Method of fabricating interferometric devices using lift-off processing techniques
First Claim
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1. A method of fabricating an interferometric modulator, comprising:
- forming an optical stack on a transparent substrate using at least a first patterning fabrication process;
forming a supporting structure over the substrate; and
forming an upper mirror layer over the optical stack and supporting structure using at least a second patterning fabrication process;
wherein a cavity is formed by at least one surface of the optical stack, the supporting structure and the upper mirror layer, where movement of a portion of the upper mirror layer into the cavity changes the optical properties perceived from a surface of the substrate in a controllable and predictable manner, and wherein at least one of the first and second fabrication processes comprises a lift-off process;
wherein forming the upper mirror layer over the optical stack comprises depositing a sacrificial layer between the optical stack and the upper mirror layer; and
wherein the lift-off process comprises lifting off at least a portion of the optical stack along with at least a portion of the sacrificial layer.
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Abstract
Embodiments of the present disclosure include a method of fabricating interferometric devices using lift-off processing techniques. Use of lift-off processing in the fabrication of various layers of interferometric modulators, such as an optical stack or a flex layer, advantageously avoids individualized chemistries associated with the plurality of materials associated with each layer thereof. Moreover, use of lift-off processing allows much greater selection in both materials and facilities available for fabrication of interferometric modulators.
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18 Claims
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1. A method of fabricating an interferometric modulator, comprising:
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forming an optical stack on a transparent substrate using at least a first patterning fabrication process; forming a supporting structure over the substrate; and forming an upper mirror layer over the optical stack and supporting structure using at least a second patterning fabrication process; wherein a cavity is formed by at least one surface of the optical stack, the supporting structure and the upper mirror layer, where movement of a portion of the upper mirror layer into the cavity changes the optical properties perceived from a surface of the substrate in a controllable and predictable manner, and wherein at least one of the first and second fabrication processes comprises a lift-off process; wherein forming the upper mirror layer over the optical stack comprises depositing a sacrificial layer between the optical stack and the upper mirror layer; and wherein the lift-off process comprises lifting off at least a portion of the optical stack along with at least a portion of the sacrificial layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification