E Ink® Evaluation Guide

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1.0 E Ink Background

E Ink Corporation is the creator of electronic ink — the optical component of a proprietary film

used in Electronic Paper Displays. Although futuristic in concept, electronic ink is a

straightforward fusion of existing knowledge in chemistry, physics and electronics. E Ink

displays offer high contrast, superior paper-like readability and low power consumption,

drawing power only when switching the display.

1.1 How Does E Ink Work?

Electronic ink is made up of millions of tiny microcapsules, about the diameter of a human hair.

Each microcapsule contains positively charged white particles and negatively charged black

particles which are suspended in a clear fluid. When a positive or negative electric field is

applied, corresponding particles move to the top of the microcapsule where they become visible

to the user. This makes the surface appear white or black at that spot.

1.2 Segmented Display Construction

E Ink Segmented displays are comprised of four layers. The ink is coated onto a sheet of plastic

film that is then laminated to a back plane with electrical connections. The back plane is

manufactured using either printed carbon (PET) or Polyimide. When manufacturing a

Segmented display, the film and back plane are then sealed between top and rear environmental

protective layers, ensuring the internal conditions of the display are maintained and optimized

for switching the ink.

The figure below shows a cross-section view of an E Ink Segmented display including from top

to bottom: Top protective layer, E Ink film, back plane connection, and rear protective layer.