Methods and devices for inhibiting tilting of a mirror in an interferometric modulator
First Claim
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1. An interferometric modulator comprising:
- a substrate;
an optical layer positioned over the substrate, the optical layer being at least partially transmissive to incident light;
a mirror positioned over the substrate and movable between a first position spaced from the optical layer by a first distance and a second position spaced from the optical layer by a second distance, the first distance being greater than the second distance, and the mirror having a surface away from the substrate, wherein light reflected by the interferometric modulator is interferometrically modulated; and
at least one stationary member contacting the surface of the mirror when the mirror is in the first position, wherein the at least one stationary member is configured to inhibit movement of at least a portion of the mirror when the mirror is in the first position.
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Abstract
Interferometric modulators having a separable modulator architecture are disclosed having a reflective layer suspended from a flexible layer over a cavity. The interferometric modulators have one or more anti-tilt members that inhibit undesirable movement of the reflective layer, such as curling and/or tilting. The stabilization of the reflective layer by the anti-tilt members can improve the quality of the optical output of the interferometric modulators, as well as displays comprising such interferometric modulators.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. An interferometric modulator comprising:
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a substrate; an optical layer positioned over the substrate, the optical layer being at least partially transmissive to incident light; a mirror positioned over the substrate and movable between a first position spaced from the optical layer by a first distance and a second position spaced from the optical layer by a second distance, the first distance being greater than the second distance, and the mirror having a surface away from the substrate, wherein light reflected by the interferometric modulator is interferometrically modulated; and at least one stationary member contacting the surface of the mirror when the mirror is in the first position, wherein the at least one stationary member is configured to inhibit movement of at least a portion of the mirror when the mirror is in the first position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. An interferometric modulator comprising:
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a substrate; an optical layer positioned over the substrate, the optical layer being at least partially transmissive to incident light; a mirror positioned over the substrate and movable between a first position spaced from the optical layer by a first distance and a second position spaced from the optical layer by a second distance, the first distance being greater than the second distance, and the mirror having a surface facing away from the substrate, wherein light reflected by the interferometric modulator is interferometrically modulated; and at least one stationary mirror-stabilizing means configured to maintain the mirror in a desired orientation when the mirror is in the first position, said mirror-stabilizing means contacting the surface of the mirror when the mirror is in the first position. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
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30. An interferometric modulator comprising:
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a substrate; an optical layer positioned over the substrate, the optical layer being at least partially transmissive to incident light; a mirror positioned over the substrate and movable between a first position spaced from the optical layer by a first distance and a second position spaced from the optical layer by a second distance, the first distance being greater than the second distance, and the mirror having a surface away from the substrate; and at least one stationary member contacting the surface of the mirror when the mirror is in the first position, wherein the at least one stationary member comprises a single segment that is substantially curvilinear and is configured to inhibit movement of at least a portion of the mirror in a direction generally perpendicular to the mirror when the mirror is in the first position. - View Dependent Claims (31)
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32. An interferometric modulator comprising:
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a substrate; an optical layer positioned over the substrate, the optical layer being at least partially transmissive to incident light; a mirror positioned over the substrate and movable between a first position spaced from the optical layer by a first distance and a second position spaced from the optical layer by a second distance, the first distance being greater than the second distance, and the mirror having a surface away from the substrate; at least one stationary member contacting the surface of the mirror when the mirror is in the first position, wherein the at least one stationary member is configured to inhibit movement of at least a portion of the mirror when the mirror is in the first position; and a mechanical layer attached to the mirror that suspends the mirror over the substrate, wherein the mechanical layer exerts a force on the mirror that facilitates contact between the at least one member and the surface of the mirror when the mirror is in the first position.
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33. An interferometric modulator comprising:
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means for supporting at least a portion of the interferometric modulator; means for transmitting light, the transmitting means positioned over the supporting means, the transmitting means at least partially transmissive to incident light; means for reflecting light, the reflecting means positioned over the supporting means and movable between a first position spaced from the transmitting means by a first distance and a second position spaced from the transmitting means by a second distance, the first distance being greater than the second distance, and the reflecting means having a surface away from the supporting means, wherein light reflected by the interferometric modulator is interferometrically modulated; and means for stabilizing the reflecting means, the stabilizing means contacting the surface of the reflecting means when the reflecting means is in the first position, wherein the stabilizing means is configured to inhibit movement of at least a portion of the reflecting means when the reflecting means is in the first position. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification