MEMS DEVICES REQUIRING NO MECHANICAL SUPPORT
First Claim
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1. An electromechanical device, comprising:
- a first electrode;
a second electrode, wherein a gap is present between the first and second electrodes; and
a mechanically isolated electrically attractable member positioned within the gap, wherein the electrically attractable member is movable within the gap between a first position closer to the first electrode than the second electrode and a second position closer to the second electrode than the first electrode.
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Abstract
MEMS devices such as interferometric modulators are described having movable layers that are mechanically isolated. The movable layers are electrically attractable such that they can be selectively moved between a top and bottom electrode through application of a voltage. In interferometric modulators, the movable layers are reflective such that an optically resonant cavity is formed between the layer and a partially reflective layer, thereby providing a display pixel that can be turned on or off depending on the distance between the reflective layers in the resonant cavity.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. An electromechanical device, comprising:
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a first electrode; a second electrode, wherein a gap is present between the first and second electrodes; and a mechanically isolated electrically attractable member positioned within the gap, wherein the electrically attractable member is movable within the gap between a first position closer to the first electrode than the second electrode and a second position closer to the second electrode than the first electrode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of moving an electrically attractable member between two positions in an electromechanical device, the method comprising:
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providing an electrically attractable member in contact with a first electrode; applying a first voltage between a second electrode and the electrically attractable member such that the electrically attractable member moves toward the second electrode; and breaking contact between the electrically attractable member and the first electrode, wherein the electrically attractable member retains enough charge to continue moving toward the second electrode. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method of tilting an electrically attractable member in an electromechanical device, the method comprising:
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applying a first voltage between a first planar electrode and a mechanically isolated electrically attractable member such that a force is applied between a first portion of the mechanically isolated electrically attractable member and the first electrode; and applying a second voltage between a second planar electrode and the mechanically isolated electrically attractable member such that a force is applied between a second portion of the mechanically isolated electrically attractable member and the second electrode, wherein a gap is present between the planes of the first and second electrodes and wherein the first electrode is positioned to overlap with a substantial portion of the first portion of the mechanically isolated electrically attractable member and the second electrode is positioned to overlap with a substantial portion of the second portion of the mechanically isolated electrically attractable member such that when the first and second voltages are applied, the mechanically isolated electrically attractable member tilts relative to the planes of the first and second electrodes.
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27. A method of manufacturing an electromechanical device, comprising:
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depositing a first electrode layer; depositing a first sacrificial layer over the first electrode layer; depositing a second electrode layer over the first sacrificial layer; etching the second electrode layer to create substantially isolated regions of the second electrode layer; depositing a second sacrificial layer over the second electrode layer such that the isolated regions of the second electrode layer are substantially surrounded by sacrificial material; depositing a third electrode layer over the second sacrificial layer; and removing the sacrificial layers to mechanically isolate the substantially isolated regions of the second electrode layer. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification