MEMS enclosure

• US 6,833,942 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2004
• Issued: 12/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Liu, Jwei Wien
• Primary Examiner(s): Sugarman, Scott J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HANIG, RICHARD E
• Application Number:
  US10/763,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20040150870A1
• Time in Patent Office: 333 Days
• Field of Search: 359/290, 359/291, 359/872, 359/196, 359/223, 359/230, 359/212, 174/50, 174/50.5, 174/52.3, 361/807, 361/730, 438/106, 353/84
• US Class Current: 359/290
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 7/0067 for controlling the passage of optical signals through the package
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0841 the reflecting element being moved or deformed by electrostatic means
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details

Abstract

A low-cost, high-performance, reliable micromirror package (300) that replaces the ceramic substrate in conventional packages with a printed circuit board substrate (30) and a molded plastic case (33), and the cover glass with a window (36), preferably an optically clear plastic window. The printed circuit board substrate (30) allows for either external bond pads or flex cable connection of the micromirror package to the projector'"'"'s motherboard. These packages support flexible snap-in, screw-in, ultrasonic plastic welding, or adhesive welding processes to overcome the high cost seam welding process of many conventional packages.

Claims

1. A micromirror projection display comprising:

a light source for providing a beam of light along a light path;

a first condenser lens on said light path for receiving said beam of light;

a filter assembly on said light path for receiving and filtering said beam of light from said first condenser lens;

a second condenser lens for receiving said filtered beam of light;

a micromirror mounted in a low-cost molded plastic package with built-in printed circuit board base and window for selectively modulating said filtered beam of light; and

a projection lens for receiving said modulated beam of light and focusing said modulated beam of light on an image plane.

2. The micromirror projection display of claim 1, wherein said micromirror package contains flex-circuit interconnect cables with built-in connectors.