no flicker, letters do not change, so there are no additional difficulties for the perception of information. In addition, the angle of view and lighting conditions have no influence, and the technology itself is characterized by ultra-low power consumption, which is spent mainly on updating the screen. Another characteristic feature is that the resulting image can be 100 times smaller than that of a mobile phone. Color electronic ink has a reflectivity of 6 times greater and twice as much as liquid crystal screens.