MEMS pixel sensor

• US 20070023851A1
• Filed: 09/06/2006
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Zhan, Changqing, Hartzell, John, Wolfson, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,425,749 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/414
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00246 Monolithic integration, i.e. micromechanical structure and electronic processing unit are integrated on the same substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/16 using properties of piezoelectric devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/18 using properties of piezo-resistive materials, i.e. materials of which the ohmic resistance varies according to changes in magnitude or direction of force applied to the material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/12 the substrate being other than a semiconductor body, e.g. an insulating body
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 17/02 Microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/00 Electrostatic transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 31/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture of transducers or diaphragms therefor manufacture of microstructural arrangements of deformable or non-deformable structures in general B81C1/00182
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 39/00 Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive element covered by groups H10N30/00 – H10N35/00

Abstract

A MEMS pixel sensor is provided with a thin-film mechanical device having a mechanical body, with a mechanical state responsive to a proximate environment. A thin-film electronic device converts the mechanical state into electrical signals. A pixel interface supplies power to the electronic device and transceives electrical signals. The sensor is able to operate dynamically, in real-time. For example, if the mechanical device undergoes a sequence of mechanical states at a corresponding plurality of times, the electronic device is able to supply a sequence of electrical signals to the pixel interface that are responsive to the sequence of mechanical states, at the plurality of times. Each MEMS pixel sensor may include a number of mechanical devices, and corresponding electronic devices, to provide redundancy or to measure a broadband response range.

Claims

1. A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) pixel sensor, the MEMS pixel sensor comprising:

a thin-film mechanical device, having a mechanical body with a mechanical state responsive to a proximate environment;

a thin-film electronic device for converting the mechanical state into electrical signals; and

,

a pixel interface to supply power to the electronic device and to transceive electrical signals.

2. The MEMS pixel sensor of claim 1 wherein the mechanical device has a first mechanical state at a first time;

and,

wherein the electronic device supplies a first electrical signal, responsive to the first mechanical state, at the first time.

3. The MEMS pixel sensor of claim 2 wherein the mechanical device has a second mechanical state at a second time, subsequent to the first time;

and,

wherein the electronic device supplies a second electrical signal, responsive to the second mechanical state, at the second time.

4. The MEMS pixel sensor of claim 3 wherein the mechanical device undergoes a sequence of mechanical states at a corresponding plurality of times;

and,

wherein the electronic device supplies a sequence of electrical signals, responsive to the sequence of mechanical states, at the plurality of times.

5. The MEMS pixel sensor of claim 1 further comprising:

a memory having an interface connected to the electronic device for storing electrical signals, and connected to the pixel interface for supplying stored electrical signals.

6. The MEMS pixel sensor of claim 5 wherein the mechanical device has a calibration mechanical state response to a controlled proximate environment;

wherein the electronic device supplies a calibration electrical signal responsive to the calibration mechanical state; and

,

wherein the memory stores the calibration electrical signal, and supplies the calibration electrical signal to the pixel interface in response to a calibration state signal received at the pixel interface.

7. The MEMS pixel sensor of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of mechanical devices, each mechanical device having a mechanical state responsive to the proximate environment;

a plurality of electronic devices corresponding to the plurality of mechanical devices, for converting each mechanical state into an electrical signal; and

,

wherein the pixel interface supplies the plurality of electrical signals from the plurality of electronic devices.

8. The MEMS pixel sensor of claim 7 wherein each mechanical device has a unique mechanical state, responsive to a common proximate environment;

and,

wherein the pixel interface supplies a plurality of unique electrical signals in response to the common proximate environment.

9. The MEMS pixel sensor of claim 1 wherein the mechanical body is a structure selected from a group consisting of a cantilever, bridge, and membrane.

10. The MEMS pixel sensor of claim 1 wherein the electronic device includes a device selected from a group consisting of a thin-film diode and a thin-film transistor (TFT).

11. The MEMS pixel sensor of claim 1 further comprising:

a substrate made from a material selected from a group consisting of glass, plastic, quartz, metal foil, thin-film, and dielectric materials; and

,

wherein the mechanical and electronic devices are formed on the substrate.

12. The MEMS pixel sensor of claim 11 further comprising:

a display backplane, including electronic devices, formed on the substrate.

13. The MEMS pixel sensor of claim 12 further comprising:

an integrated package hermetically sealing the display backplane from the proximate environment.

14. The MEMS pixel sensor of claim 1 wherein the mechanical device is a device selected from a group consisting of a microphone, fluidic sensor, acoustic speaker, radio frequency (RF) filter, RF antenna, accelerometer, gyroscope, chemical sensor, temperature sensor, humidity sensor, pressure sensor, light sensor, actuator, DNA sensor, biological sensor, and gyroscope.

15. The MEMS pixel sensor of claim 1 wherein the electronic device is formed within the mechanical body.

16. An array of microelectromechanical system (MEMS) pixel sensors, the array comprising:

a plurality of MEMS pixel sensors, each MEMS pixel sensor including;

a mechanical device having a mechanical state responsive to a proximate environment;

an electronic device for converting the mechanical state into electrical signals; and

,

a pixel interface to supply power to the electronic device and to transceive electrical signals; and

,

an array interface to supply power to the plurality of MEMS pixel sensors and to transceive electrical signals with the plurality of pixel interfaces.

17. The array of claim 16 wherein the array interface selectively supplies power to enabled MEMS pixel sensors and accepts electrical signals from the enabled MEMS pixel sensors.

18. The array of claim 16 wherein the mechanical device of a first MEMS pixel sensor has a first mechanical state at a first time, and the electronic device of the first MEMS pixel sensor supplies a first electrical signal, responsive to the first mechanical state, at the first time;

and,

wherein the array interface accepts the first electrical signal at the first time.

19. The array of claim 18 wherein the mechanical device of the first MEMS pixel sensor undergoes a sequence of mechanical states at a corresponding plurality of times, and the electronic device of the first MEMS pixel sensor supplies a sequence of electrical signals, responsive to the sequence of mechanical states, at the plurality of times;

and.

wherein the array interface accepts the sequence of electrical signals at the plurality of times.

20. The array of claim 16 wherein each MEMS pixel sensor further includes:

a memory having an interface connected to the electronic device for storing electrical signals, and connected to the pixel interface for supplying stored electrical signals; and

,

wherein the array interface accepts stored electrical signals from the plurality of MEMS pixel sensors.

21. The array of claim 16 wherein each MEMS pixel sensor includes:

a plurality of mechanical devices, each mechanical device having a mechanical state responsive to the proximate environment;

a plurality of electronic devices corresponding to the plurality of mechanical devices, for converting each mechanical state into an electrical signal;

wherein each pixel interface supplies the plurality of electrical signals; and

,

wherein the array interface accepts a plurality of electrical signals from each pixel interface.

22. The array of claim 16 wherein each MEMS pixel sensor includes a plurality of mechanical devices, each having a unique mechanical state, responsive to a common proximate environment;

and,

wherein the array interface accepts a plurality of unique electrical signals from each pixel interface, in response to the common proximate environment.

23. The array of claim 16 further comprising:

a substrate made from a material selected from a group consisting of glass, plastic, quartz, metal foil, thin-film, and dielectric materials; and

,

wherein the array is formed on the substrate.

24. A display backplane with an integrated microelectromechanical system (MEMS) pixel sensor, the display backplane comprising:

a substrate;

electronic devices associated with a display backplane, fabricated on a first region of the substrate; and

,

a MEMS pixel sensor fabricated on a second region of the substrate, the MEMS pixel sensor including;

a mechanical device having a mechanical state responsive to a proximate environment;

an electronic device for transceiving between mechanical states and electrical signals; and

,

a pixel interface to supply power to the electronic device and to transceive electrical signals.

25. The display backplane of claim 24 further comprising:

an integrated package hermetically sealing the electronic devices in the first region of the substrate from the proximate environment.

26. The display backplane of claim 24 wherein the MEMS pixel sensor mechanical device is a device selected from a group consisting of a microphone, fluidic sensor, acoustic speaker, radio frequency (RF) filter, RF antenna, accelerometer, gyroscope, chemical sensor, temperature sensor, humidity sensor, pressure sensor, light sensor, actuator, DNA sensor, biological sensor, and gyroscope.