Modifying the electro-mechanical behavior of devices

• US 20050247477A1
• Filed: 05/04/2004
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: IDC, LLC
• Inventors: Palmateer, Lauren, Chui, Clarence, Kothari, Manish
• Granted Patent: US 7,060,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 174/542
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 7/0038 using materials for controlling the level of pressure, contaminants or moisture inside of the package, e.g. getters
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/001 based on interference in an adjustable optical cavity interference filters G02B5/28; devices or arrangements using multiple reflections in spectrometry or monochromators G01J3/26

Abstract

A device has a first surface. A second surface is offset from a first surface to form a package. At least one movable element is within the package having a movable surface to contact another surface. An environmental control material is included inside the package to affect an operation of the movable element.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a first surface;

a second surface offset from a first surface to form a package;

at least one movable element within the package having a movable surface to contact another surface; and

an environmental control material inside the package to affect an operation of the movable element.

2. The device of claim 1, the first surface further comprising a substrate.

3. The device of claim 2, the substrate further comprising one selected from the group comprised of:

glass, plastic, metal, silicon and ceramic.

4. The device of claim 1, the second surface further comprising a back plate.

5. The device of claim 4, the back plate further comprising one selected from the group comprised of:

glass, plastic, metal, metal foil, silicon, ceramic and a fluid environment.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a joining material to join the first surface and the second surface.

7. The device of claim 6, the joining material further comprising one selected from the group comprised of:

epoxy-based adhesives, o-rings, PIBs, poly-urethane, adhesives with zeolite incorporated within, thin film metal welds, liquid spin-on glass, solder, grown polymers, and grown plastics.

8. The device of claim 1, the environment control material further comprising one selected from the group comprised of:

zeolites, molecular sieves, dessicants, surface adsorbents, bulk adsorbents, chemical reactants, physical obstructers.

9. The device of claim 8, molecular sieves further comprising formed by a process selected from the group comprised of:

molecular sieves in deposited thin films, molecular sieves in spun on polymers, sprayed on molecular sieves, regenerated molecular sieves prepared in advance.

10. The device of claim 1, the first surface and the second surface offset to form a package further comprising first and second surfaces of a module package.

11. The device of claim 1, the environmental control material further comprising an environment control material embedded into the movable element.

12. The device of claim 1, the environment control material further comprising an environmental control material embedded into a component of the package.

13. The device of claim 1, the operation further comprising movement of the movable surface.

14. The device of claim 1, the operation further comprising contact between the movable element and the first surface.

15. The device of claim 1, the first and second surface offset to form a package further comprising a first surface having sides to accomplish the offset.

16. The device of claim 1, the first surface further comprising the first surface of both a module package and a device package.

17. A method of packaging a device, comprising:

forming at least one movable element on a substrate;

enclosing the element and the substrate in a package; and

including an environmental control material in the package, wherein the environmental control material is selected based upon an effect on operation of the element caused by the material.

18. The method of claim 17, forming at least one movable element further comprising forming an interferometric modulator.

19. The method of claim 17, enclosing the element and the substrate in a package further comprising enclosing the element and the substrate in a device package and including the environmental control material further comprising including the environmental control material in the device package.

20. The method of claim 17, enclosing the element and the substrate in a package further comprising enclosing the element and the substrate in a module package and including the environmental control material further comprising including the environmental control material in the module package.

21. The method of claim 17, forming at least one movable element on a substrate further comprising forming the movable element from thin films, wherein including an environmental control material further comprises including the environmental control material embedded in one of the thin films.

22. The method of claim 17, including an environmental control material further comprising embedding the environmental control material in the substrate.

23. The method of claim 17, enclosing the element and the substrate in a package further comprising joining the substrate and a back plate with a joining material.

24. The method of claim 23, joining the substrate and a back plate with a joining material further comprising joining the substrate and the back plate with a joining material having the environmental control material within.

25. The method of claim 17, including an environmental control material further comprising adding a powder inside the package.

26. The method of claim 17, including an environmental control material further comprising shaping the environmental control material into shapes and applying the shapes inside the package.

27. The method of claim 17, including an environmental control material further comprising applying the environmental control material in a spray.

28. The method of claim 17, including an environmental control material further comprising applying the environmental control material in a dip coat.

29. The method of claim 17, including an environmental control material further comprising applying the environmental control material as a screen print.

30. The method of claim 17, including an environmental control material further comprising dispensing the environmental control material in liquid form.