METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A LIGHT ABSORBING MASK IN AN INTERFEROMETRIC MODULATOR DISPLAY

• US 20110075246A1
• Filed: 03/08/2010
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm MEMS Technologies Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Chun-Ming Albert
• Application Number:
  US12/719,790
• Publication Number:
  US 20110075246A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/291
• 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 microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device is provided. In one embodiment, the MEMS device includes a transparent substrate, and a plurality of interferometric modulators. The plurality of interferometric modulators includes an optical stack coupled to the transparent substrate, in which the optical stack includes a first light absorbing area. The plurality of interferometric modulators further includes a reflective layer over the optical stack, and one or more posts to support the reflective layer. Each of the one or more posts includes a second light absorbing area integrated in the post.

Claims

1. A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) comprising:

a transparent substrate; and

a plurality of interferometric modulators comprising,

an optical stack coupled to the transparent substrate, the optical stack including a first light absorbing area;

a reflective layer over the optical stack; and

one or more posts to support the reflective layer, each of the one or more posts including a second light absorbing area integrated in the post.

2. The MEMS of claim 1, wherein the second light absorbing area within each post is separate from the first light absorbing area within the optical stack.

3. The MEMS of claim 2, wherein:

the first light absorbing area comprises a first black matrix layer; and

the second light absorbing area comprises a second black matrix layer.

4. The MEMS of claim 3, wherein:

the first black matrix layer comprises a first absorber layer, a first dielectric layer, and a first reflective layer; and

the second black matrix layer comprises a second absorber layer and a second dielectric layer.

5. The MEMS of claim 4, wherein:

the first absorber layer has substantially a same thickness as the second absorber layer; and

the first dielectric layer has substantially a same thickness as the second dielectric layer.

6. The MEMS of claim 1, wherein a portion of the second light absorbing area within a given post extends over a portion of the first light absorbing area within the optical stack such that the second light absorbing area overlaps the first light absorbing area.

7. The MEMS of claim 1 as a display system, further comprising:

a display including the MEMS;

a processor that is in electrical communication with the display, the processor being configured to process image data; and

a memory device in electrical communication with the processor.

8. The display system of claim 7, further comprising:

a driver circuit configured to send at least one signal to the display.

9. The display system of claim 8, further comprising:

a controller configured to send at least a portion of the image data to the driver circuit.

10. The display system of claim 7, further comprising:

an image source module configured to send the image data to the processor.

11. The display system of claim 10, wherein the image source module comprises at least one of a receiver, transceiver, and transmitter.

12. The display system of claim 7, further comprising:

an input device configured to receive input data and to communicate the input data to the processor.

13. A micromechanical system (MEMS) comprising:

a transparent substrate means;

a plurality of interferometric modulator means comprising,

an optical stack means coupled to the transparent substrate means, the optical stack means including a first light absorbing means;

a reflective layer means over the optical stack means; and

one or more post means for supporting the reflective layer means, each of the one or more post means including a second light absorbing means integrated in the post means.

14. The MEMS of claim 13, wherein the second light absorbing means within each post means is separate from the first light absorbing means within the optical stack means.

15. The MEMS of claim 14, wherein:

the first light absorbing means comprises a first black matrix layer means; and

the second light absorbing means comprises a second black matrix layer means.

16. The MEMS of claim 15, wherein:

the first black matrix layer means comprises a first absorber layer means, a first dielectric layer means, and a first reflective layer means; and

the second black matrix layer means comprises a second absorber layer means and a second dielectric layer means.

17. The MEMS of claim 16, wherein:

the first absorber layer means has substantially a same thickness as the second absorber layer means; and

the first dielectric layer means has substantially a same thickness as the second dielectric layer means.

18. The MEMS of claim 13, wherein a portion of the second light absorbing means within a given post means extends over a portion of the first light absorbing means within the optical stack means such that the second light absorbing means overlaps the first light absorbing means.

19. A method for providing light in an interferometric modulator device, the method comprising:

providing a transparent substrate;

forming a first light absorbing area on the transparent substrate;

forming a conductive layer on the transparent substrate;

forming a reflective layer over the conductive layer; and

forming one or more posts to support the reflective layer, the one or more posts being formed over portions of the conductive layer that do not overlap with the first light absorbing area,

wherein forming one or more posts includes integrating a second light absorbing area into the one or more posts.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the second light absorbing area within each post is separate from the first light absorbing area.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein:

forming a first light absorbing area on the transparent substrate comprises forming a first black matrix layer on the transparent substrate; and

integrating a second light absorbing area into the one or more posts comprises integrating a second black matrix layer into the one or more posts.

22. An interferometric modulator display device manufactured in accordance with the method of claim 19.