Device having a conductive light absorbing mask and method for fabricating same
First Claim
1. An optical device comprising:
- substrate;
a light modulating element disposed on the substrate, the modulating element having an optical characteristic which changes in response to a voltage applied to the modulating element, wherein the modulating element comprises an interferometric modulator; and
an electrically-conductive mask disposed on the substrate and spaced from the modulating element, the mask electrically coupled to the modulating element to provide one or more electrical paths for application of voltages to the modulating element.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for an optical component that masks non-active portions of a display and provides an electrical path for one or more display circuits. In one embodiment an optical device includes a substrate, a plurality of optical elements on the substrate, each optical element having an optical characteristic which changes in response to a voltage applied to the optical element, and a light-absorbing, electrically-conductive optical mask disposed on the substrate and offset from the plurality of optical elements, the optical mask electrically coupled to one or more of the optical elements to provide one or more electrical paths for application of voltages to the one or more optical elements. In another embodiment a method of providing an electrical signal to a plurality of optical elements of a display comprises electrically coupling an electrically-conductive light-absorbing mask to one or more optical elements, and applying a voltage to the mask to activate the one or more optical elements.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. An optical device comprising:
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substrate; a light modulating element disposed on the substrate, the modulating element having an optical characteristic which changes in response to a voltage applied to the modulating element, wherein the modulating element comprises an interferometric modulator; and an electrically-conductive mask disposed on the substrate and spaced from the modulating element, the mask electrically coupled to the modulating element to provide one or more electrical paths for application of voltages to the modulating element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An optical device comprising:
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a substrate; a light modulating element disposed on the substrate, the modulating element having an optical characteristic which changes in response to a voltage applied to the modulating element; and an electrically-conductive mask disposed on the substrate and spaced from the modulating element, the mask electrically coupled to the modulating element to provide one or more electrical paths for application of voltages to the modulating element, wherein the mask is configured to appear a color other than black. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. An optical device comprising:
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a substrate; a light modulating element disposed on the substrate, the modulating element having an optical characteristic which changes in response to a voltage applied to the modulating element; and an electrically-conductive mask disposed on the substrate and spaced from the modulating element, the mask electrically coupled to the modulating element to provide one or more electrical paths for application of voltages to the modulating element, wherein the mask comprises a film stack comprising a first reflective layer and a second reflective layer. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An optical device comprising:
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a substrate; a light modulating element disposed on the substrate, the modulating element having an optical characteristic which changes in response to a voltage applied to the modulating element; and an electrically-conductive mask disposed on the substrate and spaced from the modulating element, the mask electrically coupled to the modulating element to provide one or more electrical paths for application of voltages to the modulating element, wherein the mask comprises one or more interferometric elements.
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19. An optical device comprising:
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a substrate; a light modulating element disposed on the substrate, the modulating element having an optical characteristic which changes in response to a voltage applied to the modulating element; and an electrically-conductive mask disposed on the substrate and spaced from the modulating element, the mask electrically coupled to the modulating element to provide one or more electrical paths for application of voltages to the modulating element, wherein the mask comprises one or more interferometric elements, and is light-absorbing.
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20. An optical device comprising:
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a substrate; one or more light modulating elements disposed on the substrate, the one or more modulating elements having an optical characteristic which changes in response to a voltage applied to the one or more modulating elements; and an electrically-conductive mask disposed on the substrate and spaced from the one or more modulating elements, the mask electrically coupled to the one or more modulating elements to provide one or more electrical paths for application of voltages to the one or more modulating elements wherein the mask comprises a film stack comprising a conductive reflective layer to which a voltage is applied to activate the one or more modulating elements. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. An optical device comprising:
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a substrate; a light modulating element disposed on the substrate, the modulating element having an optical characteristic which changes in response to a voltage applied to the modulating element; and an electrically-conductive mask disposed on the substrate and spaced from the modulating element, the mask electrically coupled to the modulating element to provide one or more electrical paths for application of voltages to the modulating element, wherein the mask comprises a film stack comprising a non-light-absorbing dielectric material sandwiched between two light-reflecting materials. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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24. An optical device comprising:
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a substrate; a light modulating element disposed on the substrate, the modulating element having an optical characteristic which changes in response to a voltage applied to the modulating element; and an electrically-conductive mask disposed on the substrate and spaced from the modulating element, the mask electrically coupled to the modulating element to provide one or more electrical paths for application of voltages to the modulating element, wherein the mask comprises a film stack, and wherein the film stack comprises; a first light-reflecting layer disposed on the substrate; a non-light-absorbing dielectric layer disposed on the first light-reflecting layer; and a second light-reflecting layer disposed on the non-light absorbing dielectric layer, wherein at least one of the first or second light-reflecting layers is electrically conductive. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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Specification