Method and system for color optimization in a display

• US 20050212738A1
• Filed: 01/14/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm MEMS Technologies Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gally, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 7,855,824 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/88
• 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: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

Disclosed herein are iMoD displays optimized by utilizing different materials for one or more different color subpixels. Such optimized displays have improved color gamut over displays where all subpixels are constructed with the same material. Also disclosed are methods for manufacturing such displays and methods for optimizing iMoD displays.

Claims

1. A display, comprising:

a plurality of pixels, each pixel comprising a plurality of subpixels, wherein each subpixel is selected from a plurality of subpixel types and each pixel includes at least two subpixels that are of differing subpixel type;

wherein each subpixel type forms an interference modulator that is adapted to reflect light of a different color than other subpixel types; and

wherein the interference modulator of at least one subpixel type includes at least one difference in its interference modulator components compared to interference modulator components of at least one other subpixel type.

2. The display of claim 1, wherein said at least one difference is a difference in an optical component.

3. The display of claim 2, wherein said optical component includes an optical film.

4. The display of claim 3, wherein said optical film is metallic.

5. The display of claim 3, wherein said optical film is non-metallic.

6. The display of claim 1, wherein the group of subpixel types includes subpixels that reflect substantially cyan light and subpixels that reflect substantially yellow light.

7. The display of claim 1, wherein the group of subpixel types includes subpixels that reflect substantially red light, subpixels that reflect substantially green light, and subpixels that reflect substantially blue light.

8. The display of claim 7, wherein the red subpixel type includes at least one difference in its interference modulator components compared to the interference modulator components of the green and blue subpixel types.

9. The display of claim 8, wherein the difference in the red subpixel type'"'"'s interference modulator includes a metallic layer that is not present in the interference modulators of the green and blue subpixel types.

10. The display of claim 9, wherein the metallic layer is positioned on a movable mirror in the red subpixel type'"'"'s interference modulator.

11. The display of claim 9, wherein the metallic layer is selected from the group consisting of gold and copper.

12. The display of claim 1, wherein said at least one difference includes an additional component not found in the interference modulator components of the at least one other subpixel type.

13. The display of claim 12, wherein the additional component is positioned adjacent to a movable mirror.

14. The display of claim 12, wherein the additional component is positioned adjacent to a partial reflector.

15. The display of claim 12, wherein the additional component is positioned adjacent to a dielectric layer.

16. The display of claim 12, wherein the additional component is positioned adjacent to a substantially transparent substrate.

17. The display of claim 12, wherein the additional component is a metallic layer.

18. The display of claim 17, wherein the additional component is selected from the group consisting of gold and copper.

19. The display of claim 1, wherein said at least one difference includes an interference modulator component constructed of a different material than a corresponding component found in the interference modulator of the at least one other subpixel type.

20. The display of claim 19, wherein the interference modulator component constructed of a different material is a movable mirror.

21. The display of claim 20, wherein said different material includes a metal selected from the group consisting of gold and copper.

22. The display of claim 19, wherein the interference modulator component constructed of a different material is a partial reflector.

23. The display of claim 19, wherein the interference modulator component constructed of a different material is a dielectric layer.

24. The display of claim 19, wherein the interference modulator component constructed of a different material is a substantially transparent substrate.

25. The display of claim 1, wherein said at least one difference comprises an interference modulator component of a different thickness than a corresponding component found in the interference modulator of the at least one other subpixel type.

26. The display of claim 25, wherein the interference modulator component of a different thickness is a movable mirror.

27. The display of claim 25, wherein the interference modulator component of a different thickness is a partial reflector.

28. The display of claim 25, wherein the interference modulator component of a different thickness is a dielectric layer.

29. The display of claim 25, wherein the interference modulator component of a different thickness is a substantially transparent substrate.

30. The display of claim 1, wherein said at least one difference comprises interference modulator components arranged in a different order than corresponding components found in the interference modulator of the at least one other subpixel type.

31. A method of manufacturing a display, comprising manufacturing an array of interference modulator structures on a substrate so as to generate at least two interference modulator structures having at least one difference in their interference modulator components, wherein each interference modulator structure is adapted to produce a respective color.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said at least one difference is generated by deposition and patterning of a material.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein said at least one difference is a difference in an optical component.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein said optical component includes an optical film.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said optical film is metallic.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein said optical film is non-metallic.

37. The method of claim 31, wherein said at least one difference includes an additional component in one of the two interference modulator structures that is not found in the interference modulator components of the other of the two interference modulator structures.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the additional component is positioned adjacent to a movable mirror.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the additional component is positioned adjacent to a partial reflector.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein the additional component is positioned adjacent to a dielectric layer.

41. The method of claim 37, wherein the additional component is positioned adjacent to a substantially transparent substrate.

42. The method of claim 37, wherein the additional component is a metallic layer.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the metallic layer is selected from the group consisting of gold and copper.

44. The method of claim 31, wherein said at least one difference includes an interference modulator component in one of the two interference modulator structures constructed of a different material than a corresponding component found in the other of the two interference modulator structures.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the interference modulator component constructed of a different material is a movable mirror.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein said different material includes a metal selected from the group consisting of gold and copper.

47. The method of claim 44, wherein the interference modulator component constructed of a different material is a partial reflector.

48. The method of claim 44, wherein the interference modulator component constructed of a different material is a dielectric layer.

49. The method of claim 44, wherein the interference modulator component constructed of a different material is a substantially transparent substrate.

50. The method of claim 31, wherein said at least one difference includes an interference modulator component in one of the two interference modulator structures having a different thickness than a corresponding component found in the other of the two interference modulator structures.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the interference modulator component of a different thickness is a movable mirror.

52. The method of claim 50, wherein the interference modulator component of a different thickness is a partial reflector.

53. The method of claim 50, wherein the interference modulator component of a different thickness is a dielectric layer.

54. The method of claim 50, wherein the interference modulator component of a different thickness is a substantially transparent substrate.

55. The method of claim 31, wherein said at least one difference includes interference modulator components in one of the two interference modulator structures arranged in a different order than corresponding components found in the other of the two interference modulator structures.

56. The method of claim 31, wherein said manufacturing includes a plurality of material deposition steps, a plurality of patterning steps, and at least one material removal step and wherein at least one of said patterning steps and at least one of said material removal steps are used to generate said at least one difference.

57. A display manufactured according to the method of claim 31.

58. A method of manufacturing a display, said display comprising an array of interference modulator structures, each of said interference modulator structures capable of reflecting light of a particular color selected from a group of colors, said method comprising:

selecting materials for use in the interference modulator structures, selecting thickness of said materials, and selecting the interference modulators'"'"' gap independently for each color in said group of colors.

59. The method of claim 58, wherein said group of colors includes a substantially red color, a substantially green color, and a substantially blue color.

60. The method of claim 58, wherein said group of colors includes a substantially cyan color and a substantially yellow color, and wherein said selecting steps are performed so that the combination of said cyan color and said yellow color produce a desired white color.

61. The method of claim 58, wherein at least one material selected for at least one color in said group of colors differs from materials selected for at least one other color in said group of colors.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein said at least one material is selected from the group consisting of gold and copper.

63. The method of claim 58, wherein at least one material selected for at least one color in said group of colors differs in thickness from a corresponding material selected for at least one other color in said group of colors.

64. A display manufactured according to the method of claim 58.

65. A display manufactured by a process comprising, manufacturing at least two interference modulator structures on a substrate so as to generate at least two interference modulator structures having at least one difference in their interference modulator components, wherein each interference modulator structure is adapted to produce a respective color.

66. The display of claim 65, wherein said at least one difference is generated by deposition and patterning of a material.

67. The display of claim 65, wherein said at least one difference is a difference in an optical component.

68. The display of claim 67, wherein said optical component includes an optical film.

69. The display of claim 68, wherein said optical film is metallic.

70. The display of claim 68, wherein said optical film is non-metallic.

71. The display of claim 65, wherein said at least one difference includes an additional component in one of the two interference modulator structures that is not found in the interference modulator components of the other of the two interference modulator structures.

72. The display of claim 71, wherein the additional component is positioned adjacent to a movable mirror.

73. The display of claim 71, wherein the additional component is positioned adjacent to a partial reflector.

74. The display of claim 71, wherein the additional component is positioned adjacent to a dielectric layer.

75. The display of claim 71, wherein the additional component is positioned adjacent to a substantially transparent substrate.

76. The display of claim 71, wherein the additional component is a metallic layer.

77. The display of claim 76, wherein the metallic layer is selected from the group consisting of gold and copper.

78. The display of claim 65, wherein said at least one difference includes an interference modulator component in one of the two interference modulator structures constructed of a different material than a corresponding component found in the other of the two interference modulator structures.

79. The display of claim 78, wherein the interference modulator component constructed of a different material is a movable mirror.

80. The display of claim 79, wherein said different material includes a metal selected from the group consisting of gold and copper.

81. The display of claim 78, wherein the interference modulator component constructed of a different material is a partial reflector.

82. The display of claim 78, wherein the interference modulator component constructed of a different material is a dielectric layer.

83. The display of claim 78, wherein the interference modulator component constructed of a different material is a substantially transparent substrate.

84. The display of claim 65, wherein said at least one difference includes an interference modulator component in one of the two interference modulator structures having a different thickness than a corresponding component found in the other of the two interference modulator structures.

85. The display of claim 84, wherein the interference modulator component of a different thickness is a movable mirror.

86. The display of claim 84, wherein the interference modulator component of a different thickness is a partial reflector.

87. The display of claim 84, wherein the interference modulator component of a different thickness is a dielectric layer.

88. The display of claim 84, wherein the interference modulator component of a different thickness is a substantially transparent substrate.

89. The display of claim 65, wherein said at least one difference includes interference modulator components in one of the two interference modulator structures arranged in a different order than corresponding components found in the other of the two interference modulator structures.

90. The display of claim 65, wherein said manufacturing includes a plurality of material deposition steps, a plurality of patterning steps, and at least one material removal step and wherein at least one of said patterning steps and at least one of said material removal steps are used to generate said at least one difference.

91. A display comprising an array of interference modulator structures, each of said interference modulator structures capable of reflecting light of a particular color selected from a group of colors, said display manufactured by a method comprising:

selecting materials for use in the interference modulator structures, selecting thickness of said materials, selecting the interference modulators'"'"' gap independently for each color in said group of colors, and constructing said interference modulator structures based on said selectings.

92. The display of claim 91, wherein said group of colors includes a substantially red color, a substantially green color, and a substantially blue color.

93. The display of claim 91, wherein said group of colors includes a substantially cyan color and a substantially yellow color, and wherein said selecting steps are performed so that the combination of said cyan color and said yellow color produce a desired white color.

94. The display of claim 91, wherein at least one material selected for at least one color in said group of colors differs from materials selected for at least one other color in said group of colors.

95. The display of claim 94, wherein said at least one material is selected from the group consisting of gold and copper.

96. The display of claim 91, wherein at least one material selected for at least one color in said group of colors differs in thickness from a corresponding material selected for at least one other color in said group of colors.