Packaging for an interferometric modulator

• US 20070170568A1
• Filed: 01/12/2007
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: IDC, LLC
• Inventors: Palmateer, Lauren, Chui, Clarence, Cummings, William, Kothari, Manish, Gally, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 7,443,563 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/680
• 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 package is made of a transparent substrate having an interferometric modulator and a back plate. A non-hermetic seal joins the back plate to the substrate to form a package, and a desiccant resides inside the package. A method of packaging an interferometric modulator includes providing a transparent substrate and manufacturing an interferometric modulator array on a backside of the substrate. A back plate is provided and a desiccant is applied to the back plate. The back plate is sealed to the backside of the substrate with a back seal in ambient conditions, thereby forming a package.

Claims

1. A package, comprising:

a transparent substrate;

an interferometric modulator on the substrate;

a back plate;

a seal joining the back plate to the substrate to form a package; and

a desiccant inside the package.

2. The package of claim 1, the transparent substrate further comprising one selected of the group comprised of:

glass, plastic, metal, silicon, ceramic, and transparent polymers.

3. The package of claim 1, the seal further comprising a non-hermetic seal.

4. The package of claim 1, the seal further comprising a hermetic seal.

5. The package of claim 1, the interferometric modulator further comprising one selected of the group comprised of:

a membrane modulator, and a separable modulator.

6. The package of claim 1, the back plate further comprising one selected from the group comprised of:

glass, metal, foil, polymer, plastic, ceramic and semiconductor materials.

7. The device of claim 1, the seal further comprising one selected from the group comprised of:

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

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

zeolites, molecular sieves, desiccants, surface adsorbents, bulk adsorbents, and chemical reactants.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the molecular sieves are formed by a process selected from the group consisting of:

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

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the amount of the desiccant is selected to affect an operation of the interferometric modulator.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the desiccant comprises a desiccant embedded into the interferometric modulator.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the desiccant comprises a desiccant embedded into a component of the package.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the desiccant is selected to affect the actuation voltage of the interferometric modulator.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the desiccant is selected to affect the release voltage of the interferometric modulator.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the desiccant is selected to affect the partial pressure of gases inside the package.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the desiccant is selected to affect the response time of the interferometric modulator.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the desiccant is selected to affect the lifetime of the interferometric modulator.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the desiccant is selected to affect the rate of corrosion of the interferometric modulator.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein the interferometric modulator comprises a movable surface and a fixed surface.

20. The device of claim 1, wherein the back plate comprises at least one recessed region.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the interferometric modulator is fit into the recessed region.

22. The device of claim 20, wherein the desiccant is located in the recessed region.

23. The device of claim 1, further comprising ribs on the back plate.

24. The device of claim 1, wherein the back plate comprises two or more layers.

25. The device of claim 1, wherein the back plate comprises a frame on top of a plate.

26. The device of claim 1, wherein the back plate comprises ribs on top of a plate.

27. The device of claim 1, wherein the back plate comprises a patterned layer of seal material on top of a plate.