Integrated IMODS and solar cells on a substrate

• US 7,595,926 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2007
• Issued: 09/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm MEMS Technologies Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kogut, Lior, Sasagawa, Teruo, Tung, Ming-Hau
• Primary Examiner(s): Spector; David N
• Application Number:
  US11/773,757
• Publication Number:
  US 20090009847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 345/32, 345/84, 345/85, 359/290, 359/291, 359/295
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/142 Energy conversion devices photovoltaic modules or arrays of single photovoltaic cells comprising bypass diodes integrated or directly associated with the devices H01L31/0443; photovoltaic modules composed of a plurality of thin film solar cells deposited on the same substrate H01L31/046
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/072 the potential barriers being only of the PN heterojunction type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0725 Multiple junction or tandem solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/548 Amorphous silicon PV cells

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention relate to interferometric display devices comprising an interferometric modulator and a solar cell and methods of making thereof. In some embodiments, the solar cell is configured to provide energy to the interferometric modulator. The solar cell and the interferometric modulator may be formed above the same substrate. A layer of the solar cell may be shared with a layer of the interferometric modulator.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising:

at least two interferometric modulators; and

a solar cell, wherein the solar cell is configured to provide energy for at least one of the interferometric modulators and is located between the at least two interferometric modulators.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a capacitor, wherein the capacitor is configured to store energy from the solar cell.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a battery, wherein the battery is configured to store energy from the solar cell.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises an array of interferometric modulators.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the array comprises the at least two interferometric modulators.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the solar cell is located outside the perimeter of the array.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one material of the interferometric modulators is the same as at least one material of the solar cell.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the at least one material of the interferometric modulators is the same thickness as the at least one material of the solar cell.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the at least one material of the interferometric modulators and the at least one material of the solar cell comprise indium tin-oxide.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein an electrode layer of the interferometric modulators comprises the at least one material of the interferometric modulators.

11. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a display comprising the interferometric modulators;

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.

12. The device of claim 11, further comprising a driver circuit configured to send at least one signal to the display.

13. The device of claim 12, further comprising a controller configured to send at least a portion of the image data to the driver circuit.

14. The device of claim 11, further comprising an image source module configured to send said image data to said processor.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the image source module comprises at least one of a receiver, transceiver, and transmitter.

16. The device of claim 11, further comprising an input device configured to receive input data and to communicate said input data to said processor.