Electrical contact method and structure for deflection devices formed in an array configuration

• US 7,199,918 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2005
• Issued: 04/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Miradia Inc. (Walsin Lihwa Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Miradia Inc. (Walsin Lihwa Corporation)
• Inventors: Yang, Xiao
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson; Timothy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fang; Jerry
• Application Number:
  US11/031,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20060152795A1
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 359/290, 359/291, 359/295, 359/245, 359/263
• US Class Current: 359/295
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0816 by means of one or more reflecting elements

Abstract

A method of fabricating an electrical connection for a spatial light modulator includes providing a first substrate including a plurality of bias electrodes and a plurality of dielectric bond pads. The method also includes providing a second substrate of a predetermined thickness, the second substrate including a plurality of recessed regions within the predetermined thickness and arranged in a spatial manner as a second array, each of the recessed regions being bordered by a standoff region, and joining the dielectric bond pads of the first substrate to the standoff region of the second substrate. The method further includes forming mirror structures from a first portion of the second substrate, exposing a portion of the upper surface of the plurality of bias electrodes, and depositing a conductive layer on the mirror structures and the exposed portion of the upper surface of the plurality of bias electrodes.

Claims

1. A spatial light modulator adapted to reflect incident light, the spatial light modulator comprising:

a first substrate comprising a bias grid;

a bias electrode array coupled to the first substrate and electrically coupled to the bias grid;

a dielectric bond pad array coupled to the bias electrode array;

a standoff region array coupled to the dielectric bond pad array, the standoff region array comprising a plurality of standoff regions;

a plurality of mirror plates having an upper surface, the plurality of mirror plates flexibly coupled to the standoff region array; and

an electrically conductive layer deposited on the upper surface of the plurality of mirror plates, an internal surface of the plurality of standoff regions, and a portion of the bias electrode array to electrically couple the plurality of mirror plates to the bias electrode array.

2. The spatial light modulator of claim 1 further comprising a reflective layer deposited on the electrically conductive layer.

3. The spatial light modulator of claim 2 wherein the electrically conductive layer and the reflective layer are deposited sequentially.

4. The spatial light modulator of claim 1 wherein the standoff region array comprises a layer of a single crystal silicon substrate.

5. The spatial light modulator of claim 1 wherein the standoff region array comprises one or more deposited dielectric layers.

6. The spatial light modulator of claim 5 further comprising a plurality of tungsten connectors partially surrounded by portions of the standoff region array and electrically coupled to the bias electrode array.

7. The spatial light modulator of claim 5 wherein the one or more deposited dielectric layers comprise materials selected from the group consisting of silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, and silicon oxynitride.

8. The spatial light modulator of claim 1 wherein the dielectric bond pad array comprises materials selected from the group consisting of silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, and silicon oxynitride.

9. The spatial light modulator of claim 1 wherein the bias electrode array comprises a multilayer stack including layers of titanium nitride, aluminum, and titanium nitride.

10. The spatial light modulator of claim 1 wherein the electrically conductive layer comprises a multilayer stack including layers of titanium nitride and aluminum.