MEMS display

• US 8,009,347 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2010
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm MEMS Technologies Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chui, Clarence, Mignard, Marc, Mathew, Mithran C
• Primary Examiner(s): Choi; William C
• Application Number:
  US12/962,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20110075247A1
• Time in Patent Office: 266 Days
• Field of Search: 359/198.1, 359/247, 359/290, 359/291, 359/302
• US Class Current: 359/291
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/001 based on interference in an adjustable optical cavity interference filters G02B5/28; devices or arrangements using multiple reflections in spectrometry or monochromators G01J3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/06 Passive matrix structure, i.e. with direct application of both column and row voltages to the light emitting or modulating elements, other than LCD or OLED
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0267 Details of drivers for scan electrodes, other than drivers for liquid crystal, plasma or OLED displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0297 Special arrangements with multiplexing or demultiplexing of display data in the drivers for data electrodes, in a pre-processing circuitry delivering display data to said drivers or in the matrix panel, e.g. multiplexing plural data signals to one D/A converter or demultiplexing the D/A converter output to multiple columns
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2074 using sub-pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2081 with combination of amplitude modulation and time modulation space and time error diffusion G09G3/2066
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3466 based on interferometric effect

Abstract

A displaying apparatus that includes a plurality of electromechanical system elements arranged in rows. The electromechanical system elements of each of the rows are further arranged in subrows. The subrows of each row are electrically connected. Certain of the electromechanical system elements have a hysteresis stability window that is nested with another hysteresis stability window of certain others of the electromechanical system elements. A method of manufacturing a displaying apparatus that includes forming a plurality of electromechanical system elements arranged in rows. The electromechanical system elements of each of the rows are further arranged in subrows. The subrows of each row are electrically connected. Certain of the electromechanical system elements have a hysteresis stability window that is nested with another hysteresis stability window of certain others of the electromechanical system elements.

Claims

1. A displaying apparatus comprising:

a plurality of electromechanical elements arranged in rows, wherein the electromechanical elements of each of the rows are further arranged in subrows and wherein the subrows of each row are electrically connected; and

wherein at least one of a first actuation threshold and a first release threshold of a first electromechanical element of a first subrow is different than at least one of a second actuation threshold and a second release threshold, respectively, of a second electromechanical element of a second subrow.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electromechanical elements have a plurality of actuation thresholds and release thresholds.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first electromechanical element and the second electromechanical element have differing spring constants for deflectable portions of the elements to effect differing actuation thresholds and/or release thresholds.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first electromechanical element and the second electromechanical element have differing film thicknesses to effect differing actuation thresholds and/or release thresholds.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first electromechanical element and the second electromechanical element have differing damping forces caused by air between respective movable mirrors and fixed mirrors to effect differing actuation thresholds and/or release thresholds.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first electromechanical element and the second electromechanical element have differing masses of movable mirrors to effect differing actuation thresholds and/or release thresholds.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first electromechanical element and the second electromechanical element have differing materials to effect differing actuation thresholds and/or release thresholds.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first electromechanical element and the second electromechanical element have differing geometries to effect differing actuation thresholds and/or release thresholds.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electromechanical elements comprise a plurality of interferometric modulators.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, additionally comprising:

a plurality of resistors, each of the resistors connected to a respective one of the subrows, a respective one of the resistors for each of the subrows of each row having a different resistance from the resistors connected to other subrows of the row, wherein the plurality of electromechanical elements and the plurality of resistors constitute a display; and

a processor that is configured to communicate with the display, the processor being configured to process image data.

11. A method of manufacturing a displaying apparatus, the method comprising:

forming a plurality of electromechanical elements arranged in rows, wherein the electromechanical elements of each of the rows are further arranged in subrows, wherein the subrows of each row are electrically connected, and wherein at least one of a first actuation threshold and a first release threshold of a first electromechanical element of a first subrow is different than at least one of a second actuation threshold and a second release threshold, respectively, of a second electromechanical element of a second subrow.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of electromechanical elements have a plurality of actuation thresholds and release thresholds.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first electromechanical element and the second electromechanical element have differing spring constants for deflectable portions of the elements to effect differing actuation thresholds and/or release thresholds.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first electromechanical element and the second electromechanical element have differing film thicknesses to effect differing actuation thresholds and/or release thresholds.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the first electromechanical element and the second electromechanical element have differing damping forces caused by air between respective movable mirrors and fixed mirrors to effect differing actuation thresholds and/or release thresholds.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the first electromechanical element and the second electromechanical element have differing masses of movable mirrors to effect differing actuation thresholds and/or release thresholds.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the first electromechanical element and the second electromechanical element have differing materials to effect differing actuation thresholds and/or release thresholds.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the first electromechanical element and the second electromechanical element have differing geometries to effect differing actuation thresholds and/or release thresholds.

19. A displaying apparatus comprising:

a plurality of display means arranged in rows, wherein the display means of each of the rows are further arranged in subrows and wherein the subrows of each row are electrically connected; and

wherein at least one of a first actuation threshold and a first release threshold of a first display means of a first subrow is different than at least one of a second actuation threshold and a second release threshold, respectively, of a second display means of a second subrow.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the plurality of display means have a plurality of actuation thresholds and release thresholds.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first display means and the second display means have differing spring constants for deflectable portions of the display means to effect differing actuation thresholds and/or release thresholds.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first display means and the second display means have differing film thicknesses to effect differing actuation thresholds and/or release thresholds.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first display means and the second display means have differing damping forces caused by air between respective movable mirrors and fixed mirrors to effect differing actuation thresholds and/or release thresholds.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first display means and the second display means have differing masses of movable mirrors to effect differing actuation thresholds and/or release thresholds.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first display means and the second display means have differing materials to effect differing actuation thresholds and/or release thresholds.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first display means and the second display means have differing geometries to effect differing actuation thresholds and/or release thresholds.

27. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the plurality of display means comprise a plurality of interferometric modulators.

28. The apparatus of claim 19, additionally comprising:

a plurality of resistors, each of the resistors connected to a respective one of the subrows, a respective one of the resistors for each of the subrows of each row having a different resistance from the resistors connected to other subrows of the row, wherein the plurality of display means and the plurality of resistors constitute a display; and

a means for processing that is configured to communicate with the display, the processing means being configured to process image data.