Color deformable mirror device and method for manufacture

• US 5,168,406 A
• Filed: 07/31/1991
• Issued: 12/01/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Nelson, William E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brier, Jeffery A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): AU, AMELIA MEGAN
• Application Number:
  US07/739,078
• Time in Patent Office: 489 Days
• Field of Search: 359/891, 359/884, 359/223, 359/846, 359/883, 359/855, 358/62, 358/58, 358/233, 358/234, 340/783, 340/763, 340/764, 340/815.01, 340/815.24, 340/815.27
• US Class Current: 359/855
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0841 the reflecting element being moved or deformed by electrostatic means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/201 in the form of arrays

Abstract

A semiconductor device comprises a plurality of groups of colored mirrors controllable by electronic circuitry. Each group of colored mirrors absorb or reflect specified wavelengths of visible light. The electronic signals control the pathways on which each individual mirror reflect incident light. A first process for manufacturing such a color deformable mirror device ("DMD") includes aligning a dye-bearing substrate over the deformable mirror device and causing specified portions of the dye to sublimate off of the substrate and condense onto particular mirror elements of the deformable mirror device. A second process for producing a colored deformable mirror device places an electro static charge in a dye cloud and introduces the charged cloud to the DMD. The dye migrates to those selected mirrors containing an opposite electrical charge.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

circuitry for accepting electronic signals;

a plurality of deformable mirrors selectably operable to reflect incident light responsive to said electronic signals;

a first group of said mirrors operable to absorb a first group of wavelengths of said incident light; and

a second group of said mirrors operable to absorb a second group of wavelengths of said incident length.

2. The semiconductor device of claim 1 further comprising a third group of said mirrors, said third group operable to absorb a third group of wavelengths of said incident light.

3. The semiconductor device of claim 2 wherein said first, second, and third groups of mirrors form three-color pixels.

4. The semiconductor device of claim 3 wherein said three-color triads consist of magenta, cyan, and yellow.

5. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein at least one of said mirror groups is coated with a sublimable dye.

6. The semiconductor device of claim 5 wherein said sublimable dyes are dye diffusion thermal transfer dyes.

7. The semiconductor device of claim 6 wherein said sublimable dyes are selected from the group consisting of methine, azopyridone, heterocyclic azo, tricyanovinyl, heterocyclic azo, phenylazoheterocyclic azo and mixtures thereof.

8. A semiconductor device comprising:

a plurality of deformable mirrors selectively operable to reflect incident light responsive to electronic signals;

a first group of said mirrors coated with a dye selected from the group consisting of methine, azopyridine and mixtures thereof;

a second group of said mirrors coated with a dye selected from the group consisting of heterocyclic azo, tricyanovinyl, and mixtures thereof; and

a third group of said mirrors coated with a dye selected from the group consisting of heterocyclic azo, phenylazoheterocyclic azo, and mixtures thereof.

9. The semiconductor device of claim 8 wherein said three groups of mirrors from three-color pixels.

10. The semiconductor device of claim 8 wherein said three groups of mirrors form three separate color lines.