Patent · US Expired

Tunable liquid microlens with lubrication assisted electrowetting

US6545815B2 · kind B2 · utility

138Cited by
18References
34Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 13, 2001
Grant dateApr 8, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 13, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B6/4214
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A tunable liquid microlens includes an insulating layer, a droplet of a transparent conducting liquid, and a lubricating layer disposed on a first surface of the insulating layer and between the droplet and the insulating layer. The microlens also includes a plurality of electrodes insulated from the droplet by the insulating layer and the lubricating layer, the plurality of electrodes being disposed such that they may be selectively biased to create a respective voltage potential between the droplet and each of the plurality of electrodes, whereby an angle between the droplet and a plane parallel to the first surface of the insulating layer may be varied and the droplet may be repositioned relative to the insulating layer.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.