INTEGRATED IMODS AND SOLAR CELLS ON A SUBSTRATE

• US 20090009847A1
• Filed: 07/05/2007
• Published: 01/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Kogut, Lior, Sasagawa, Teruo, Tung, Ming-Hau
• Granted Patent: US 7,595,926 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/238
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/142 Energy conversion devices photovoltaic modules or arrays of single photovoltaic cells comprising bypass diodes integrated or directly associated with the devices H01L31/0443; photovoltaic modules composed of a plurality of thin film solar cells deposited on the same substrate H01L31/046
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/072 the potential barriers being only of the PN heterojunction type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0725 Multiple junction or tandem solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/548 Amorphous silicon PV cells

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention relate to interferometric display devices comprising an interferometric modulator and a solar cell and methods of making thereof. In some embodiments, the solar cell is configured to provide energy to the interferometric modulator. The solar cell and the interferometric modulator may be formed above the same substrate. A layer of the solar cell may be shared with a layer of the interferometric modulator.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising:

an interferometric modulator; and

a solar cell, wherein the solar cell is configured to provide energy for the interferometric modulator.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a capacitor, wherein the capacitor is configured to store energy from the solar cell.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a battery, wherein the battery is configured to store energy from the solar cell.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises an array of interferometric modulators.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the solar cell is located between at least two of the interferometric modulators in the array.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the solar cell is located outside the perimeter of the array.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one material of the interferometric modulator is the same as at least one material of the solar cell.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the at least one material of the interferometric modulator is the same thickness as the at least one material of the solar cell.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the at least one material of the interferometric modulator and the at least one material of the solar cell comprise indium tin-oxide.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein an electrode layer of the interferometric modulator comprises the at least one material of the interferometric modulator.

11. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a display comprising the interferometric modulator;

a processor that is configured to communicate with said display, said processor being configured to process image data; and

a memory device that is configured to communicate with said processor.

12. The device of claim 11, further comprising a driver circuit configured to send at least one signal to the display.

13. The device of claim 12, further comprising a controller configured to send at least a portion of the image data to the driver circuit.

14. The device of claim 11, further comprising an image source module configured to send said image data to said processor.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the image source module comprises at least one of a receiver, transceiver, and transmitter.

16. The device of claim 11, further comprising an input device configured to receive input data and to communicate said input data to said processor.

17. A method of manufacturing an optical device, comprising:

forming an interferometric device over a substrate, wherein the forming the interferometric device comprises depositing multiple layers over the substrate; and

forming a solar cell over the substrate, wherein the forming the solar cell comprises depositing multiple layers over the substrate.

18. A microelectromechanical (MEMS) device fabricated by the method of claim 17.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising forming a shared layer that is shared by both the solar cell and the interferometric modulator.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the shared layer is an operational layer.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the shared layer comprises indium tin-oxide.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the shared layer comprises the electrode layer of the interferometric device.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein forming the interferometric device comprises:

forming a first electrode layer over the substrate;

forming a sacrificial layer over the first electrode;

forming an electrode layer over the sacrificial layer; and

removing at least a portion of the sacrificial layer.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the forming the solar cell comprises:

forming a p-doped layer over the substrate;

forming an intrinsic layer over the p-doped layer; and

forming an n-doped layer over the intrinsic layer.

25. A microelectromechanical (MEMS) device fabricated by the method of claim 17.

26. A method of using a solar cell, comprising:

converting light energy into electrical energy using the solar cell;

charging an energy storage device with the electrical energy;

connecting the energy storage device to an interferometric modulator; and

providing energy from the energy storage device to the interferometric modulator.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the energy storage device is a battery.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the solar cell and the interferometric modulator are formed above the same substrate.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the solar cell shares at least one layer with the interferometric modulator.

30. A device comprising:

means for converting solar energy into electrical energy;

means for interferometrically modulating light; and

means for providing electrical energy to the interferometrically modulated means.

31. The device of claim 30, further comprising a means for storing the electrical energy.

32. The device of claim 30, wherein the means for converting solar energy into electrical energy and the means for interferometrically modulating light are formed on the same substrate.

33. A computer readable medium, comprising instructions for operating an interferometric modulator, the instructions comprising instructions for applying a time-varying voltage to an interferometric modulator, wherein the voltage is supplied by an energy storage device connected to a solar cell.