Sleek¹（圆滑的） design and ease of use are just two of the main reasons consumers are increasingly attracted to tablets and e-readers. And these devices are only going to get better -- display technology improvements are on the way. Several e-reader products on the market today use electrophoretic displays（电泳显示器） , in which each pixel consists of microscopic² capsules that contain black and white particles moving in opposite directions under the influence of an electric field. A serious drawback to this technology is that the screen image is closer to black-on-gray than black-on-white. Also, the slow switching speed (~1 second) due to the limited velocity³（速率，迅速） of the particles prevents integration⁴（集成，综合） of other highly desirable features such as touch commands, animation⁵, and video.

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati Nanoelectronics Laboratory are actively⁶ pursuing an alternative approach for low-power displays. Their assessment⁷ of the future of display technologies appears in the American Institute of Physics' Applied⁸ Physics Letters.

"Our approach is based on the concept of vertically¹⁰ stacking（堆叠，堆积） electrowetting（电湿润） devices," explains professor Andrew J. Steckl, director of the NanoLab at UC's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. "The electric field controls the 'wetting' properties on a fluoropolymer（含氟聚合物） surface, which results in rapid manipulation of liquid on a micrometer scale. Electrowetting displays can operate in both reflective and transmissive modes, broadening their range of display applications. And now, improvements of the hydrophobic insulator¹¹ material and the working liquids enable EW operation at fairly low driving voltages (~15V)."

Steckl and Dr. Han You, a research associate in the NanoLab, have demonstrated that the vertical⁹ stack electrowetting structure can produce multi-color e-paper devices, with the potential for higher resolution than the conventional side-by-side pixel approach. Furthermore, their device has switching speeds that enable video content displays.

What does all of this mean for the consumer? Essentially¹², tablets and e-readers are about to become capable of even more and look even better doing it. Compared to other technologies, electrowetting reflective display screens boast many advantages. The electrowetting displays are very thin, have a switching speed capable of video display, a wide viewing angle and, just as important, Steckl says, they aren't power hogs¹³（猪，贪婪者） .