Micro-mirror and method

• US 20070257870A1
• Filed: 05/08/2006
• Published: 11/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Knipe, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,477,219 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/84
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0841 the reflecting element being moved or deformed by electrostatic means
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/346 based on modulation of the reflection angle, e.g. micromirrors micromirrors devices per se G02B26/0833

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the present invention a method of reflecting light is disclosed including providing an element having a surface having an edge on which the element is capable of rolling and selectively reflecting light by rolling the surface such that a reflective element associated with the surface selectively reflects light to a desired location.

Claims

1. A micro-mirror element comprising:

a cycloid shaped surface comprising an edge; and

electrodes located beneath the surface operable to cause the micro-mirror to roll on its edge.

2. The micro-mirror element of claim 1 wherein the cycloid shaped surface is a cycloid shaped micro-mirror.

3. The micro-mirror element of claim 1 further comprising:

a substrate layer; and

a hinge wherein the hinge is located between the substrate layer and the surface and is connected to the substrate layer by a via and to the surface by a via.

4. The micro-mirror element of claim 1 further comprising:

a rectangular shaped micro-mirror wherein the rectangular shaped micro-mirror is attached above the surface by vias.

5. The micro-mirror element of claim 1, wherein the electrodes are located on opposite sides of the micro-mirror.

6. A method of reflecting light comprising:

providing an element having a surface having an edge on which the element is capable of rolling; and

selectively reflecting light by rolling the surface such that a reflective element associated with the surface selectively reflects light to a desired location.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the surface is caused to roll by first and second electrodes applying electrostatic forces to the element.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the surface is a reflective surface that comprises the reflective element.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the reflective element is coupled to the surface.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the reflective element is rectangular and is coupled to the surface.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein the surface is cycloid shaped.

12. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

applying a first voltage to a first electrode and a second voltage to a second electrode; and

controlling the amount of roll of the surface using the difference between the first voltage and second voltage.

13. A digital micro-mirror device comprising:

a plurality of elements having a surface having an edge each element including a first electrode and a second electrode located beneath the surface wherein the first electrode is operable to receive a first voltage and wherein the second electrode is operable to receive a second voltage and wherein each surface is caused to roll on the edge by the difference between the first voltage and second voltage.

14. The micro-mirror device of claim 13 wherein the surface is cycloid shaped.

15. The micro-mirror device of claim 13 wherein the surface is reflective.

16. The micro-mirror device of claim 13 further comprising:

a substrate layer; and

a plurality of hinges wherein each hinge is located between the substrate layer and a surface and is connected to the substrate layer with a via and to a surface with a via.

17. The micro-mirror device of claim 13 further comprising:

a plurality of rectangular shaped micro-mirrors wherein each rectangular shaped micro-mirror is located above a respective surface of a respective element.

18. The micro-mirror device of claim 13, wherein first and second electrodes are located on opposite sides of each surface.

19. The micro-mirror device of claim 13, wherein the position of the surface of the element indicates a state of the element.

20. The micro-mirror device of claim 19, wherein the state of the element includes an on and an off state.