Control methods for micromirror devices implemented with a single address electrode

• US 7,907,325 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2008
• Issued: 03/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation, Silicon Quest Kabushiki-Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation, Silicon Quest Kabushiki-Kaisha
• Inventors: Nishino, Hirokazu, Maeda, Yoshihiro, Arai, Kazuma, Ishii, Fusao
• Primary Examiner(s): Choi; William C
• Application Number:
  US12/072,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20080218831A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: 359/198.1, 359/199.2, 359/200.6, 359/212.1, 359/212.2, 359/213.1, 359/214.1, 359/224.1, 359/225.1, 359/290, 359/295, 359/298
• US Class Current: 359/290
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0841 the reflecting element being moved or deformed by electrostatic means

Abstract

A method for controlling a micromirror device including mirror elements each composed of a micromirror supported on a substrate by an elastic hinge, and a address electrode arranged across the deflection axis of the micromirror comprises deflecting the micromirror by changing a potential to a predetermined waveform for the address electrode.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a micromirror device including a plurality of mirror elements each comprising a micromirror supported on a substrate by an elastic hinge, and an address electrode arranged across a deflection axis of the micromirror, comprising

deflecting the micromirror by changing a potential to a predetermined waveform for at least one address electrode;

and

wherein the potential is changed to a predetermined waveform by applying the potential having a pulse waveform at a predetermined operational time of the micromirror.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein

said step of applying the potential having the pulse waveform further comprising a step of applying the potential with the pulse waveform with a pulse width shorter than a time period for deflecting the micromirror in one direction.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein

said step of applying the potential having a pulse waveform at a predetermined operational time of the micromirror further comprises a step of changing the potential having the pulse waveform while the micromirror is moving to a predetermined deflection direction.

4. The controlling method according to claim 1, wherein:

wherein said step of changing the potential to a predetermined waveform further comprises a step of changing the potential applied to the electrode in an initial state when the micromirror is not deflected for deflecting the micromirror to an OFF light state for reflecting an incident light in a direction away from a projection optical path.

5. The controlling method according to claim 1, wherein:

said step of changing the potential to a predetermined waveform further comprises a step of applying an intermediate voltage to the electrode when the micromirror is operated in one of ON, OFF, and intermediate states.

6. The controlling method according to claim 1, wherein:

said step of changing the potential to a predetermined waveform further comprises a step of changing the potential applied to the address electrode for changing the micromirror from a first stationary state to a second state, and then to the first stationary state.

7. A method for controlling a micromirror device including a plurality of mirror elements each comprising a micromirror supported on a substrate by an elastic hinge, and an address electrode arranged across a deflection axis of the micromirror, comprising:

deflecting the micromirror by changing a potential to a predetermined waveform for at least one address electrode; and

wherein said step of changing the potential to a predetermined waveform further comprises a step of applying the potential having multiple levels.

8. A method for controlling a micromirror device including a plurality of mirror elements each comprising a micromirror supported on a substrate by an elastic hinge, and an address electrode arranged across a deflection axis of the micromirror, comprising:

deflecting the micromirror by changing a potential to a predetermined waveform for at least one address electrode; and

wherein said step of changing the potential to a predetermined waveform further comprises a step of applying the potential to the address electrode as a pulse voltage in order to restore the micromirror to an initial state while the micromirror is moving to the initial state.

9. A method for controlling a micromirror device including a plurality of mirror elements each comprising a micromirror supported on a substrate by an elastic hinge, and an address electrode arranged across a deflection axis of the micromirror, comprising:

deflecting the micromirror by changing a potential to a predetermined waveform for at least one address electrode; and

wherein said step of changing the potential to a predetermined waveform further comprises a step of decreasing the potential applied to the address electrode in a state immediately preceding an oscillation state for make the micromirror freely oscillate, or reduces the potential of the address electrode to 0V.

10. A method for controlling a micromirror device including mirror elements each comprising a micromirror supported on a substrate by an elastic hinge controlled by a voltage applied to an address electrode comprising first and second regions, the micromirror is deflected in a direction of the first region by applying a predetermined voltage to the address electrode in an initial non-deflected state, comprising:

deflecting the micromirror in a direction of the second region by changing the voltage applied to the address electrode according to a predetermined waveform.

11. The controlling method according to claim 10, wherein:

said step of changing the voltage applied to the address electrode further comprises a step of applying a pulse voltage to the address electrode at predetermined operational timing of the micromirror.

12. The controlling method according to claim 10, wherein:

said step of changing the voltage applied to the address electrode further comprises a step of applying a pulse voltage having a pulse width shorter than a time period for deflecting the micromirror to a maximum deflection angle in one direction.

13. The controlling method according to claim 10, wherein:

said step of changing the voltage applied to the address electrode further comprises a step of applying the voltage to the address electrode while the micromirror is moving toward the second region.

14. The controlling method according to claim 10, wherein:

said step of changing the voltage applied to the address electrode further comprises a step of applying a multilevel voltage to the address electrode.

15. The controlling method according to claim 10, wherein:

said step of changing the voltage applied to the address electrode further comprises a step of applying a pulse voltage to the address electrode to restore the micromirror to the non-deflected state while the micromirror is moving toward the initial non-deflected state.

16. The controlling method according to claim 10, wherein:

said step of changing the voltage applied to the address electrode further comprises a step of decreasing the voltage applied to the address electrode to operate the micromirror in a free oscillation state.

17. The method according to claim 10, wherein:

said step of changing the voltage applied to the address electrode further comprises a step of changing the voltage applied to the electrode when the micromirror is in the initial non-deflected state for deflecting the micromirror to an OFF light state for reflecting light incident to the micromirror in a direction away from a projection optical path.

18. The method according to claim 10, wherein:

said step of changing the voltage applied to the address electrode further comprises a step of applying an intermediate voltage to the electrode when the micromirror is operated in one of ON, OFF, and intermediate states.

19. The method according to claim 10, wherein:

said step of changing the voltage applied to the address electrode further comprises a step of applying a pulse voltage to the address electrode for changing the micromirror from a first stationary state to a second state, and further to the first stationary state.

20. A method for controlling a micromirror device including a micromirror supported by an elastic hinge to deflect in a first and a second directions by applying a voltage to an electrode arranged across a deflection axis of the micromirror, the method further comprising:

deflecting the micromirror in the second direction after drawing the micromirror in the first direction; and

changing the voltage applied to the electrode according to a predetermined waveform for deflecting the micromirror corresponding to the variations of predetermined waveform.

21. A method for controlling a micromirror device including a micromirror supported by an elastic hinge to deflect in a first and a second directions by applying a voltage to an electrode arranged across a deflection axis of the micromirror, the method further comprising:

deflecting the micromirror in the second direction after drawing the micromirror in the first direction; and

applying the voltage applied to the electrode for applying a different a coulomb force to draw the micromirror to the first direction than coulomb force to draw the micromirror to the second direction.

22. A method for controlling a micromirror device a micromirror supported by an elastic hinge to deflect in a first and a second directions by applying a voltage to an electrode arranged across a deflection axis of the micromirror, the method further comprising:

deflecting the micromirror in the second direction after drawing the micromirror in the first direction; and

applying the voltage to the electrode configured as a single electrode and arranged asymmetrically with respect to the deflection axis of the micromirror for applying the voltage to the electrode or the micromirror.

23. A method for controlling a micromirror device a micromirror supported by an elastic hinge to deflect in a first and a second directions by applying a voltage to an electrode arranged across a deflection axis of the micromirror, the method further comprising:

deflecting the micromirror in the second direction after drawing the micromirror in the first direction; and

applying the voltage to the electrode configured as a plurality of electrodes arranged asymmetrically with respect to the deflection axis of the micromirror for applying the voltage to the electrode.