DISPLAY DEVICE WITH OPENINGS BETWEEN SUB-PIXELS AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME

• US 20100238572A1
• Filed: 03/23/2009
• Published: 09/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm MEMS Technologies Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tao, Yi, Zhong, Fan
• Granted Patent: US 8,270,056 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/849
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/047 Optical MEMS not provided for in B81B2201/042 - B81B2201/045
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2203/053 Translation according to an axis perpendicular to the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2207/053 of movable structures
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 3/0086 Electrical characteristics, e.g. reducing driving voltage, improving resistance to peak voltage
• 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

An electromechanical systems device includes a plurality of supports disposed over a substrate and a deformable reflective layer disposed over the plurality of supports. The deformable reflective layer includes a plurality of substantially parallel columns extending in a first direction. Each column has one or more slots extending in a second direction generally perpendicular to the first direction. The slots can be created at boundary edges of sub-portions of the columns so as to partially mechanically separate the sub-portions without electrically disconnecting them. A method of fabricating an electromechanical device includes depositing an electrically conductive deformable reflective layer over a substrate, removing one or more portions of the deformable layer to form a plurality of electrically isolated columns, and forming at least one crosswise slot in at least one of the columns.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating an electromechanical device, comprising:

providing a substrate;

forming a movable structure over the substrate, the movable structure comprising a first deformable layer and a reflective layer in substantially continuous contact with the first deformable layer, wherein the movable structure is electrically conductive and is spaced apart from the substrate by one or more support structures;

forming in the movable structure a plurality of electrically isolated columns, the columns extending in a first direction; and

creating at least one slot in at least one of the plurality of columns, the slot being defined by a first dimension and a second dimension greater than the first dimension, the second dimension extending in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each column comprises a plurality of independently actuatable sub-portions.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the slot is positioned generally between two adjacent sub-portions of a column.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein each sub-portion has four corner regions, each corner region being supported by a different support structure.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating a plurality of slots in at least one of the columns.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second dimension extends from a first position near a first support structure to a second position near a second support structure adjacent to the first support structure.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second dimension is slightly greater than a distance between two adjacent support structures.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the slot comprises a plurality of spaced-apart perforations.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a second deformable layer over the first deformable layer.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first deformable layer comprises a dielectric material.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming an optical stack over the substrate.

12. An electromechanical systems device comprising:

a substrate; and

a plurality of deformable electrodes over the substrate, each deformable electrode comprising a deformable layer and a reflective layer in substantially continuous contact with the deformable layer, each deformable layer extending in a first direction, each deformable electrode being supported along opposing edges by a plurality of supports, each deformable electrode having at least one opening, each opening being defined by a first dimension and a second dimension greater than the first dimension, the second dimension extending in a second direction generally perpendicular to the first direction.

13. The electromechanical systems device of claim 12, wherein the deformable electrodes are electrically isolated from one another.

14. The electromechanical systems device of claim 12, wherein the opening is disposed generally between independently actuatable sub-portions of the deformable electrode.

15. The electromechanical systems device of claim 12, wherein each opening extends generally between a pair of the supports.

16. The electromechanical systems device of claim 12, wherein each opening has a first end and a second end, the first end being disposed over a portion of a first support, the second end being disposed over a portion of a second support.

17. The electromechanical systems device of claim 12, wherein the second dimension is substantially equal to a distance between a pair of the supports.

18. The electromechanical systems device of claim 12, wherein the second dimension is slightly greater than a distance between a pair of the supports.

19. The electromechanical systems device of claim 12, wherein a pair of consecutive openings in a deformable electrode defines a sub-portion of the deformable electrode.

20. The electromechanical systems device of claim 19, wherein the second dimension is selected to substantially eliminate cross-talk between adjacent sub-portions of the deformable electrode.

21. The electromechanical systems device of claim 12, further comprising a second reflective layer disposed over the substrate.

22. The electromechanical systems device of claim 12, wherein the device comprises a MEMS device.

23. The electromechanical systems device of claim 12, wherein the device comprises an interferometric modulator.

29. A display device comprising the electromechanical systems device of claim 12.

30. The display device of claim 29, further comprising:

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.

31. The display device as recited in claim 30, further comprising a driver circuit configured to send at least one signal to said display.

32. The display device as recited in claim 31, further comprising a controller configured to send at least a portion of said image data to said driver circuit.

33. The display device as recited in claim 30, further comprising an image source module configured to send said image data to said processor.

34. The display device as recited in claim 33, wherein said image source module comprises at least one of a receiver, transceiver, and transmitter.

35. The display device as recited in claim 30, further comprising an input device configured to receive input data and to communicate said input data to said processor.

24. An electromechanical systems device comprising:

a substrate;

means for reflecting light, the reflecting means being electrically conductive and deformable towards the substrate;

means for supporting the reflecting means over the substrate; and

means for reducing cross-talk between adjacent sub-portions of the reflecting means while maintaining electrical conductivity through the reflecting means.

25. The electromechanical systems device of claim 24, wherein the means for reducing cross-talk comprises one or more openings in the reflecting means.

26. The electromechanical systems device of claim 24, wherein the reflecting means comprises a deformable layer.

27. The electromechanical systems device of claim 24, wherein the reflecting means comprises a dielectric layer.

28. The electromechanical systems device of claim 24, wherein the supporting means comprises a plurality of supports, each support being disposed near a corner region of a sub-portion of the reflecting means.