Device having a conductive light absorbing mask and method for fabricating same
First Claim
1. An electromechanical device comprising:
- a substrate;
a light modulating element disposed on the substrate, the modulating element comprising an active area that displays data and a non-active area that does not display data, the modulating element further comprising a movable reflective layer and a non-movable partially reflective layer, at least a portion of the movable reflective layer and the non-movable partially reflective layer disposed in the active area of the modulating element, the movable layer configured to move between a driven state and an undriven state in response to a voltage applied to the modulating element; and
an electrically-conductive mask disposed to mask the non-active area of the modulating element and minimize light reflected from the non-active area, the mask electrically coupled to the modulating element to provide one or more electrical paths for applying voltages to the modulating element, the mask comprising a non-movable reflective layer, a non-movable partially reflective layer, and an interferometric cavity defined by the reflective layer and the partially reflective layer.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
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 electrical paths for applying voltages to the optical elements. In another embodiment, a method of providing an electrical signal to 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.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. An electromechanical device comprising:
-
a substrate; a light modulating element disposed on the substrate, the modulating element comprising an active area that displays data and a non-active area that does not display data, the modulating element further comprising a movable reflective layer and a non-movable partially reflective layer, at least a portion of the movable reflective layer and the non-movable partially reflective layer disposed in the active area of the modulating element, the movable layer configured to move between a driven state and an undriven state in response to a voltage applied to the modulating element; and an electrically-conductive mask disposed to mask the non-active area of the modulating element and minimize light reflected from the non-active area, the mask electrically coupled to the modulating element to provide one or more electrical paths for applying voltages to the modulating element, the mask comprising a non-movable reflective layer, a non-movable partially reflective layer, and an interferometric cavity defined by the reflective layer and the partially reflective layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. An optical device comprising:
-
a substrate; a light modulating element disposed on the substrate, the modulating element comprising a movable reflective layer which moves in response to a voltage applied to the modulator; and electrically-conductive masking means disposed in a non-active area of the modulating element to minimize light reflected from the non-active area, the masking means comprising a non-movable first reflective layer and a non-movable second reflective layer, and an interferometric cavity defined by the first reflective layer and the second reflective layer, the masking means being electrically coupled to the modulating element to provide one or more electrical paths for applying voltages to the modulator. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
-
-
19. A display device comprising:
-
a light modulating element comprising an active area and at least one non-active area laterally offset from the active area, a movable reflective layer which moves in response to a voltage applied to the modulator, at least a portion of the movable reflective layer disposed in the active area; and an electrically-conductive mask disposed to minimize light reflected from the at least one non-active area, the mask electrically coupled to the modulating element to provide one or more electrical paths for applying voltages to the modulating element, the mask comprising a static interferometric modulator. - View Dependent Claims (20)
-
Specification