Modifying the electro-mechanical behavior of devices

• US 20060219435A1
• Filed: 05/18/2006
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: IDC, LLC
• Inventors: Kothari, Manish, Palmateer, Lauren, Chui, Clarence
• Granted Patent: US 7,161,094 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 174/520
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 7/0038 using materials for controlling the level of pressure, contaminants or moisture inside of the package, e.g. getters
• 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

Abstract

A MEMS device is packaged with a control material that is included in the package to affect an operation of a moveable element of the device. The control material may affect operational characteristics including actuation and release voltages and currents, mechanical affects including damping and stiffness, lifetime of the device, optical properties, thermal affects and corrosion. The control material may be inserted into the package as part of any of several structural components of the package or the MEMS device.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising:

a package;

at least one microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device enclosed within the package, the MEMS device comprising a movable element configured to contact another surface; and

an environmental control material inside the package, wherein the amount of the environmental control material is selected to affect an operation of the MEMS device.

2. The display device of claim 1, wherein the package comprises a first surface and a second surface.

3. The display device of claim 2, wherein the first surface comprises a substrate.

4. The display device of claim 3, wherein the substrate is selected from the group consisting of:

glass, plastic, metal, silicon and ceramic.

5. The display device of claim 2, wherein the second surface comprises a back plate.

6. The display device of claim 5, wherein the back plate comprises a material selected from the group consisting of glass, plastic, metal, metal foil, silicon, and ceramic.

7. The display device of claim 2, further comprising a joining material to join the first surface and the second surface of the package.

8. The display device of claim 7, wherein the joining material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of:

epoxy-based adhesives, o-rings, PIBs, poly-urethane, adhesives with zeolite incorporated within, thin film metal welds, liquid spin-on glass, solder, grown polymers, and grown plastics.

9. The display device of claim 1, wherein the environmental control material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of:

zeolites, molecular sieves, desiccants, surface adsorbents, bulk adsorbents, chemical reactants, and physical obstructers.

10. The display device of claim 9, wherein the molecular sieves are formed by a process selected from the group consisting of:

molecular sieves in deposited thin films, molecular sieves in spun on polymers, sprayed on molecular sieves, and regenerated molecular sieves prepared in advance.

11. The display device of claim 1, wherein the environmental control material comprises an environmental control material embedded into the MEMS device.

12. The display device of claim 1, wherein the environmental control material comprises an environmental control material embedded into a component of the package.

13. The display device of claim 1, wherein the operation of the MEMS device comprises movement of the movable element.

14. The display device of claim 1, wherein the operation of the MEMS device comprises contact between the movable element and the another surface.

15. The display device of claim 1, wherein the environmental control material is selected to affect the actuation voltage of the MEMS device.

16. The display device of claim 1, wherein the environmental control material is selected to affect the release voltage of the MEMS device.

17. The display device of claim 1, wherein the environmental control material is selected to affect the partial pressure of gases inside the package.

18. The display device of claim 1, wherein the environmental control material is selected to affect the response time of the MEMS device.

19. The display device of claim 1, wherein the environmental control material is selected to affect the lifetime of the MEMS device.

20. The display device of claim 1, wherein the environmental control material is selected to affect the rate of corrosion of the MEMS device.

21. A method of packaging a display device, comprising:

forming at least one interferometric modulator on a substrate, the interferormetric modulator comprising a movable surface configured to contact another surface; and

including an environmental control material, wherein the amount of environmental control material is selected based upon an effect on an operation of the interferometric modulator caused by the material.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising enclosing the interferometric modulator in a package.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein enclosing the interferometric modulator and the substrate in a package comprises enclosing the interferometric modulator and the substrate in a device package, and wherein including the environmental control material comprises including the environmental control material in the device package.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein enclosing the interferometric modulator and the substrate in a package further comprises enclosing the interferometric modulator and the substrate in a module package, and wherein including the environmental control material comprises including the environmental control material in the module package.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein forming at least one interferometric modulator on the substrate comprises forming the interferometric modulator from thin films, and wherein including the environmental control material comprises including the environmental control material embedded in one of the thin films.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein including the environmental control material comprises embedding the environmental control material in the substrate.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein enclosing the interferometric modulator and the substrate in a package comprises joining the substrate and a back plate with a joining material.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein including the environmental control material comprises adding a powder inside the package.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein including the environmental control material comprises shaping the environmental control material into shapes and applying the shapes inside the package.

30. The method of claim 21, wherein including the environmental control material comprises applying the environmental control material in a spray.

31. The method of claim 21, wherein including the environmental control material comprises applying the environmental control material in a dip coat.

32. The method of claim 21, wherein including the environmental control material comprises applying the environmental control material as a screen print.

33. The method of claim 21, wherein including the environmental control material comprises dispensing the environmental control material in liquid form.