Mirror device having vertical hinge

• US 7,876,488 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2009
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ignite USA (Ignite)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation, Silicon Quest Kabushiki-Kaisha
• Inventors: Maeda, Yoshihiro, Ichikawa, Hirotoshi, Ishii, Fusao
• Primary Examiner(s): Choi; William C
• Application Number:
  US12/383,701
• Publication Number:
  US 20090185257A1
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: 359/224.1, 359/290, 359/291, 359/295, 359/298
• US Class Current: 359/224.1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0833 the reflecting element being a micromechanical device, e.g. a MEMS mirror, DMD G02B26/0825 takes precedence; micromechanical devices in general B81B

Abstract

The present invention provides a mirror device, comprising: a substrate; a mirror disposed approximately in parallel to the substrate above the substrate; and a hinge supported on and extended approximately perpendicularly from the substrate for supporting the mirror, wherein the hinge is connected to the mirror with a first edge part of the hinge buried in the mirror.

Claims

1. A mirror device, comprising:

a substrate;

a mirror disposed approximately in parallel to the substrate above the substrate; and

a hinge supported on and extended approximately perpendicularly from the substrate for supporting the mirror, wherein the hinge is connected to the mirror with a first edge part of the hinge buried in the mirror; and

wherein the hinge is composed of a material comprises a silicon doped with either one of a group III atom and a group V atom.

2. The mirror device according to claim 1, wherein:

the mirror is composed of a material comprising a silicon (Si)-added aluminum.

3. The mirror device according to claim 1, wherein:

the hinge is composed the silicon doped with either one of the group III atom and the group V atom by applying an in-situ doping process on the silicon.

4. The mirror device according to claim 1, wherein:

the hinge is composed of a material selected from a group of materials consisting of an amorphous silicon, a poly-silicon, a single crystal silicon and a silicon germanium and doped with either one of said group III atom and said group V atom.

5. The mirror device according to claim 1, wherein:

the hinge further having a thickness including both ends of the hinge ranging between 200 angstroms to 1000 angstroms, both ends inclusive.

6. The mirror device according to claim 5, wherein:

the hinge further having a thickness including both ends of the hinge ranging between 400 angstroms to 800 angstroms.

7. The mirror device according to claim 1, wherein:

the mirror comprises a first principal surface facing the substrate and a second principal surface opposite the first principle surface functioning as a reflection surface, wherein a distance between the first principal surface and a first end surface of the first edge part facing the substrate is less than or equal to one half of a thickness of the mirror.

8. The mirror device according to claim 1, wherein:

the hinge extended from the substrate with an angle between the hinge and the substrate ranging substantially between 80 degrees to 90 degrees.

9. The mirror device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a barrier layer disposed between the mirror and the first edge part of the hinge for preventing a migration through a contact point between the mirror and the hinge.

10. The mirror device according to claim 9, wherein:

the barrier layer is composed of a selected materials from a group consisting of titanium, tungsten and an aluminum-added silicon material.

11. A mirror device comprising:

a substrate;

a mirror disposed approximately in parallel to the substrate above the substrate;

a hinge supported on and extended approximately perpendicularly from the substrate for supporting the mirror, wherein the hinge is connected to the mirror with a first edge part of the hinge buried in the mirror; and

a barrier layer disposed between the mirror and the first edge part of the hinge for preventing a migration through a contact point between the mirror and the hinge.

12. The mirror device according to claim 11, wherein:

the barrier layer is composed of a selected materials from a group consisting of titanium, tungsten and an aluminum-added silicon material.

13. The mirror device according to claim 11, wherein:

the mirror is composed of a material comprising a silicon (Si)-added aluminum.

14. The mirror device according to claim 11, wherein:

the hinge is composed of a material comprises a silicon doped with either one of a group III atom and a group V atom.

15. The mirror device according to claim 14, wherein:

the hinge is composed the silicon doped with either one of the group III atom and the group V atom by applying an in-situ doping process on the silicon.

16. The mirror device according to claim 11, wherein:

the hinge is composed of a material selected from a group of materials consisting of an amorphous silicon, a poly-silicon, a single crystal silicon and a silicon germanium.

17. The mirror device according to claim 11, wherein:

the hinge further having a thickness including both ends of the hinge ranging between 200 angstroms to 1000 angstroms, both ends inclusive.

18. The mirror device according to claim 17, wherein:

the hinge further having a thickness including both ends of the hinge ranging between 400 angstroms to 800 angstroms.

19. The mirror device according to claim 11, wherein:

the mirror comprises a first principal surface facing the substrate and a second principal surface opposite the first principle surface functioning as a reflection surface, wherein a distance between the first principal surface and a first end surface of the first edge part facing the substrate is less than or equal to one half of a thickness of the mirror.

20. The mirror device according to claim 11, wherein:

the hinge is composed of a material having a hinge electrical resistance less than or equal to 1 giga-ohms.

21. The mirror device according to claim 11, wherein:

the hinge extended from the substrate with an angle between the hinge and the substrate ranging substantially between 80 degrees to 90 degrees.

22. A mirror device comprising:

a substrate;

a mirror disposed approximately in parallel to the substrate above the substrate;

a hinge supported on and extended approximately perpendicularly from the substrate for supporting the mirror, wherein the hinge is connected to the mirror with a first edge part of the hinge buried in the mirror; and

the hinge is composed of a material having a hinge electrical resistance less than or equal to 1 giga-ohms.

23. A mirror device, comprising:

a substrate;

a mirror disposed above the substrate;

a hinge supported on and extended from the substrate for supporting the mirror, wherein the hinge further comprises a hinge tip attached directly to a bottom surface of said mirror whereby said hinge having no horizontal structural part attached to the mirror.

24. The mirror device according to claim 23, wherein:

the hinge tip penetrates a bottom surface of said mirror buried in a layer of said mirror beneath a top surface of the mirror.

25. The mirror device according to claim 23, wherein:

the hinge is composed of a material comprises a silicon doped with either one of a group III atom and a group V atom.

26. The mirror device according to claim 23, wherein:

said hinge further comprises a barrier layer disposed on top of said hinge tip buried in said layer of said mirror.

27. A mirror device, comprising:

a substrate;

a mirror comprises a single mirror layer with a top mirror surface disposed above the substrate; and

a hinge supported on and extended from the substrate for supporting the mirror; and

wherein the hinge penetrates a bottom surface of said single mirror layer with an edge buried in the single mirror layer beneath the top mirror surface.

28. The mirror device according to claim 27, wherein:

the hinge is composed of a material comprises a silicon doped with either one of a group III atom and a group V atom.