Correlating Dynamic Microstructure to Observed Color in Electrophoretic Displays Via in Situ Small-Angle X-Ray Scattering

Electronic displays are nearly ubiquitous in modern society. With the drive to lower power consumption, reflective displays based on reversible electrophoretic deposition of nanoparticles have emerged as a candidate next generation display technology. Understanding the origins of color in these displays is challenging because the color is determined by the transient arrangement of particles in the electric field. In this article, a new technique, based on small angle x-ray scattering, is developed to simultaneously interrogate nanoparticle arrangement and measure color while the display is in operation. Furthermore, a particle-based numerical model of electrophoretic deposition is demonstrated to quantitatively predict transient interparticle distances during operation.