Electromechanical dynamic force profile articulating mechanism

• US 20070047051A1
• Filed: 08/30/2005
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rambus Delaware
• Original Assignee: Uni-Pixel Displays Incorporated (Uni-Pixel Incorporated)
• Inventors: King, Carey, Van Ostrand, Dan, Selbrede, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 7,449,759 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/230
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0825 the reflecting element being a flexible sheet or membrane, e.g. for varying the focus flexible mirrors for cosmetic use A45D42/24

Abstract

An electromechanical dynamic force profile articulating mechanism for recovering or emulating true parallel plate capacitor actuation behaviors from deformable membranes used in MEMS systems. The curved deformation of flexible membranes causes their MEMS behavior to deviate from known interactions between rigid plates that maintain geometric parallelism during ponderomotive actuation. The present invention teaches three methods for reacquiring parallel plate behavior: superaddition or in situ integration of a rigid region within or upon the deformable MEMS membrane; creation of isodyne regions to secure parallelism by altering the force profile upon the membrane by introducing tuned and shaped voids within the conductive region associated with the membrane; and a hybrid composite approach wherein the conductive region is deposited after deposition of a raised rigid zone, thereby emulating isodyne behavior due to the increased inter-conductor distance in the vicinity of the rigid zone, in conjunction with rigidity benefits stemming directly from said zone.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first conductor configured to selectively receive a first type of charge;

a second conductor placed orthogonal to said first conductor, wherein said second conductor is configured to selectively receive a second type of charge, wherein said first conductor and said second conductor are spaced apart at a fixed distance during an uncharged state; and

a non-conductive hole situated in said second conductor;

wherein upon placing opposing charges across said first conductor and said second conductor an isodyne region is formed around said non-conductive hole.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said isodyne region if formed around said non-conductive hole'"'"'s perimeter.

3. An apparatus, comprising:

a first conductor configured to selectively receive a first type of charge;

a second conductor placed orthogonal to said first conductor, wherein said second conductor is configured to selectively receive a second type of charge, wherein said first conductor and said second conductor are spaced apart at a fixed distance during an uncharged state;

a rigidizing element situated on or within said second conductor, wherein said rigidizing element is configured to increase a mechanical stiffness and a rigidity of said second conductor;

wherein upon placing opposing charges across said first conductor and said second conductor said rigidizing element resists deviation of said second conductor in a region of overlap of said first conductor and said second conductor.

4. An apparatus, comprising:

a first conductor residing on a first portion of a deformable elastic membrane;

a second conductor residing on a rigid substrate;

a standoff structure surrounding a void, wherein said standoff structure keeps said deformable elastic membrane in a spaced-apart parallel relation from said second conductor; and

a rigidizing element residing on a second portion of said deformable elastic membrane, wherein said rigidizing element is centered over said void, wherein said first conductor resides on said rigidizing element residing over said second portion of said deformable elastic membrane.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said first conductor in a region around said rigidizing element is at a fixed distance from said second conductor in a inactivated state, wherein said first conductor following a contour of said rigidizing element is at a farther distance from said second conductor in said inactivated state.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said first conductor and said deformable elastic membrane are free to move by deformation caused by an application of opposite electrical charges to said first conductor and to said second conductor.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein when opposite electrical charges are applied to said first conductor and to said second conductor said deformable elastic membrane is restricted from flexing in a vicinity of said rigidizing element.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said rigidizing element causes said first conductor to be tiered with respect to spacing between said first conductor and said second conductor thereby causing two different force profiles.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein a force at a perimeter of said rigidizing element is greater than through a body of said rigidizing element.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein said deformable elastic membrane is pulled down more strongly at said perimeter of said rigidizing element than at said body of said rigidizing element.

11. A display system, comprising:

a plurality of pixels on a display, wherein each of said plurality of pixels comprises;

a first conductor residing on a first portion of a deformable elastic membrane;

a second conductor residing on a rigid substrate;

a standoff structure surrounding a void, wherein said standoff structure keeps said deformable elastic membrane in a spaced-apart parallel relation from said second conductor; and

a rigidizing element residing on a second portion of said deformable elastic membrane, wherein said rigidizing element is centered over said void, wherein said first conductor resides on said rigidizing element residing over said second portion of said deformable elastic membrane.

12. The display system as recited in claim 11, wherein said first conductor in a region around said rigidizing element is at a fixed distance from said second conductor in a inactivated state, wherein said first conductor following a contour of said rigidizing element is at a farther distance from said second conductor in said inactivated state.

13. The display system as recited in claim 11, wherein said first conductor and said deformable elastic membrane are free to move by deformation caused by an application of opposite electrical charges to said first conductor and to said second conductor.

14. The display system as recited in claim 13, wherein when opposite electrical charges are applied to said first conductor and to said second conductor said deformable elastic membrane is restricted from flexing in a vicinity of said rigidizing element.

15. The display system as recited in claim 11, wherein said rigidizing element causes said first conductor to be tiered with respect to spacing between said first conductor and said second conductor thereby causing two different force profiles.

16. The display system as recited in claim 11, wherein a force at a perimeter of said rigidizing element is greater than through a body of said rigidizing element.

17. The display system as recited in claim 16, wherein said deformable elastic membrane is pulled down more strongly at said perimeter of said rigidizing element than at said body of said rigidizing element.