E-ink and E-paper

Author: Zhao Xiaopeng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: The invention of papermaking and printing are two of the four great inventions of ancient China, shining brightly in the inheritance of human civilization. With the advancement of modern science and technology, especially the rapid development of information science and materials science, can you imagine that the text in the books you read in the future will still change? Can you accept that anything you encounter can become a display? Perhaps you think this is a dream, or perhaps you find this idea absurd and dismiss it. However, people are turning it into a living reality. If you find it astonishing, then why not see how all of this is becoming a reality.
The appearance of paper and books has a history of over 2,000 years. Over thousands of years, people have become very accustomed to the optical performance of text on paper. Moreover, the flexibility and the ability of paper to bend and fold have brought great convenience to reading. This characteristic cannot be compared with electronic displays. Although the concept of electronic books (E-Books) has existed for a long time, and many readable electronic books and readers similar to handheld computers have appeared in the market, electronic books have always developed slowly. One important reason is that they require people to change their reading habits, which have been formed over 2,000 years. This is a very difficult task, almost like a pipe dream.
With the rapid development of information exchange technology, people need to acquire more knowledge and process more information. The drawbacks of book and newspaper publication have become increasingly apparent. First, the amount of information carried by books and newspapers is limited, and the efficiency of information circulation is very low. Second, the severe shortage of paper supply cannot be ignored. Statistics show that in 2000, global paper production and consumption reached 320 million tons. If this continues, the forest reserves on Earth will certainly not meet the demand for paper. The felling of large numbers of trees will further accelerate the deterioration of the fragile ecological environment. Third, the papermaking and printing industries consume a large amount of water resources, exacerbating the water shortage in industrial, agricultural, and daily life. Additionally, the rate of information update in paper-printed materials has far lagged behind the speed of the explosion of human knowledge and information.
In this context, people need to study how to transmit electronic information through a medium similar to paper, so as to both meet people's reading habits and achieve rapid information updates. The emergence of electronic ink and electronic paper technology has brought great hope to people. Compared to traditional display technologies, electronic ink displays have many advantages, such as readability, portability, low power consumption, thinness, lightness, flexibility, and wide applicability, which cannot be compared with any other display technology. Undoubtedly, it will usher in a new era of reading and writing.
This book is a popular science book introducing the high-tech of electronic ink and electronic paper. The author strives to briefly introduce the latest research results of electronic ink and its display technology to the readers. The main content of the electronic ink part in the book was completed under the research project "Photoelectric Information Functional Materials" supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China. Many contents have been applied for Chinese invention patents and possess independent intellectual property rights. Some contents have also been published in famous academic journals at home and abroad. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first systematic scientific book on electronic ink and electronic paper in the world. The book is divided into 10 chapters, mainly introducing the origin and development of electronic ink technology, electronic ink displays, the preparation methods of black and color electronic inks, and the implementation technology of electronic ink displays. Chapters 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 10 were written by Professor Zhao Xiaopeng and Dr. Guo Huilin; Chapters 2, 5, 8, and 9 were written by Professor Zhao Xiaopeng and Dr. Wang Jianping; and some illustrations in the book were drawn by Master Zuo Chaoyang. The book was edited by Professor Zhao Xiaopeng.
Although the author has extensive experience in this field, there are still many shortcomings in the book: First, due to a lack of experience in writing popular science books, the language expression in this book may be too professional. Second, electronic ink and its display technology involve a wide range of fields, and this book focuses only on the preparation of electronic ink and related knowledge. Due to the limited level of the authors and the haste in writing, omissions are inevitable. We sincerely invite readers to point out any shortcomings.
The author of this book introduces the principles, origin and development, preparation methods, characterization techniques, and application prospects of electronic ink and electronic paper in an easy-to-understand language, covering cutting-edge content.