Method and apparatus for providing back-lighting in an interferometric modulator display device

• US 20070196040A1
• Filed: 02/17/2006
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm MEMS Technologies Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Chun-Ming, Tung, Ming-Hau, Ganti, Surya
• Granted Patent: US 7,603,001 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/1
• 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

Methods and apparatus for providing light in an interferometric modulator device are provided. In one embodiment, a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) is provided that includes a transparent substrate and a plurality of interferometric modulators. The interferometric modulators include an optical stack coupled to the transparent substrate, a reflective layer over the optical stack, and one or more posts to support the reflective and to provide a path for light from a backlight for lighting the interferometric modulators.

Claims

1. A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) comprising:

a transparent substrate; and

a plurality of interferometric modulators comprising;

an optical stack coupled to the transparent substrate;

a reflective layer over the optical stack; and

one or more posts to support the reflective layer and to provide a path for light through the reflective layer for lighting the interferometric modulators.

2. The MEMS of claim 1, further comprising a glass layer between the transparent substrate and the optical stack, the glass layer including a plurality of scatterers to disperse the light.

3. The MEMS of claim 2, wherein the glass layer comprises first spin-on glass (SOG) including the plurality of scatterers.

4. The MEMS of claim 3, wherein the one or more posts are composed of a transparent polymer or second spin-on glass (SOG).

5. The MEMS of claim 2, each of the one or more posts further configured to direct the light to the glass layer, wherein the scatterers are configured to disperse the light to the interferometric modulators.

6. The MEMS of claim 5, each of the one or more posts further comprising a mirror.

7. The MEMS of claim 6, wherein the one or more posts extend from the optical stack through the reflective layer.

8. The MEMS of claim 1, as a display system, further comprising:

a display including the MEMS;

a processor that is in electrical communication with the display, the processor being configured to process image data; and

a memory device in electrical communication with the processor.

9. The display system of claim 8, further comprising:

a backlight coupled to the display for providing light to the interferometric modulators, the backlight being located on a side of the reflective layer opposite of the transparent substrate.

10. The display system of claim 8, further comprising:

a first controller configured to send at least one signal to the display; and

a second controller configured to send at least a portion of the image data to the first controller.

11. The display system of claim 8, further comprising an image source module configured to send the image data to the processor.

12. The display system of claim 11, wherein the image source module comprises at least one of a receiver, transceiver, and transmitter.

13. The display system of claim 8, further comprising an input device configured to receive input data and to communicate the input data to the processor.

14. A micromechanical system (MEMS) comprising:

a transparent substrate means; and

a plurality of interferometric modulator means comprising;

an optical stack means coupled to the transparent substrate means;

a reflective layer means over the optical stack means; and

one or more post means to support the reflective layer means and to provide a path for light through the reflective layer means for lighting the interferometric modulator means.

15. The MEMS of claim 14, further comprising a glass layer means between the transparent substrate means and the optical stack means, the glass layer means including a plurality of scatterer means to disperse the light.

16. The MEMS of claim 15, wherein the glass layer means comprises first spin-on glass (SOG) means including the plurality of scatterer means.

17. The MEMS of claim 16, wherein the one or more post means are composed of a transparent polymer means or second spin-on glass (SOG) means.

18. The MEMS of claim 15, each of the one or more post means further configured to direct the light to the glass layer means, wherein the scatterer means are configured to disperse the light to the interferometric modulator means.

19. The MEMS of claim 18, each of the one or more post means further comprising a mirror means.

20. The MEMS of claim 19, wherein the one or more post means extend from the optical stack means through the reflective layer means.

21. A method for providing light in a microelectromechanical system (MEMS), the method comprising:

providing a transparent substrate; and

forming a plurality of interferometric modulators including,

coupling an optical stack to the transparent substrate;

forming a reflective layer over the optical stack; and

forming one or more posts to support the reflective layer and to provide a path for light through the reflective layer for lighting the interferometric modulators.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising forming a glass layer between the transparent substrate and the optical stack, the glass layer including a plurality of scatterers to disperse the light.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the glass layer comprises first spin-on glass (SOG) including the plurality of scatterers.

24. The method of claim 23, each of the one or more posts further configured to direct the light to the glass layer, wherein the scatterers are configured to disperse the light to the interferometric modulators.

25. The method of claim 24, each of the one or more posts further comprising a mirror.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the one or more posts extend from the optical stack through the reflective layer.

27. An interferometric modulator display device manufactured in accordance with the method of claim 21.