The TCP System – an enabler for the next generation of e-readers
An e-reader puts an entire library of books in the palm of your hand, without the distractions of a phone or tablet. They are easier to carry than a paperback, last for weeks on a single charge, and give you an excellent reading experience. The TCP system is uniquely suited to manufacture the optical component used in e book readers. By using a thin thermoplastic film, sub micrometre resolution and double-sided patterns it is possible to manufacture an efficient high quality front light devices with high UV resistance.
E-readers have become a staple over the past few years all over the world. The market for e-books alone is estimated to generate a yearly revenue in the billions of dollars and is expected to grow in the coming years. One trend which is thought to drive this growth is the digitalization of the educational system and the adoption of e-books and e-readers to replace printed schoolbooks.
What makes an e-book reader different from a tablet or a mobile phone?
A lot of the e-books are consumed on a regular tablet or mobile phone, but many people prefer an e-reader, even if most people already have a tablet or a mobile phone. Not only can the distraction of a mobile phone or table be avoided but the display itself is a key advantage.
Let’s have a look at the technology behind the e-readers display – which includes a thin polymer film with a nano pattern on it. The film can be produced by a system from TC TECH, to get the right quality.
One of the main reasons to use an e-reader is that it’s less straining for the eyes since it uses less light than a tablet and that the light that is used is indirect. A traditional display has light from behind, which is directed straight into your eyes. The e-reader, however, does not require light to function, however, if you want to use it in a dark environment a front light is used. This guides light towards the screen which is then reflected into your eyes making for a nicer reading experience.
The fundamental technology used in e-readers is e-ink, this makes it visually closer to a paper print and more suitable for reading text on, than a tablet or mobile phone. The e-ink is an electronic ink, which only needs to be supplied by electric power for each change made to the screen. Activated e-ink will show the combined black spots as text on the white background.
E-ink was invented in the 90s at MIT Media Lab, the inventors established the company E Ink Corporation 1997 and the technology is still used by the leading e- reader producer. The E Ink name is so established that it is used commonly even for competing technology.
The invention of e-ink changed the way we read digitally
The e-ink invention consists of millions of capsules smaller than the size of a single human hair. The capsules consist of black and white bodies with a positive or negative charge. They are separated by a translucent liquid. To give the capsule order about which color should be on top – a negative or positive charge is sent to the respective capsule and together they form the text. To get a colored e-reader, colored bodies needed to be added as cyan, magenta, yellow and white and used with the same principle as black and white.
Black- and-white e-readers are still most popular, but the number of compatible e-readers are growing with products like the reMarkable Pro leading the charge.
Today the e-readers’ picture and especially video quality is not as good as the tablets with LCD, Micro-LED or OLED, but what will happen in the future? With increasing quality in the digital ink layer the requirements for a high quality front light is increased. This is something that the TC TECH’s system can enable. With these improvements it is possible that the e-reader technology could be an alternative for tablets and mobile phones, in some use cases.
Challenges and the next generation of e-book readers
Development and refinement of new technology never stops and display technology is one such case. Fortunately for TC TECH, the next generation of displays seem to need smaller and more accurate patterns, potentially double sided, on a film as thin as possible to reduce thickness. Front lights are one such example, which TC TECH’s systems can produce, better than anyone else on the market!
There are of course other methods of manufacturing such optical films for front lights, however, they are usually dependent on imprinting and curing of UV polymers on a carrier film. These materials have two fundamental issues when used in an application such as e-readers. The dual material has a boundary which will introduce an unwanted refraction i.e. a loss of light and as the light guiding structure is a UV cured polymer it inherently is sensitive to UV light. There is therefore a substantial risk of discolouration when used in direct sunlight and energy loss due to refraction.
We at TC TECH believe that two key advantages of the e-reader are the possibility to take it anywhere and the low energy consumption. With a front light made with the TC TECH system, which uses a single layer thermoplastic, you will have a low energy consumption, no unwanted refraction, and be able to use it in direct sunlight for a long time. We believe that this is essential for the next generation as we all know that books are best enjoyed in the sun!
Contact for more information:
Petter Karlow Herzog
CTO, TC TECH Sweden AB
petter.karlow.herzog@tctech.se
Mobile: +46 70 4543064
