Light blocking electrical interconnect

• US 20060187396A1
• Filed: 02/18/2005
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Martin, Eric T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,230,749 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/139
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/11 Anti-reflection coatings
• 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

An electrical interconnect to block light for use with an array of micro electromechanical machines separated by the first breaks includes a layer of an electrically conductive and an electrically isolated portions separated by second breaks configured to cross the first breaks on multiple sides of one of the micro electromechanical machines.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a first member;

a second member, an electrical interconnect layer having a first electrically conductive portion and a second electrically conductive portion electrically isolated from the first electrically conductive portion;

a conductive plate between the electrical interconnect layer and the first and second members, the conductive plate having a periphery outwardly beyond the first member, wherein the conductive plate is configured to be charged from the periphery;

a first charge transmitting flexure extending from the first portion to the first member; and

a second charge transmitting flexure extending from the second portion to the second member.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the electrical interconnect layer is electrically isolated from the conductive plate.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the first portion and the second portion are separated by a single gap.

4. The device of claim 1 including a third charge transmitting flexure extending from the first portion to the first member.

5. The device of claim 4 including a fourth charge transmitting flexure extending from the first portion to the first member.

6. The device of claim 5 including a fifth charge transmitting flexure extending from the second portion to the second member and a sixth charge transmitting flexure extending from the second portion to the second member.

7. The device of claim 5 including a fifth charge transmitting flexure extending from the first portion to the first member.

8. The device of claim 7 including a sixth charge transmitting flexure extending from the second portion to the second member.

9. The device of claim 8 including a seventh charge transmitting flexure extending from the second portion to the second member.

10. The device of claim 9 including an eighth charge transmitting flexure extending from the second portion to the second member.

11. The device of claim 4 including a fourth charge transmitting flexure extending from the second portion to the second member.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the first member is movably supported by a total number of flexures including the first flexure and wherein each of the total number of flexures is electrically connected to the first portion.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the conductive layer includes a total number of electrically isolated and electrically conductive portions including the first portion and the second portion, wherein the device further includes a total number of members including a first member and a second member and wherein the total number of portions is less than or equal to the total number of members.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the first portion and the second portion are separated by a non-linear break.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the first portion and the second portion extend side-by-side one another.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the first member has a center point and wherein the first portion extends opposite the center point.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the first member has a face with a first surface area and wherein the first portion has a second face facing the first face and having a second surface area of at least 80 percent of the first surface area.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the first portion has a surface area of at least 70 square microns opposite the first member.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein the first portion is non-rectangular.

20. The device of claim 1, wherein the first member has a first edge and a second opposite edge and wherein the first portion spans the first edge and the second edge.

21. The device of claim 1 including at least one adjacent circuitry layer, wherein the electrical interconnect layer is between the circuitry layer and the conductive plate.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the circuitry layer includes electrical switching elements.

23. The device of claim 1, wherein the first portion includes an anti-reflective coating facing the conductive plate.

24. The device of claim 1, wherein the conductive plate includes an anti-reflective coating facing the first portion.

25. The device of claim 1, wherein the first flexure passes through an opening in the conductive plate and wherein the second portion is spaced from the opening by at least one micron.

26. The device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a light modulator.

27. The device of claim 1, wherein the first member and the second member are each semi-reflective or semi-transparent.

28. The device of claim 1, wherein the first member and the second member are configured to move relative to one another.

29. The device of claim 1, wherein the conductive plate is reflective.

30. A device comprising:

a circuitry layer;

a movable member;

a conductive layer between the circuitry and the movable member;

a conductive plate between the movable member and the conductive layer;

a first charge transmitting flexure extending from the conductive layer to the movable member; and

a second charge transmitting flexure extending from the conductive layer to the movable member.

31. The device of claim 30, wherein the conductive layer is electrically isolated from the conductive plate.

32. The device of claim 31, wherein the device is part of a display.

33. The device of claim 32, wherein the device is part of a spatial light modulator.

34. The device of claim 30, wherein the movable member is semi-transparent and semi-reflective.

35. The device of claim 34, wherein the conductive plate is reflective.

36. The device of claim 30 including a third charge transmitting flexure extending from the conductive layer to the movable member.

37. The device of claim 30 including a fourth charge transmitting flexure extending from the conductive layer to the movable member.

38. The device of claim 30, wherein the movable member has a center point and wherein the conductive layer extends opposite the center point.

39. The device of claim 30, wherein the movable member has a first face with a first surface area and wherein the electrical interconnect layer has a second face facing the first face and having a second surface area of at least 80% of the first surface area.

40. The device of claim 30, wherein the electrical interconnect area has a surface area of at least 70 square microns opposite the movable member.

41. The device of claim 30, wherein the electrical interconnect layer is non-rectangular.

42. The device of claim 30, wherein the movable member has a first edge and a second opposite edge and wherein the electrical interconnect layer spans the first edge and the second edge.

43. A light modulator comprising:

a pixel plate;

a circuitry layer;

a conductive plate between the circuitry layer and the pixel plate; and

means spanning the pixel plate for transmitting electrical charge from the circuit layer to the pixel plate.

44. A method of actuating a light modulator, the method comprising:

charging a conductive plate spanning pixel plates on a first side of the conductive plate from a periphery of the conductive plate; and

charging the pixel plates to distinct voltages via distinct electrical isolated portions of a conductive electrical interconnect layer on a second side of the conductive plate.

45. A method of transmitting charge to micro electromechanical machine devices that are separated by first breaks and of blocking light passing through the first breaks to control circuitry, the method comprising:

transmitting electrical charge to the micro electromechanical machines via a layer of electrically conductive and electrically isolated portions extending between micro electromechanical machines and the circuitry layer, wherein the portions are separated by second breaks configured to cross the first breaks on multiple sides of the micro electro-mechanical machines.

46. A method of fabricating an electronic device having an array of micro electromechanical machines having boundaries, the method comprising:

forming a circuitry layer;

forming an electrically conductive electrical interconnect layer having electrically conductive and electrically isolated portions electrically connected to the circuitry layer and separated by breaks configured to cross the boundaries of one of the micro electromechanical machines on multiple sides of the micro electromechanical machine.

47. The method of claim 46 including forming a micro electro-mechanical machine by:

forming a conductive plate; and

forming electrically conductive movable members, each movable member being movably supported by electrically conductive flexures extending from one of the electrical interconnect layer portions.

48. An electrical interconnect to block light for use with an array of micro electromechanical machines separated by first breaks, the interconnect comprising:

a layer of electrically conductive and electrically isolated portions separated by second breaks configured to cross the first breaks on multiple sides of one of the micro electromechanical machines.

49. An electrical device, comprising:

a MEMs structure;

electrical circuitry disposed under the mems structure; and

a set of light blocking electrical interconnect layers disposed between the electrical circuitry and the MEMs structure, wherein the light blocking electrical interconnect layers have openings configured to cause incident light that passes from the MEMs structure to travel through indirect paths and be significantly attenuated before reaching the electrical circuitry.

50. The device of claim 49 further comprising at least one anti-reflective coating disposed on at least one light blocking electrical interconnect layer.

51. The device of claim 49, wherein the light blocking electrical interconnect layers increase the capacitance connected to the electrical circuitry.

52. The device of claim 49, wherein the light blocking electrical interconnect layers create a capacitance that can be decoupled from the electrical circuitry.

53. The device of claim 49, wherein each of the light blocking electrical interconnect layers have openings that are physically offset sufficiently to substantially prevent the direct propagation of light without reflection.