Devices and methods for achieving non-contacting white state in interferometric modulators
First Claim
1. An optical device, comprising:
- a reflector configured to reflect light;
an absorber positioned relative to the reflector so as to provide a gap between the reflector and the absorber, at least one of the reflector and the absorber movable relative to the other; and
an optical element disposed with respect to the reflector and the absorber such that when the absorber and the reflector are separated by a non-zero distance of z0 that provides said gap between said absorber and said reflector, incident white light transmitted through the absorber and reflected from the reflector returns to the absorber and passes therethrough as a substantially white color output from the optical device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for providing white light color output from an electromechanical systems (EMS) device with reduced likelihood of stiction. In one aspect, interferometric modulators are configured to provide a white color output while having a non-zero modulator gap dimension. Such a feature can reduce problems associated with zero modulator gap dimensions such as stiction. Various methodologies can be used to yield such a non-zero modulator gap and a white color output. In some implementations, for example, an optical element that introduced wavelength dependent phase shift is used. In some implementations this wavelength dependent phase shifting optical element includes a stack of color filters, a hologram, a diffraction grating, or layers of material having specific thicknesses and wavelength dependent indices of refraction.
21 Citations
38 Claims
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1. An optical device, comprising:
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a reflector configured to reflect light; an absorber positioned relative to the reflector so as to provide a gap between the reflector and the absorber, at least one of the reflector and the absorber movable relative to the other; and an optical element disposed with respect to the reflector and the absorber such that when the absorber and the reflector are separated by a non-zero distance of z0 that provides said gap between said absorber and said reflector, incident white light transmitted through the absorber and reflected from the reflector returns to the absorber and passes therethrough as a substantially white color output from the optical device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An interferometric modulator, comprising:
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an absorber configured to receive light and pass at least a portion of the light; and one or more optical elements including a reflective surface configured to receive light from the absorber and reflect the light back to the absorber, wherein the one or more optical elements are configured to provide different phase shifts for different wavelength components of the light reflected back to the absorber such that a plurality of wavelength components substantially pass through the absorber to yield a substantially white color output from the interferometric modulator when the absorber is spaced apart from said reflective surface by a gap. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. An optical device, comprising:
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a reflector configured to reflect light; an absorber positioned relative to the reflector so as to provide a gap between the reflector and the absorber, at least one of the reflector and the absorber movable relative to the other; and wherein at least one of the reflector and the absorber includes an optical element such that when the gap defines a non-zero distance of z0 between the reflector and the absorber, incident white light transmitted through the absorber and reflected from the reflector returns to the absorber and passes therethrough as a substantially white color output from the optical device. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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33. An optical device, comprising:
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means for reflecting light; means for absorbing light positioned relative to the reflecting means so as to provide a gap between the reflecting means and the absorbing means, at least one of the reflecting means and the absorbing means being movable relative to the other; and an optical element disposed with respect to the reflecting means and the absorbing means such that when the absorbing means and the reflecting means are separated by a non-zero distance of z0 that provides said gap between said absorbing means and said reflecting means, incident white light transmitted through the absorbing means and reflected from the reflecting means returns to the absorbing means and passes therethrough as a substantially white color output from the optical device. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35)
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36. An optical device, comprising:
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means for reflecting light; means for absorbing light positioned relative to the reflecting means so as to provide a gap between the reflecting means and the absorbing means, at least one of the reflecting means and the absorbing means movable relative to the other; and wherein at least one of the reflecting means and the absorbing means includes an optical element such that when the gap defines a non-zero distance of z0 between the reflecting means and the absorbing means, incident white light transmitted through the absorbing means and reflected from the reflecting means returns to the absorbing means and passes therethrough as a substantially white color output from the optical device. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38)
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Specification