Structure of an optical interference display cell

• US 6,882,458 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2003
• Issued: 04/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Prime View International Company Limited (E Ink Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lin, Wen-Jian, Tsai, Hsiung-Kuang
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Hung Xuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tra, Tuyen
• Application Number:
  US10/742,062
• Publication Number:
  US 20040207898A1
• Time in Patent Office: 486 Days
• Field of Search: 359/247, 359/260, 359/290, 359/223, 359/224, 359/291, 359/483, 359/498, 359/577
• US Class Current: 359/247
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/047 Optical MEMS not provided for in B81B2201/042 - B81B2201/045
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00182 Arrangements of deformable or non-deformable structures, e.g. membrane and cavity for use in a transducer
• 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 5/201 in the form of arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/284 of etalon type comprising a resonant cavity other than a thin solid film, e.g. gas, air, solid plates etalons for fibre optic multiplexing G02B6/29358; etalons for spectral measurement G01J3/26

Abstract

A structure of an interference display cell is provided. The cell comprises a first plate and a second plate, wherein a support is located between the first plate and the second plate. The second plate is a deformable and reflective plate. An incident light from one side of the first plate is modulated and only specific frequency light reflects by the second plate. The frequency of the reflected light is related to the distance between the first plate and the second plate. The support has at least one arm. The arm'"'"'s stress makes the arm hiking upward or downward. The distance between the first plate and the second plate is also changed. Therefore, the frequency of the reflected light is altered.

Claims

1. An optical interference display unit at least comprising:

a first electrode, wherein the first electrode further comprising;

a substrate;

an absorption layer on the substrate; and

a dielectric layer on the absorption layer;

a second electrode, wherein the second electrode is settled in parallel with the first electrode; and

a post, at least comprising;

a support, the support mounted on the first electrode; and

at least one arm located on the top end of the support and supporting the second electrode;

wherein the post located between the first electrode and the second electrode is used to form a cavity, and a corresponding length of the cavity is defined by displacement generated by stress action resulted from the arm being treated by a thermal process.

2. The optical interference display unit of claim 1, wherein the stress of the arm adjusted by the ratios of various length to thickness of the arm.

3. The optical interference display unit of claim 2, wherein the ratios of various length to thickness of the arm are between about 5 and 50.

4. The optical interference display unit of claim 1, wherein the thermal process is baking.

5. The optical interference display unit of claim 1, wherein the substrate is a transparent conductive substrate.

6. The optical interference display unit of claim 1, wherein a material for forming the dielectric layer is silicon oxide, silicon nitride or metal oxide.

7. The optical interference display unit of claim 1, wherein the absorption layer is made from metal.

8. The optical interference display unit of claim 1, wherein the substrate is made form ITO glass or IZO glass.

9. The optical interference display unit of claim 1, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are selected from the group consisting of narrowband mirror, broadband mirror, non-metal mirror, metal mirror and the combination thereof.

10. The optical interference display unit of claim 1, wherein the second electrode is a deformable electrode.

11. The optical interference display unit of claim 1, wherein the second electrode is an up-and-down bendable plate.

12. The optical interference display unit of claim 1, wherein the second electrode at least comprises a dense material or a hemi-transparent material.

13. The optical interference display unit of claim 12, wherein the hemi-transparent material is ITO glass or IZO glass.

14. The optical interference display unit of claim 1, wherein the material for forming the posts is a photoresist.

15. The optical interference display unit of claim 1, wherein the shape of the post is T-shape or ┌

-shape.

16. An optical interference display unit at least comprising:

a first electrode, wherein the first electrode further comprising;

an substrate;

an absorption layer on the substrate; and

a dielectric layer on the absorption layer;

a second electrode, wherein the second electrode is settled in parallel with the first electrode; and

a T-shaped post located between the first electrode and the second electrode to form a cavity and a corresponding length of the cavity is defined by displacement generated by stress action resulted from arms of the T-shaped post being treated by a thermal process.

17. The optical interference display unit of claim 16, wherein the stress of the arm adjusted by the ratios of various length to thickness of the arm.

18. The optical interference display unit of claim 17, wherein the ratios of various length to thickness of the arm are between about 5 and 50.

19. The optical interference display unit of claim 16, wherein the thermal process is baking.

20. The optical interference display unit of claim 16, wherein the substrate is a transparent conductive substrate.

21. The optical interference display unit of claim 16, wherein a material for forming the dielectric layer is silicon oxide, silicon nitride or metal oxide.

22. The optical interference display unit of claim 16, wherein the absorption layer is made from metal.

23. The optical interference display unit of claim 16, wherein the substrate is made form ITO glass or IZO glass.

24. The optical interference display unit of claim 16, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are selected from the group consisting of narrowband mirror, broadband mirror, non-metal mirror, metal mirror and the combination thereof.

25. The optical interference display unit of claim 16, wherein the second electrode is a deformable electrode.

26. The optical interference display unit of claim 16, wherein the second electrode is an up-and-down bendable plate.

27. The optical interference display unit of claim 16, wherein the second electrode at least comprises a dense material or a hemi-transparent material.

28. The optical interference display unit of claim 27, wherein the hemi-transparent material is ITO glass or IZO glass.

29. The optical interference display unit of claim 16, wherein the material for forming the T-shaped posts is a photoresist.