MEMS-based display apparatus

• US 9,500,853 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hagood, Nesbitt W. IV, Steyn, Jasper Lodewyk, Brosnihan, Timothy J., Gandhi, Jignesh, Fijol, John J., Payne, Richard S., Barton, Roger
• Primary Examiner(s): Won, Bumsuk
• Assistant Examiner(s): Washington, Tamara Y
• Application Number:
  US13/617,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20130010342A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,530 Days
• Field of Search: 359/237, 359/242, 359245-246, 359290-298
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/02 for controlling the intensity of light G02B26/004 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/04 by periodically varying the intensity of light, e.g. using choppers shutters, diaphragms for cameras G03B9/00; devices for eliminating or reducing the effect of flicker in projection systems G03B21/40
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/1821 for rotating or oscillating mirrors

Abstract

A display apparatus incorporating electromechanical light modulators and a layer of material including apertures corresponding to the electromechanical light modulators that results in the display apparatus having lower power-consumption.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a substrate;

a layer of material arranged over a surface of the substrate and attached to the substrate, the layer of material including an aperture; and

an electromechanical light modulator arranged between the layer of material and the substrate and aligned with the aperture, the electromechanical light modulator including a movable shutter, a first beam attached to the movable shutter, a second beam supported over the substrate, and

wherein the first beam and the second beam are configured such that, in response to an application of a voltage across the first and second beams, the first beam is drawn toward the second beam causing the movable shutter to move in a plane of motion which is substantially parallel to the layer of material.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, the layer of material being opaque to visible light.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the movable shutter is arranged to selectively allow or block the passage of light through the aperture.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a transistor arranged between the electromechanical light modulator and the substrate.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electromechanical light modulator includes an array of light modulators arranged in rows and columns.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the layer of material includes an array of apertures arranged in rows and columns and aligned with the array of light modulators to allow light passed by a light modulator to pass through an aligned respective aperture.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the layer of material includes a reflective portion facing the substrate.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the layer of material includes an absorbing portion facing away from the substrate.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the layer of material includes a reflective portion facing away from the substrate.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the layer of material includes an absorbing portion facing the substrate.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a light source for emitting a portion of light through the substrate.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate is transparent.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a dielectric layer arranged adjacent to the layer of material.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the dielectric layer includes a thickness between about 0.1 microns and about 2.0 microns.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one shutter anchor attached to the second beam and arranged to keep the movable shutter suspended between the substrate and the layer of material.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the layer of material includes an aperture anchor arranged to keep the layer of material suspended over the substrate and the light modulator.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first beam being drawn toward the second beam results in a narrowing of a gap between the first beam and the second beam.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first beam being drawn toward the second beam brings the first beam and the second beam into contact.