Light modulator device

• US 7,199,916 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2004
• Issued: 04/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Piehl, Arthur R., Przybyla, James R., Faase, Kenneth J., Monroe, Michael G., Nikkel, Eric L
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Hung Xuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tra, Tuyen
• Application Number:
  US11/007,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20060119922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 359/291, 359/292, 359/295, 359/298, 359/223, 359/224, 359/330, 359/332, 359/290
• US Class Current: 359/290
• 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

A light modulator device includes a bottom charge plate; a pixel plate supported by at least one flexure, wherein the flexure is located substantially below said pixel plate, and a top charge plate.

Claims

1. A light modulator device, comprising:

a bottom charge plate;

a pixel plate including a reflective top surface supported by a plurality of flexures, wherein said plurality of flexures are located substantially below said reflective top surface, wherein each of said flexures includes a span portion and a pixel plate mounting portion, and each of said span portions is coupled to a base mounting portion adjacent to the bottom charge plate; and

a top plate separated from the pixel plate by an optical gap.

2. The light modulator device of claim 1, and further comprising an electrostatic gap defined between said pixel plate and said bottom charge plate.

3. The light modulator device of claim 2, wherein said electrostatic gap includes a first sacrificial space between said bottom charge plate and a flexure space between said flexure and said pixel plate.

4. The light modulator device of claim 3, wherein said first sacrificial space is larger than said flexure space.

5. The light modulator device of claim 4, and further comprising at least one bump formed on an underside of said pixel plate.

6. The light modulator device of claim 4, wherein said first sacrificial space is smaller than said flexure space.

7. The light modulator device of claim 2, and further comprising a second electrostatic gap defined between said top plate and said pixel plate.

8. The light modulator device of claim 1, wherein said plurality of flexures comprises four flexures and said flexures are arranged in a pinwheel pattern.

9. The light modulator device of claim 1, wherein said span portion is approximately 5.4 μ

m long by 1.0 μ

m wide.

10. The light modulator device of claim 1, wherein said span portion is approximately 7.8 μ

m long by 1.0 μ

m wide.

11. The light modulator device of claim 1, wherein said span portion is an elbow-type span portion having an overall length of approximately 9.5 μ

m and a width of approximately 1.0 μ

m.

12. The light modulator device of claim 1, and further comprising a cutout defined in an area of said bottom charge plate below said pixel plate mounting portion.

13. The light modulator device of claim 12, and further comprising a cutout defined in an area of said bottom charge plate below said pixel plate mounting portion and said span portion.

14. The light modulator device of claim 1, and further comprising a plurality of first source connections, a plurality of second source connections, and a bottom oxide layer, said first source connections being coupled to said bottom charge plate and said second source connections being coupled to said pixel plate.

15. The light modulator device of claim 14, and wherein a connection between each of said second source connections and said pixel plate includes an interconnect via, an intermediate charge plate, and a pixel plate via, said interconnect via extending through said bottom oxide layer and coupling said second source connection to said intermediate charge plate, and said pixel plate via coupling said intermediate charge plate to said flexure, said flexure being coupled to said pixel plate.

16. The light modulator device of claim 15, wherein said pixel plate via is unstacked from said interconnect via.

17. A light modulator device, comprising:

a bottom charge plate;

a pixel plate including a reflective top surface supported by at least one flexure, wherein said flexure is located substantially below said reflective top surface, wherein said pixel plate includes at least one bump formed on an underside of said pixel plate, wherein said flexure comprises a base mounting post and said bump is formed near said base mounting post; and

a top plate separated from the pixel plate by an optical gap;

wherein an electrostatic gap is defined between said pixel plate and said bottom charge plate wherein the electrostatic gap includes a first sacrificial space between said bottom charge plate and a flexure space between said flexure and said pixel plate, and wherein said first sacrificial space is larger than said flexure space.

18. The light modulator device of claim 17, and further comprising a plurality of flexures each having a base mounting post and a plurality of bumps formed on said underside of pixel plate near said base mounting posts.

19. A light modulator device, comprising:

a bottom charge plate;

a pixel plate including a reflective top surface supported by at least one flexure, wherein said at least one flexure is located substantially below said reflective top surface, wherein said at least one flexure has at least one bump formed on an underside of said flexure; and

a top plate separated from the pixel plate by an optical gap;

wherein an electrostatic gap is defined between said pixel plate and said bottom charge plate wherein the electrostatic gap includes a first sacrificial space between said bottom charge plate and a flexure space between said at least one flexure and said pixel plate, and wherein said first sacrificial space is smaller than said flexure space.

20. The light modulator device of claim 19, and further comprising a plurality of flexures, wherein each flexure has at least one bump formed on an underside thereof.

21. A light modulator device, comprising:

a bottom charge plate;

a pixel plate supported by a plurality of flexures, wherein said plurality of flexures are located substantially below said pixel plate and wherein the pixel plate includes at least one bump formed on an underside of the pixel plate and the each of the plurality of flexures includes a base mounting post and the at least one bump is formed near the base mounting post;

a top plate;

a charge gap defined between said bottom charge plate and said pixel plate;

a flexure space less than the charge gap defined between the plurality of flexures and the pixel plate; and

an optical gap and electrical gap defined between said top plate and said pixel plate.

22. The device of claim 21, and further comprising first and second source connections coupled to said bottom charge plate.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein each base mounting post is coupled to an intermediate charge plate, said intermediate charge plate being coupled to interconnect vias, said interconnect vias being coupled to either the first or second source connection, and wherein each base mounting post is offset from said interconnect vias.

24. The device of claim 21, wherein said top plate and said pixel plate are configured to be maintained at a substantially similar voltage level.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein a neutral state position of said pixel plate substantially corresponds to a black state value of said optical gap.

26. The device of claim 21, wherein said bottom charge plate includes voids defined therein for preventing contact between said flexures and said bottom charge plate.

27. A method of forming a light modulator device, comprising:

forming a bottom charge plate;

forming a first sacrificial layer on said bottom charge plate;

forming flexures on said first sacrificial layer wherein said flexures include a base mounting post;

forming a pixel plate above said flexures wherein the pixel plate includes at least one bump formed on an underside of said pixel plate and near one of said base mounting post; and

removing said first sacrificial layer such that said flexures are substantially below said pixel plate.

28. The method of claim 27, and further comprising processing said first sacrificial layer to establish via pathways.