DISPLAY DEVICE WITH AT LEAST ONE MOVABLE STOP ELEMENT

• US 20110063712A1
• Filed: 09/17/2009
• Published: 03/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm MEMS Technologies Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zee, Stephen, Gudlavalleti, Sauri, Kothari, Manish
• Granted Patent: US 8,270,062 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/290
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/042 Micromirrors, not used as optical switches
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 3/0008 Structures for avoiding electrostatic attraction, e.g. avoiding charge accumulation
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/112 Depositing an anti-stiction or passivation coating, e.g. on the elastic or moving parts
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/115 Roughening a surface
• 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: G02B 26/0841 the reflecting element being moved or deformed by electrostatic means

Abstract

In certain embodiments, a device is provided including a substrate and a plurality of supports over the substrate. The device may further include a mechanical layer having a movable portion and a stationary portion. The stationary portion may disposed over the supports. In certain embodiments, the device further includes a reflective surface positioned over the substrate and mechanically coupled to the movable portion. The device of certain embodiments further includes at least one movable stop element displaced from and mechanically coupled to the movable portion. In certain embodiments, the at least a portion of the stop element may be positioned over the stationary portion.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of supports over the substrate;

a mechanical layer comprising a movable portion and a stationary portion, the stationary portion disposed over the supports;

a reflective surface positioned over the substrate, the reflective surface mechanically coupled to the movable portion; and

at least one movable stop element displaced from and mechanically coupled to the movable portion, at least a portion of the stop element positioned over the stationary portion.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the stop element is positioned directly over the stationary portion.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the stop element is at least partially substantially laterally displaced from the reflective surface.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the stop element is positioned over the movable portion of the mechanical layer.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is actuatable from a relaxed state to an actuated state by moving the reflective surface in a direction generally perpendicular to the substrate.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the stop element is displaced from the stationary portion of the mechanical layer when the device is in the relaxed state and contacts the stationary portion when the device is in the actuated state.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the stop element is displaced from the plurality of supports when the device is in the relaxed state and contacts at least one of the plurality of supports when the device is in the actuated state.

8. The device of claim 5, further comprising an actuation electrode and wherein the actuation of the device occurs in response to a voltage difference applied between the actuation electrode and one or more of the mechanical layer and the reflective surface.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the movable portion comprises one or more tethers extending from the stationary portion.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising a stiffener portion positioned above and mechanically coupled to the reflective surface.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the stiffener portion is positioned between the movable portion and the at least one stop element.

12. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a display;

a processor that is configured to communicate with said display, said processor being configured to process image data; and

a memory device that is configured to communicate with said processor.

13. The device as recited in claim 12, further comprising a driver circuit configured to send at least one signal to said display.

14. The device as recited in claim 13, further comprising a controller configured to send at least a portion of said image data to said driver circuit.

15. The device as recited in claim 12, further comprising an image source module configured to send said image data to said processor.

16. The device as recited in claim 15, wherein said image source module comprises at least one of a receiver, transceiver, and transmitter.

17. The device as recited in claim 12, further comprising an input device configured to receive input data and to communicate said input data to said processor.

18. A device comprising:

means for reflecting light;

first supporting means for supporting the reflecting means;

second supporting means for supporting the reflecting means over the first supporting means and for moving the reflecting means relative to the first supporting means and the second supporting means comprising a movable portion and a stationary portion; and

means for stopping movement of the reflecting means, the stopping means positioned over at least the stationary portion of the second supporting means.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the first supporting means comprises a substrate.

20. The device of claim 19, the first supporting means further comprising a plurality of supports over the substrate, the stationary portion of the second supporting means over the supports.

21. The device of claim 18, wherein the second supporting means comprises a mechanical layer.

22. The device of claim 18, wherein the reflecting means comprises a reflective surface.

23. The device of claim 18, wherein the stopping means comprises a stop element displaced from and mechanically coupled to the reflecting means.

24. A method of manufacturing a device, the method comprising:

forming a plurality of supports over a substrate;

forming a mechanical layer over the supports comprising a movable portion and a stationary portion, the stationary portion disposed over the supports;

forming a movable element over the substrate and comprising a reflective surface, the movable element mechanically coupled to the movable portion; and

forming at least one movable stop element over the stationary portion, the stop element displaced from and mechanically coupled to the movable portion.

25. A device comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of supports over the substrate;

a mechanical layer comprising a movable portion and a stationary portion, the movable portion having a first thickness, the stationary portion disposed over the supports; and

a movable element positioned over the substrate, the movable element mechanically coupled to the movable portion, the movable element comprising a reflective surface and a stiffener portion, the stiffener portion positioned above the movable portion and positioned above and mechanically coupled to the reflective surface, the stiffener portion extending along a substantial fraction of the area of the reflective surface.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein the plurality of supports and the mechanical layer comprise materials having substantially similar coefficients of thermal expansion.

27. The device of claim 25, wherein the stiffener portion, the mechanical layer, and the supports comprise materials having substantially similar coefficients of thermal expansion.

28. The device of claim 25, wherein the stiffener portion extends along more than half of the area of the reflective surface.

29. The device of claim 25, wherein the stiffener portion is configured to stiffen the reflective surface.

30. The device of claim 25, wherein the stiffener portion has a second thickness which is greater than the first thickness.

31. A device comprising:

means for reflecting light;

first supporting means for supporting the reflecting means;

second supporting means for supporting the reflecting means over the first supporting means and for moving the reflecting means relative to the first supporting means and the second supporting means comprising a movable portion and a stationary portion; and

means for stiffening the reflecting means, the stiffening means positioned above the movable portion and positioned above and mechanically coupled to the reflecting means.

32. The device of claim 31, wherein the first supporting means comprises a substrate.

33. The device of claim 32, the first supporting means further comprising a plurality of supports over the substrate, the stationary portion of the second supporting means over the supports.

34. The device of claim 31, wherein the second supporting means comprises a mechanical layer.

35. The device of claim 31, wherein the reflecting means comprises a reflective surface.

36. The device of claim 31, wherein the stiffening means comprises a stiffener portion.

37. A method of manufacturing a device, the method comprising:

forming a plurality of supports over a substrate;

forming a mechanical layer over the supports comprising a movable portion and a stationary portion, the stationary portion disposed over the supports; and

forming a movable element positioned over the substrate, the movable element mechanically coupled to the movable portion, the movable element comprising a reflective surface; and

forming a stiffener portion positioned above the movable portion and positioned above and mechanically coupled to the reflective surface, the stiffener portion extending along a substantial fraction of the area of the reflective surface.