METHOD AND DEVICE FOR MODULATING LIGHT WITH OPTICAL COMPENSATION

• US 20100214642A1
• Filed: 12/18/2009
• Published: 08/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm MEMS Technologies Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Miles, Mark W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,422,108 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/290
• 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

An interferometric modulator (Imod) cavity has a reflector and an induced absorber. A direct view reflective flat panel display may include an array of the modulators. Adjacent spacers of different thicknesses are fabricated on a substrate by a lift-off technique used to pattern the spacers which are deposited separately, each deposition providing a different thickness of spacer. Or a patterned photoresist may be used to allow for an etching process to selectively etch back the thickness of a spacer which was deposited in a single deposition. A full-color static graphical image may be formed of combined patterns of interferometric modulator cavities. Each cavity includes a reflector, and an induced absorber, the induced absorber including a spacer having a thickness that defines a color associated with the cavity.

Claims

1-81. -81. (canceled)

82. A device, comprising:

a light-absorbing material, said light-absorbing material comprising an absorber and one or more layers;

a substrate located above said light-absorbing material;

a reflector located below said light-absorbing material; and

a cavity, a portion of which is located between said light absorbing material and said reflector, wherein the cavity comprises a dielectric film.

83. The device of claim 82, wherein the substrate is at least partially transmissive to light.

84. The device of claim 82, wherein the substrate comprises one or more electrodes connected to a circuitry.

85. The device of claim 82, wherein the one or more layers comprises a metal film.

86. The device of claim 82, wherein the one or more layers comprises a dielectric film.

87. The device of claim 82, wherein the one or more layers comprises a semiconducting film.

88. The device of claim 82, wherein the absorber is selected from a group consisting of a metal film, a semiconducting film, and a combination film comprising a metal and a semiconducting film.

89. The device of claim 82, wherein the thickness of the cavity is altered strongly absorb certain frequencies of light.

90. The device of claim 82, wherein the reflector comprises metal film.

91. The device of claim 90, wherein the reflector comprises a film of silver.

92. The device of claim 91, wherein the silver film is at least 50 nm thick.