Bias voltage routing scheme for a digital micro-mirror device

• US 7,106,492 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2004
• Issued: 09/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Mangrum, Brett A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Spector, David N.
• Application Number:
  US11/019,066
• Publication Number:
  US 20060132890A1
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 359/290, 359/291, 359/292, 359/295, 359/298
• US Class Current: 359/291
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0841 the reflecting element being moved or deformed by electrostatic means

Abstract

An apparatus for use with a digital micro-mirror includes a hinge disposed outwardly from a substrate and capable of at least partially supporting a micro-mirror disposed outwardly from the hinge. The micro-mirror capable of being selectively transitioned between an on-state position and an off-state position based at least in part on a bias voltage received by a conductive conduit. The apparatus also includes a conductive layer disposed inwardly from the at least one micro-mirror. In one particular embodiment, the conductive layer enables a conductive path for the bias voltage substantially inwardly from a periphery of the micro-mirror.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use with a digital micro-mirror, comprising:

a hinge disposed outwardly from a substrate and capable of at least partially supporting a micro-mirror disposed outwardly from the hinge, the micro-mirror capable of being selectively transitioned between an on-state position and an off-state position based at least in part on a bias voltage received by a conductive layer;

a hinge void disposed inwardly from the hinge; and

a plurality of interconnected conductive conduits formed within the conductive layer and disposed inwardly from the micro-mirror, wherein the plurality of interconnected conductive conduits enable a conductive path for the bias voltage substantially inwardly from a periphery of the micro-mirror.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a CMOS substrate.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises control circuitry capable of selectively transitioning the micro-mirror between an on-state position and an off-state position.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hinge void is substantially free from conductive materials.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hinge void comprises a width and a thickness over a desired length associated with at least some of the conductive layer disposed inwardly from the hinge.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conductive layer further comprises at least one channel interconnecting at least two of the plurality of conductive conduits.

7. A method of forming an apparatus for use with a digital micro-mirror, comprising:

forming a hinge disposed outwardly from a substrate, the hinge capable of at least partially supporting a micro-mirror disposed outwardly from the hinge; and

forming a hinge void within a conductive layer, the hinge void disposed inwardly from the hinge, wherein the hinge void is substantially free from conductive materials; and

routing a bias voltage substantially inwardly from a periphery of the micro-mirror.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the substrate comprises a material selected from the group consisting of silicon, poly-silicon, indium phosphide, germanium, and gallium arsenide.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein forming the hinge void comprises removing substantially all of a width and a thickness over a desired length associated with at least some of the conductive layer disposed inwardly from the hinge.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the conductive layer comprises an aluminum alloy comprising an anti-reflective property.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising forming the conductive layer disposed outwardly from the substrate.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising enabling a conductive path around the periphery of the conductive layer.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein enabling the conductive path around the periphery of the conductive layer comprises:

forming a plurality of interconnected conductive conduits within the conductive layer; and

wherein the combination of the plurality of interconnected conductive conduits form the conductive path for routing the bias voltage substantially inwardly from the periphery of the micro-mirror.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein forming the interconnected conductive conduits comprises forming a plurality of channels, each of the plurality of channels interconnect at least two of the plurality of conductive conduits.

15. An apparatus for use with a digital micro-mirror, comprising:

a hinge disposed outwardly from a substrate and capable of at least partially supporting a micro-mirror disposed outwardly from the hinge, the micro-mirror capable of being selectively transitioned between an on-state position and an off-state position based at least in part on a bias voltage received by a conductive conduit; and

a conductive layer disposed inwardly from the at least one micro-mirror, wherein the conductive layer enables a conductive path for the bias voltage substantially inwardly from a periphery of the micro-mirror.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the substrate comprises a CMOS substrate.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the substrate comprises control circuitry capable of selectively transitioning the at least one micro-mirror between the on-state position and the off-state position.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the conductive layer comprises a plurality of interconnected conductive conduits and at least one hinge void, the hinge void disposed inwardly from the hinge.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the plurality of interconnected conductive conduits provide the conductive path for the bias voltage substantially inwardly from the periphery of the micro-mirror.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the conductive layer further comprises at least one channel interconnecting at least two of the plurality of conductive conduits.