SELF-STABILIZED ELECTROPHORETICALLY FRUSTRATED TOTAL INTERNAL REFLECTION DISPLAY

摘要

An image display (10) has a transparent front sheet (12) with a prismatically microstructured (16) inward surface and a rear sheet (14) substantially parallel to and spaced from the front sheet (12). An electrophoretic suspension fills the space between the sheets (12, 14). The suspension is formed by suspending non-light- scattering light absorptive particles (24) in an electrophoresis medium (22) until the particles (24) form a substantially unitary thermodynamically stable agglomeration (56). Application of a voltage across the suspension establishes an electric field for controllably electrophoretically moving the particle agglomeration (56) as a substantially unitary whole toward the front sheet's inward surface to frustrate total internal reflection at the inward surface of light rays passing through the front sheet (12).