PE 459 LECTURE 2- natural gas basic concepts and properties
Electronic Paper Technology Report
1. ELECTRONIC PAPER TECHNOLOGY
B. Tech Seminar Report
Submitted in partial fulfilment for the award of the Degree of
Bachelor of Technology in Electrical and Electronics Engineering
By
PRAKHAR AGRAWAL (B160759EE)
Department of Electrical Engineering
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, CALICUT
NIT Campus P.O., Calicut – 673601, India
2020
2. CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the thesis entitled “Electronic Paper Technology”, is a bonafide
record of the seminar done by PRAKHAR AGRAWAL (B160759EE) under my supervision
and guidance, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for award of Degree of Bachelor of
Technology in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from National Institute of Technology
Calicut for the year 2020.
Dr SUBHA D P
Associate Professor
Department of Electrical Engineering
Dr RIGIL RAMCHAND
Professor and Head
Department of Electrical Engineering
Place:
Date:
3. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I express my deep sense of gratitude to our respected seminar guide, Dr SUBHA D P for the
valuable help and guidance provided in the course of completion of this report.
I am also grateful to respected Dr SALY GEORGE, Head of the Department of Electrical
Engineering and to our respected Director, Dr SIVAJI CHAKRAVORTI, National Institute
of Technology Calicut for permitting me to utilize all the necessary facilities of the institution.
I am also thankful to all the faculty, staff members of our department for their kind cooperation
and advice.
Lastly, I would like to express my deep appreciation to all my classmates and indebtedness to
my parents for providing me the moral support and encouragement.
PRAKHAR AGRAWAL
4. ABSTRACT
ItiisialsoicallediE-paper.iItiisiaidisplayitechnologyiusingiorganicielectronicsidesignedito
imimicitheiappearance iofiregular iinkionipaper.iAniElectronic Paper iDisplay is also known as
iEPD. It iis a idisplay device ithat ipossesses a paper-like high contrast appearance, ultra-low
power consumption,iandiaithin,ilight form. It givesitheiviewer the experience of reading from
paper, whileihavingitheipoweriof updatable information.
Unlikeia conventionaliflat panel display,iwhich uses a backlight toiilluminate its pixels,
electronic ipaper reflects ilight ilike ordinary ipaper iand is icapable iof holding text iand images
iindefinitelyiwithout drawingielectricityior using processor power, while allowingithe paper to
be changed. Oneiimportantifeatureiis that the state of eachipixelican be maintained without a
iconstant supply of power.
5. CONTENTS
Chapter No. TITLE Page No.
List of Abbreviations i
1. INTRODUCTION AND OUTLINE 1
1.1 Introduction 1
1.2 Outline 1
2. HISTORY 2
3. E-PAPER TECHNOLOGIES 6
3.1 Gyricon 6
3.2 Electrophoretic 7
3.3 Electrowetting 8
3.4 Electrofluidic 10
3.5 Interferometric Modulator 10
3.6 Other Bistable Displays 10
3.7 Other Technologies 11
4. APPLICATIONS 12
5. DISPARITY BETWEEN E-PAPER & PAPER 17
6. WORKING OF E-PAPER 18
7. LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
E-Paper : Electronic Paper
EPD : Electronic Paper Display
MIT : Massa
eReader : Electronic Reader
E-Ink : Electronic Ink
RGBW : Red Green Blue White
PARC : Palo Alto Research Centre
PVDF : Polyvinylidene fluoride
QR-LPD : Quick Response Liquid Power Display
EPLaR : Echocardiographic Pulmonary to Left atrial Ratio
ChLCD : Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Display
i
8. 1
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Electronic ipaper, ialso called e-paper, is a idisplay technology designed to mimic ithe
iappearance of ordinary ink on ipaper. iUnlike ia conventional flat panel idisplay, iwhich iuses a
backlight to illuminate its ipixels, ielectronic ipaper reflects light like ordinary ipaper iand iis
capable of holding text andiimagesiindefinitelyiwithoutidrawing electricity, while allowingithe
iimageitoibeichanged later.i
To buildie-paper,iseveralidifferentitechnologies exist, someiusingiplastic substrate and
electronics so that the display is flexible.iE-paperiisiconsideredimore comfortable to read than
conventional displays. iThis is due to the istable iimage, which idoes inot ineed to be refreshed
constantly, the wideriviewingiangle, and the fact that it usesireflectediambient light. While it is
lightweight and durable,iitistill lacks good colour reproduction. The contrast ratio in common
devices as of 2008 might be described as similar to dirty newspaper, though newly-developed
implementations are slightly better.
Applicationsiincludeie-bookireadersicapable of displaying digital versionsiofibooksiand
ie-paper magazines, electronic pricing labels iin iretail ishops, itime tables at bus stations
electronicibillboards,ianditheimobile phone Motorola FONE F3.
Electronic ipaper iishould inot be confused with digital paper, which iis ia pad to create
handwritten digitalidocumentsiwith a digital pen.
1.2 OUTLINE
An ElectroniciPaperiDisplay is also knowniasiEPD.iIt is a display device that possess a
paper-like high contrast appearance, ultra-low power consumption, and a thin, light form. It
gives the viewer the experience of ireading ifrom ipaper, iwhile ihavingithe power of updatable
information.
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CHAPTER 2
HISTORY
The history of electronic paper is rife with innovation.
Fromiitsifirstibeginnings at MIT toiitsiuse in e-readers and low-poweridigitalisigns, these are the
milestones ofitheipaper like technology that isipoisedito change the face of digital.
1974: The predecessoritoielectronic paper, the Gyricon, was invented in 1974 in the labs iofithe
iXeroxiPaloiAlto Research Center as a display that would ibeihigh-contrastienough to allow the
Alto personal computeritoibeiused in brightly lit environments.
1997: Barrett Comiskey, Joseph Jacobson iand iJD iAlbert ifrom MIT's Media Lab create ia
iprototype of the electronic ipaper idisplay, ibuilding on the work ifrom ithe i1970s. The new
technology mimics the appearance of ordinary ink on paper. The isameiyearithe threeigo ion to
ifound E Ink®, the world'sileadingie-paper manufacturer.
2001: Introduced ini2001iby E Ink, the active matrix electronicipaperidisplayimakes it possible
for each ofitheiindividual screen pixels to changeicoloriforithe first time, expanding the potential
andiversatilityiof the technology.
2004: Sonyidevelopsithe Sony Librie, the first eReader. Using ianielectronic paper display, the
device is viewable in direct sunlight andirequiresino power to maintain a static image.
2007: Visionect is ifounded. iThe company will go on to ipower i90% of the world's successful
electronic paper deployments, settingiainewistandard in versatile, ultraienergy-efficientisignage
iin ienvironments impossible ibefore. iDigital traffic signs, interactive bus stops, truckside
billboards, smart urban furniture and more.
Amazon released the Kindle,iitsifirstie-reader, on November 19, 2007. It isellsioutiinifive and a
half hours. By 2014 a whopping 50% of Americansiwillihaveiowned a dedicated reading device.
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2010: E-paper begins making ia imark iin idigital signage. The first mass application of the
technology are smart shelfilabels,iopeningithe door to next generationiservices iandiconverting
visitors to customers.
2014: The firstijumboielectronic paper prototype is introduced.iMeasuringiat 25 times theisizeiof
a standard e-reader, the i32-inch idisplay iwill igo on to power information iboards, iwayfinding
isigns, museum labels and more.
2015: Visionect's Joan makesiitsidebut. The energy-saving electronic paper sign showsimeeting
iroom reservations and books spacesionitheispot,isupporting the green officesiofitomorrow.
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2016: iForget itheiRGBWifilter! Advanced Color ePaperimakes iits debut at SID Display Week
2016, marking the firstitimeithe technology is ableitoiproduce full color without the useiofia color
filter array.
Internet connected electronic ipaper itruck idisplays take on European iroads. iThink ilocation-
targeted advertising, GPS-triggered information onitrafficijams ahead, the distance to the next
gas station, andieveninoticesiabout changesiin road signalization.
The newly-opened Estonian iNational iMuseum uses electronic paper displays to enhance the
ivisitoriexperience.iThe installationicomesiasipartiof a wave of smart signage on electronicipaper
iushering museums into thei21sticentury, be it through in-galleryidigitalilabelsior through visitor-
led interactive screens.
2017: Electronic paper iis igetting ibigger and bigger. A new engineering feat imaking iits
iintroduction at CESi2017iovercomesithe technical hurdles of large-dimension electronic paper
screens, measuring atianiimpressivei25.9 inches wide andi34.8 inches tall.
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CHAPTER 3
E-PAPER TECHNOLOGIES
Electronic ipaper iis said to be portable. iReusable istorage and display medium ithat ilooks ilike
ipaper but can be repeatedlyiwrittenioni(refreshed)ibyielectronic means, thousands orimillions
iof times. Toibuildie-paper several different technologiesiexist,isome using plastic substrateiand
ielectronics so that theidisplay is flexible.
E-paper has theipotentialito be more comfortableitoiread than conventional displays.iThisiis due
to theistableiimage, which does not needitoibe refreshed constantly, the wideriangleiand the fact
that itireflectsiambient light rather than emitting its own ilight.iAn e-paper display can read in
idirectisunlightiwithout the image appearing to fade. Theicontrastiratio in available displays as
of 2008 might be idescribed ias isimilar to that of newspaper, ithough newly ideveloped
implementations iare slightly ibetter. There iis ongoing icompetition among imanufacturers to
provide full color icapability. iInvented by Xerox at Xerox iPARC, ie-paper iis made from a
display technology. iWhen ivoltage is applied to the surface iof ithe isheet, the beads rotate to
idisplayieitheriblack sides or white sides.
3.1 GYRICON
Electronic paper wasifirstideveloped in the 1970s by Nick Sheridon at
Xerox's Palo AltoiResearchiCenter. The first electronicipaper,icalled Gyricon, consisted of
polyethyleneispheresibetween 75 and 106 micrometers across. Eachisphereiisiaijanusiparticle
composed of negatively chargediblackiplastic on one side and positively charged whiteiplastic
ion the other (each bead is thus a dipole).
The spheres areiembedded in a transparent silicone sheet, iwith ieach sphere
suspended iniaibubbleiofioil so that they can rotate freely. The polarity of the voltage applied
to each pair of electrodes then determines whether the white or black side is face-up, thus giving
the pixel a white or black appearance. iAtitheiFPDi2008iexhibition,iJapaneseicompanyiSoken
idemonstrated ia iwall iwith ielectronic iwall-paper using this technology. From 2007 Estonian
icompany iVisitret iDisplays iis ideveloping ithis kind of displays using iPVDF ias imaterial ifor
ispheresidramatically improving the video speediandidecreasing the control voltage.
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3.2 ELECTROPHORETIC
In ithe isimplest implementation of an ielectrophoretic idisplay, titanium
dioxide (titania) particles approximately one imicrometer iin diameter are idispersed iin a
hydrocarbon oil. A dark-colored dye is ialso iadded ito the oil, along with surfactants and
charging iagents ithaticause the particles to take on an electric charge. This mixture is placed
between two parallel, conductive plates separated by a gap of 10 to 100 micrometres. When a
voltage is iapplied iacross ithe itwoiplates, ithe iparticles migrate electrophoretically to the plate
that bears the oppositeichargeifromithation the particles. Whenitheiparticles are located atithe
ifront ii(viewing) iiside iof the display, iit iappears iwhite, ibecause light is scattered back to the
viewer by the high-index titania particles. When the particlesiareilocatediatitheirearisideiofithe
idisplay,iitiappears dark, because the incident light is absorbed by the colored dye. Ifithe rear
electrode is divided into a inumber iof small picture elements (pixels), then an image ican ibe
iformed by applying the appropriate voltage toieachiregion of the display toicreateia pattern of
reflecting and absorbingiregions.
Electrophoretic idisplays iare iconsidered prime examples of ithe electronic paper category,
because of their paper-like appearance and low power consumption.
Examplesioficommercialielectrophoretic displays include theihigh-resolution
iactiveimatrix displays used in the AmazoniKindle,iBarnes & Noble Nook, Sony Librie,iSony
iReader, Kobo eReader and iiRex iiLiad ie-readers. These displays are constructed from an
electrophoretic imaging filmimanufacturedibyiE InkiCorporation.iA mobile phone that used the
technology isitheiMotorola Fone.
Electrophoretic Display technologyihasialsoibeen developed by Sipix and Bridgestone/Delta.
SiPix isinowipart of E Ink. The Sipix design uses a flexible 0.15mm Microcup architecture,
instead of E Ink's 0.04mm diameter microcapsules. Bridgestone Corp.'s Advanced Materials
15. 8
Division cooperated with Delta Optoelectronics Inc. in developing the Quick Response Liquid
Powder Display (QR-LPD) technology.
Electrophoreticidisplaysicanibe manufactured usingiElectronicsioniPlastic by
Laser Release i(EPLaR) iprocess developed by Philips iResearch ito enable existing AM-LCD
manufacturing plantsitoicreateiflexible plastic displays.
3.3 ELECTROWETTING
Electro-wetting idisplay i(EWD) is based on controlling ithe ishape iof a
confined water/oiliinterfaceiby an applied voltage. Withinoivoltage applied, the (colored) oil
formsiaiflatifilmibetweenithe wateriandia hydrophobic (water-repellent) insulating coating of
ianielectrode, resulting in aicolored pixel.
When a voltage isiappliedibetweenitheielectrode and the water,itheiinterfacial
tension between the water anditheicoating changes. As a result theistackedistate is no longer
stable,icausingithe water to move the oil aside.
This makes aipartlyitransparent pixel, or, if a reflective white surfaceiisiunder
ithe switchable element, aiwhiteipixel.iBecauseiof the small pixel size,itheiuser only experiences
the average reflection, whichiprovidesiaihigh-brightness, high-contrast switchable element.
Displays based on ielectro-wetting iprovide iseveral attractive features. The
switching between whiteiandicoloredireflection is fast enough toidisplayivideo content.
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It's a low-power andilow-voltageitechnology,iandidisplays based on the effect can beimadeiflat
and thin. The reflectivity andicontrastiare better than oriequalito other reflective display types
and approach the visual qualities ofipaper.
In addition, theitechnologyioffersiaiunique path toward high-brightness full-
color displays,ileadingitoidisplays that are four times brighter than reflective LCDs ianditwice
as bright as other emergingitechnologies.
Instead of usingired,igreen and blue (RGB) filters or alternating segments of
the threeiprimaryicolors, which effectively result in only one thirdiofithe display reflecting light
in the desired color, electro-wettingiallowsifor a system in which one sub-pixel can switch two
different colors independently.
This results initheiavailability of two thirds of the displayiareaito reflect light
in any desired color.iThisiisiachieved by building up a pixel with a stack of two independently
controllable colored oilifilmsiplus a color filter.
The colors are cyan, magenta and iyellow, iwhich iis ia isubtractive system,
comparable to the principle used iin iinkjet iprinting ifor iexample. iCompared to LCD another
factor two in brightness is gained because noipolarisersiareirequired.
Examples of commercial electrowetting displays include Liquavista, ITRI,
PVI and ADT.
Miortech’s 2nd generation electrowetting idisplay itechnology isolves ia
number of issues of 1st generation electrowetting displayitechnologyiandilarge-area devices are
easy to manufacture since theipixeliwalls act as spacers. Miortech develops rearview mirrors
iusingiitsi2ndigeneration EWD technology.
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3.4 ELECTROFLUIDIC
Electrofluidic displays are a ivariation iof ian electrowetting display.
Electrofluidic displays place an aqueous pigment idispersion iinside ia tiny reservoir. The
reservoir comprises <5-10% of the iviewable ipixel iarea and therefore the pigment is
isubstantiallyihidden from view. Voltage is used toielectromechanicallyipullithe pigment out of
the reservoir iand ispread it as a film directly behind the iviewing isubstrate. iAs a result, the
display takes on color and brightness similar to that of conventional pigments printedionipaper.
iWhen voltage is removed liquid surface tension causes the pigment dispersion to rapidly recoil
into the reservoir. As ireported iin ithe May 2009 Issue of Nature Photonics technology ican
ipotentiallyiprovidei>85% white state reflectance for electronic paper.
The core technology was invented at the iNovel iDevices Laboratory at the University of
Cincinnati. The technology is currently being commercialized by Gamma Dynamics.
3.5 iINTERFEROMETRIC MODULATOR (MIRASOL)
Technology used in electronic visual displays that can create various colors
ivia iinterference iof ireflected light. The color iis iselected iwith ian ielectrically iswitched ilight
modulator comprising a microscopicicavityithatiisiswitchedioniand off using driver integrated
circuits similar to those used to address liquid crystal displays (LCD).
3.6 OTHER BISTABLE DISPLAYS
1. PlasticiLogic,imanufactureriof flexible plasticielectrophoreticidisplays
2. Kent Displays, manufacturerioficholestericiliquid crystal display (ChLCD)
3. Nemoptic, nematicimaterials]
4. TRED
5. SharpiMemory LCD, usediiniPebbleismartwatch.
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3.7 OTHER TECHNOLOGIES
Other research efforts iinto ie-paper ihave involved iusing iorganic transistors
embedded into flexible isubstrates, iincluding iattempts to ibuildithem into conventional paper.
Simple color e-paper consists iof ia thin colored optical filter iadded ito ithe monochrome
technology described above. The iarrayiofipixelsiis divided into triads, typically consisting of
the istandard icyan, magenta and yellow, in the isame iway ias CRT monitors (although using
subtractive iprimary icolors ias opposed to additive iprimary icolors). The display is then
controlledilikeianyiother electronic color display.
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CHAPTER 4
APPLICATIONS
Several icompanies iare simultaneously developing electronic ipaper iand iink.
iWhile the technologies used by eachicompanyiprovideimany of the same features, each has its
own distinct technological iadvantages. iAll ielectronic paper technologies face the following
general challenges:
● A methodiforiencapsulation
● An ink oriactiveimaterialito fill the encapsulation
● Electronics toiactivateitheiink
Electronic iink ican ibe iapplied ito flexible or rigid materials. iFor iflexible
displays, the base requires a ithin, iflexible imaterial tough enough to withstand considerable
wear, such as extremely thin plastic. The imethod iofihow itheiinks are encapsulated and then
applied to the substrate is what distinguishes eachicompanyifromiothers. These processes are
complexiandiare carefully guarded industry secrets. Nevertheless, imakingielectronicipaper is
less complex and costlyithaniLCDs.
There iare imany approaches to electronic paper, with many companies
developing technology in ithis iarea. iOther technologies being applied to ielectronic ipaper
include modifications of liquid crystal displays, electrochromic displays, iand ithe ielectronic
equivalent of an Etch A SketchiatiKyushuiUniversity. Advantages of electronic paperiincludes
ilow ipower usage (power is only drawn iwhen ithe idisplay iis iupdated), flexibility and better
readability than imost idisplays.iElectronic ink can be printed on any isurface,iincludingiwalls,
ibillboards, iproduct labels and T-shirts. The ink's flexibility would also make it possible to
develop rollable displays for electronic devices.
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Wristwatches
In iDecember i2005 iSeiko ireleased the first electronic ink based watch called the Spectrum
SVRD001 wristwatch, which has aiflexibleielectrophoreticidisplay and in March 2010 Seiko
released a second generation of this ifamous ie-ink iwatch iwith ian active matrix display. The
Pebble smart watch (2013) uses a low-power memory LCD manufactured by Sharp for its e-
paper display.
E-Books
iLiad e-book reader equipped with an e-paper display visible in the sunlight
In 2004 Sony released Librié EBR-1000EP in Japan, the first e-book reader
with an electronic paper display.iIniSeptemberi2006iSonyireleaseditheiPRS-500iSonyiReader
ie-book reader in the USA. iOn iOctober i2, i2007, iSony iannounced ithe iPRS-505, an updated
version of the Reader. IniNovemberi2008,iSonyireleasedithe PRS-700BC, which incorporated
a backlight and a touchscreen.
Inilate 2007, Amazon began producing andimarketing itheiAmazon Kindle,
an e-book reader with anie-paperidisplay.iIn February 2009, Amazon released theiKindlei2 and
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in May 2009 the larger KindleiDXiwasiannounced. In July 2010 the third generation Kindle
was announced, with notable design ichanges. iThe ifourth generation of Kindles were
announced in September 2011. This generation was unique as iit imarked ithe Kindle's first
departure from keyboards in favor of itouchscreens. iIn iSeptember 2012, Amazon announced
the fifth generation of the Kindle, which iincorporatesiaiLED frontlight and a higher contrast
display.
In November 2009 Barnes iand iNoble ilaunched ithe Barnes & Noble iNook,
irunning an Android operating system. It differs from other ibig iname readers in having a
replaceable battery, and a separate touch-screen color LCD below ithe imain ielectronic paper
reading screen.
Newspapers
In February 2006,itheiFlemishidaily De Tijd distributed an electronic version
of the paper toiselectisubscribers iiniailimitedimarketing study, using a pre-release version of
the iRex iLiad. This iwas ithe ifirst irecorded application of electronic ink to newspaper
publishing.
The French daily Les Échos announced the official launch of an electronic
version of the paper on a subscription basis, in September 2007. Two offers were available,
combining a one year subscription and a reading device. The offer included either a light (176g)
reading device (adapted for Les Echos by Ganaxa) or the iRex iLiad. Two different processing
platforms were used to deliver ireadable iinformation of the daily, one based on ithe inewly
ideveloped GPP electronic ink platformifromiGanaxa,iand the other one developed internally
by Les Echos.
Displays Embedded in Smart Cards
Flexible display cards enable financial payment cardholders to generate a
one-time password to reduce ionline ibanking iand itransaction ifraud. iElectronic ipaper ioffers a
flat and thin ialternative ito iexisting key fob tokens ifor idata isecurity. iThe iworld’s first ISO
compliant smart card iwith ian iembedded idisplay was developed by Innovative Card
Technologies and nCryptone in 2005. The cards were manufactured by Nagra ID.
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Status Displays
Some idevices, ilike iUSB iflash drives, have used electronic ipaper ito idisplay
istatus information, such as available storageispace.iOnceitheiimageionithe electronic paper has
been set,iitirequiresinoipower to maintain, soitheireadoutican be seen eveniwhenitheiflashidrive
iis not plugged in.
MobileiPhones
Motorola's ilow-cost imobile iphone, the Motorola F3, uses ian ialphanumeric
iblack-and-whiteielectrophoreticidisplay.
The iSamsungiAlias 2 mobile phone incorporates ielectroniciinkifrom E Ink
into the keypad, iwhich iallows ithe keypad to change icharacter isets iand orientation while in
different display modes.
On iDecember i12, i2012, Yota Devices announced the ifirst i"YotaPhone"
iprototypeiandiwas later released in Decemberi2013,iaiuniqueidouble-display smartphone. It has
iai4.3-inch,iHDiLCDidisplay on the frontiandianie-inkidisplayion the back with smart battery
usage.
Electronic Shelf Labels
E-Paper basedielectronicishelfilabelsi(ESL)iareiuseditoidigitally display the
prices atiretailistores.iElectronic paper based labels areiupdatediviaitwo-wayiinfrared or radio
technology.
Other
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Other proposed applications iinclude iclothes, idigital iphoto iframes,
information boardsiandikeyboards.iKeyboards with dynamically changeable keysiareiusefulifor
iless represented languages,inon-standardikeyboardilayoutsisuch as Dvorak, oriforispecialinon-
alphabeticaliapplicationsisuch as video editing or games.
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CHAPTER 5
DISPARITY BETWEEN E-PAPER & PAPER
In principle, electronicidiscoveryiisino different than paperidiscovery.iAllisorts of documents
are subjectitoidiscoveryielectronicioriotherwise.iButihereiisiwhereitheicommonalityiends.iThere
are substantial differences betweenitheidiscoveriesiofitheitwoimedia.iTheifollowingiisia list of
discovery-related differences betweenielectronicidocumentsiandipaper ones. Weiassumeithatia
paper document is a idocument ithat iwas icreated, imaintained, iand used manually as a paper
documents; itiisisimplyiaihardicopyiofianielectronicidocument.
● TheiMagnitude of electronic data isiwayilargerithanipaper documents.
● Variety of electronicidocumentsiisilargerithan paper documents.
● An e-document containsiattributesilackingiinipaperidocuments.
● The structure of e-documentsimayireachicomplexity absent from paper documents.
● An electronicidataiisicreatedibyiseveraliindividualsithan paper documents.
● Electronic documents changeifaster,imoreifrequentlyiandieasier than paper documents.
● The redundancy inielectronicidocumentsiisihigherithaniin paper documents.
● Electronic documents imayibeicreated ibyielectronic imeans iwhile paper documents are
icreatediby humans.
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CHAPTER 6
WORKING OF E-PAPER
E-paper comprisesitwoidifferent iparts:itheifirst is electronic ink, sometimes
referreditoiasithei“frontplane”;ianditheisecondiisithe electronics required toigenerateitheipattern
iof itext and images ion ithe ie-ink ipage, icalled ithe i“backplane” and reading them on the CRT
screen.
Overitheiyears,iainumberiofimethodsifor creating e-ink haveibeenideveloped.
iTheiGyriconie-inkidevelopediin the 70s by Nick SheridoniatiXeroxiisibasedion a thin sheet of
flexible plastic containing iailayeriofitinyiplasticibeads,ieach encapsulated in ailittleipocketiof
ioil iand ithus able to freely irotate iwithin ithe iplastic isheet. iEach ihemisphere of a bead has ia
idifferent icolor iand ia idifferent electrical charge. When an ielectric ifield iis iapplied iby ithe
backplane, the beads rotate, creating aitwo-coloredipattern.iThisimethodiof creating e-ink was
idubbedibichromalifrontplane. Originally, bichromal frontplaneihadiainumberiof limitations,
including relativelyilowibrightnessiandiresolutioniand a lack of color. Althoughitheseiissuesiare
istill being tackled, other forms of e-ink, iwith iimproved iproperties icompared to the original
Gyricon, have beenidevelopedioveritheiyears.
One such technologyiisielectrophoreticifrontplane,ideveloped by the E Ink
Corporation. iElectrophoretic ifrontplane iconsists iof millions of tiny microcapsules, each
iapproximatelyi100 microns in diameter—aboutiasiwideiasia human hair. Each microcapsule is
filled with ia iclear ifluid icontaining ipositively icharged white particles and inegatively icharged
iblackiparticles.iWhen a negative electric fieldiisiapplied,itheiwhiteiparticlesimoveito the top of
the imicrocapsule, icausing ithe iarea ito appear to the viewer as ia iwhite idot, iwhile the black
particles move to ithe ibottom iofitheicapsule and are thus hidden ifrom iview. iWhen iaipositive
electric field is applied, theiblackiparticlesimigrateito the top anditheiwhiteiparticlesimove to
the bottom, generating black text or a picture.
The brightness and resolution of ielectrophoretic-based ie-ink iis ibetter ithan
ithat iof ibichromal-based ie-ink, ibut iboth iareimonochromatic iin inature. To create color, E Ink
joined hands withitheiJapaneseicompany Toppan Printing, which produces color filters.
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Another drawback of electrophoretic ie-ink iis iits ilow irefresh irate, imaking
ielectrophoreticie-inkiunsuitable for displaying animation or video. Since it takesitimeiforithe
iparticlesitoimoveifromioneiside of the microcapsule to the other,idrawingiainewitextioriimage
is too slow and creates a flicker effect.
A completely different isolution ifor icreating ie-paper, iknown ias icholesteric
iliquidicrystal (ChLCD), is being developed by suchicompaniesiasiIBMiandiPhilips,ias well as
HP and Fujitsu, which haveidemonstratediactualidevices.iChLCDitechnology is based on the
well-known and widespread technology iof iliquid icrystal idisplays i(LCDs), iwhich iwork iby
applying aicurrentitoispiral-shapediliquid-crystalimoleculesithaticanichange from a vertical to a
horizontal position.
Although other potential itechnologies ifor ideveloping iadvanced icolor
ielectronic paper iexist isuch ias iphotonic icrystals (P-ink) recently covered iby iTFOT, imany
ianalysts believe that ChLCD technology could become the dominant e-paper technologyiofithe
inextidecade.iThisiassessmentirelates to the high level of maturity exemplified by the current
LCD iindustry, ias iwell ias ito ithe ifact that ChLCD technology currently ioffers iwhat imany
ianalystsisee as the ideal list of features forie-paper:iflexibilityiandievenibendability;ithinness,
iat approximately 0.8 millimeters; lightness; aibi-stableinature,irequiringinoipowerito maintain
an image and very littleipoweritoichangeiit;igood brightness, contrast, and resolution;iasiwell
ias ivivid color and a decent refresh rate icapable iof idisplaying ianimation and possibly even
video.
27. 20
CHAPTER 7
ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES
7.1 Advantages
Conventional displays have a inumber iof idisadvantages iin ithis iapplication.
They may be too expensive, itooipowericonsuming, ioritooiharditoiseeiwheniaffixeditoia shelf.
On the other hand, e-papericaniproduceismall,ibattery-operated,iflexibleidisplays.
E-paper’s potential flexibility can ialso ibe ian iadvantage iwhen iaffixing
idisplaysitoishelves.iConversely, e-paper’s current limitation-poor color capability-isinotimuch
iofiaidisadvantage iinithisicontext. iColoriisinot a requirement; monochrome displays iwouldibe
iquite icapable iof idisplaying most pricing or product information. When iimproved icolor iis
ideveloped,iit would then increase the advertisingicapabilitiesiofisuchidisplays.
There is tremendous opportunityihereiasistoresihaveiongoingiproblemsiwith
ichanging prices for promotions andiotherivariables.iSmart ishelvingiwouldialso add value by
reducingiincorrectipricingionitheishelves;itheibaneiof every customer.
From the e-paperiindustryipointiofiviewitheivolume of displays would beivery
ilarge ibecause iof ithe number of items in any igiven istore ithat ineed ipricing iinformation.
Hundreds of displays are likely.iHowever,isuchidisplaysiwouldibeivery small (2 to 3 inches).
7.2 Disadvantages
Like iall itechnologies, iE-paper ihas iits iflaws ithat make it inaccurate to use.
Organizations iface imany idisadvantages iwith ie-paper iand ie-paper itechnologies. iPublishing
departments may have ia idifficult itime iadapting ito ithis inew itechnology ibecause iit iis still
complex toiuse.iOrganizations istillihaveimanufacturing costs that were higher than iexpected,
iandisomeicompaniesihaditroubleiprogrammingisigns in their stores.
Hence, companies are still reluctant to use this technology because it is more
complex than paper iand iit iis imore iexpensive ito iuse. iAlso, ie-paper iis istill iless iattractive ito
itechnologiesisuchias an LED or LCD, because it still unable toireproduceianimationsiandiitiis
idifficultito read when there’s no light.
Thus,iunlessitheiroomiisinotibrightienough,iemployeesiin an organization will
ihaveiaiveryihard time reading the e-paper.iTheibiggestichallengeia company faces with e-paper
iandiitsisisteritechnologies is piracy.
28. 21
In this internet era,iitiisieasyitoisend information from one side iofitheiglobe
itoianother,ithus, organizations have to be careful with their information.iForiexample,iyourifile
ican ibeieasily emailed to someone living ithousandsiofimilesiaway.iIt icanieven be placed in a
public serveriforianyoneitoidownload.
Hence, this could be itroublesome ifor ibook ipublishing icompanies ithat imay
lose millions of dollarsiandiforiorganizationsithat have classified information.
29. 22
CHAPTER 8
CONCLUSION AND FUTURE SCOPE
7.1 CONCLUSION
Today, ipaper iremains ithe imost ipopular idocument imedium because of its credibility,
itangibility,ieaseiof use, flexibility, portability, and compatibility which hasimadeiitidifficultito
ireplace.iEveniwithithe prevalence of computers andionlineidocuments,itheipaperless office is
more distant ithan iwheniitiwasiproposed.iWith ipaper idocuments flowing at a faster ipaceithan
iever, ithe need for more document imanagement isystem ibecome iincreasingly inevitable.
Sheridan (2007)ibelieves ithatiE-Paperiwillieventually be able to make ipowerihungryidesktop
idisplays obsolete and help make heavy iback-breaking itextbooks isomething ischool children
might learn about in iaihistoryiclassion their lightweight E-readers. Though inewitechnologies
iareimisperceived as total replacements for iold iones,iwhen iin fact, the introduction of a inew
itechnology ican isimulate a synergy between old iand inew i(Liu iand istork, i2000), iwe ishould
reconsider the argument ito icompletely ireplace iall paper documents, and iconsequently, iwe
ipredictiaico-existence between paper and E-Paper.
While we may iknow ielectronic ipaper itoday for its near-ubiquitous use iin
ieBookireaders,itheiflexibility of the technology creates possibilitiesifariaboveiandibeyondithat
iveryibasic use. Unlike flying cars iand ipersonal iteleporters, itheipaperless office of the future
may not be so far-fetched afteriall.iAndia clean desk is just the beginning.
7.2 FUTURE SCOPE
EPD technology ihas ibeen ia ilong itime icoming. The idea of e-paper, a data
displayithatilooksiandiworksilike a sheet of paper, hasibeeniaroundiforidecades.iIn theory, such
a screen could be "printed"ielectronically,iwouldiholdiitsicontents without consuming power,
could beiviewediusingireflected light (rather than theibacklightirequirediforiLCD screens), and
icouldibei"erased" and "rewritten" as often as desired.
But although the itechnology ibehind ie-paper idisplays ihas improved greatly
over time, it'sistillijustionitheithresholdiof real success, according to Youngiandiotheriobservers.
i Displaysilikeithe Kindle's are
beginning to iprovide ithe icontrast iand iresolution iof traditional ink on paper, ibut iphysical
iflexibilityiandifull-coloridisplay are still around the corner.
30. 23
The first successfulidemonstrationiofie-paperitechnologyiwasicalled Gyricon,
used tiny rotatingispheresiofielectricallyichargediplastic, black on one side,iwhiteionitheiother,
isuspendediinibubblesiof oil between transparentielectrodes.
Theicurrenticrop of EPD displays isibasedionielectronici"ink"ithatithe E Ink
Corp., aisupplieriofielectroniciink technology in Cambridge, iMass.ihasibeenideveloping since
1997. EiInk'sielectrophoreticitechnologyiputs oppositely charged black andiwhiteipigmentsiinto
itinyi"microcapsules" filled with a itransparent ifluid. iTheicapsules are fixed to iaisubstrate iand
sandwiched between electrodes, and when a current is applied, one pigment is drawn to the
positive electrode, one to the negative.
The ink is ibistable i-- ithat iis, iit irequires ielectrical ipower ionly to change its
state, making it ivery ienergy-efficient. iAlthough idisplays ibased on this ink are inot ias ihigh-
contrast ias ibacklit icomputer screens, which can make ithem ihard ito iread iin dim light, their
reflective isurface iallows ithem ito ibe iread in daylight situations that iwould iwash iout
iconventional laptop displays. Most importantly, ieliminating ithe ipower idemands of the
backlighting needed iby iconventional iLCD idisplays means that e-paper displays idraw
inegligibleipower.
Until recently, E-papers had ibeen ibuilt ion iglass i-- particularly the active-
matrixidisplaysiusedibyitoday's e-book readers. Butitheitechnologyiisirapidly moving to plastic
substrates thatiwillimakeie-paper almost as flexible as paper.
31. 24
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[3] Jacobson, J.M. (2016). How Electronic Ink Was Invented – MIT Media Lab. [online] MIT
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