Display apparatus including MEMS devices

• US 9,513,529 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2013
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Lin, Kevin, Andrysco, Nathan R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Won, Bumsuk
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beatty, Collin X
• Application Number:
  US14/128,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20150234251A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,204 Days
• Field of Search: 359/578, 359/290, 359/589, 359/291, 359/260, 359/577, 359/579, 359/263, 250/226, 356/450, 356/419, 356/454, 310/309, 372/20, 372/92
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0841 the reflecting element being moved or deformed by electrostatic means

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide techniques and configurations for a display apparatus. In one embodiment, the apparatus may include one or more micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) devices. The MEMS device may include a first electrode including a partially reflective surface, a second electrode including a partially or completely reflective surface and disposed substantially parallel to the first electrode, and an analog actuation arrangement coupled to the first electrode, the second electrode or both the first and second electrodes to cause movement of the first electrode from a start position to a selected position of a plurality of end positions, responsive to a selected application of an actuation voltage, to cause the MEMS device to selectively output a reflection of a light in a selected wavelength, or no reflection of the light. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Claims

1. A display apparatus, comprising:

one or more micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) devices, wherein at least one of the MEMS devices includes;

a first electrode including a partially reflective surface;

a second electrode including a partially or completely reflective surface and disposed substantially parallel to the first electrode; and

an analog actuation arrangement coupled to the first electrode, the second electrode or both the first and second electrodes to cause movement of the first electrode from a start position to a selected one of a plurality of end positions, responsive to a selected application of an actuation voltage, to cause the at least one MEMS device to selectively output a reflection of light in a selected wavelength or no reflection of the light,

wherein the at least one MEMS device further includes a reflectance control panel disposed underneath the second electrode, wherein the reflectance control panel includes a reflective plate and an additional electrode configured to control reflectance of the reflective plate.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an actuation circuit configured to apply the actuation voltage.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the start position corresponds to a first value of the actuation voltage, and the end position corresponds to a second value of the actuation voltage, wherein the first value and the second value define an actuation range of the actuation circuit.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the analog actuation arrangement comprises a spring configured to resist movement of the first electrode away from the start position.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the spring is configured to provide a non-linear restoring force in opposition to an electrostatic force applied to move the first electrode away from the start position.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the spring is a first spring, and the analog actuation arrangement further includes a second spring, wherein the springs are coupled with respective ends of the first electrode.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the spring includes an elastomer substrate sandwiched between the first and second electrodes, wherein a height of the elastomer substrate defines a gap between the start position of the first electrode and a surface of the second electrode.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the gap between the start position of the first electrode and the surface of the second electrode corresponds to an actuation range of the plurality of end positions.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the analog actuation arrangement includes a comb actuator.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second electrode includes two electrically separated parts, to cause the first electrode to tilt toward a selected one of the first or second parts of the second electrode, in response to selective application of an actuation voltage to the first or the second part of the second electrode.

11. A display apparatus, comprising:

one or more micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) devices, wherein at least one of the one or more MEMS devices includes;

a first electrode including a partially reflective surface;

a second electrode including a partially or completely reflective surface and disposed on one side of the first electrode, substantially parallel to the first electrode; and

a third electrode disposed on an opposite side of the first electrode, substantially parallel to the first electrode;

wherein the first electrode is at a start position between the second and third electrodes, when no actuation voltage is applied to either the second or the third electrode, and moveable from the start position to a first or a second position between the second and third electrodes, responsive to selective application of the actuation voltage to either the third or the second electrode, to cause the at least one MEMS device to respectively output a first reflection of light in a first wavelength, a second reflection of the light in a second wavelength, different from the first wavelength, or no reflection of the light, and

wherein the at least one MEMS device further includes a reflectance control panel disposed underneath the second electrode, wherein the reflectance control panel includes a reflective plate and an additional electrode configured to control reflectance of the reflective plate.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

an actuation circuit configured to selectively apply the actuation voltage to the second or third electrode, or withhold the actuation voltage from both the second and third electrodes.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first position of the first electrode is located between the start position and the second electrode, and wherein the second position is located between the start position and the third electrode.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first electrode in the first position is disposed substantially adjacent to the second electrode, and wherein the first electrode in the second position is disposed substantially adjacent to the third electrode.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first and second wavelengths correspond to two visible wavelengths of two different colors.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the third electrode comprises a transparent conductive material through which the light passes through to the first and second electrodes.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the third electrode includes a gap through which the light passes through to the first and second electrodes.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the actuation voltage is a first actuation voltage, wherein the second electrode includes two electrically separated first and second parts, to enable the first electrode to tilt toward the first or the second part of the second electrode, in response to selective application of a second actuation voltage to either the first or second part of the second electrode.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the third electrode includes two electrically separated third and fourth parts, wherein the tilting is further responsive to selective application of the second actuation voltage to the fourth or third part of the third electrode, corresponding to the first or the second part of the second electrode.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one MEMS device further includes an arrangement configured to provide a restoring force to the first electrode in response to the application of the actuation voltage to the second or third electrode, wherein the restoring force provides a resistance to the movement of the first electrode.