Backlight displays

• US 7,768,690 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2008
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm MEMS Technologies Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sampsell, Jeffrey B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ben; Loha
• Application Number:
  US12/146,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20090323166A1
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 359290-295, 359/298, 359/224, 359/237, 359/245, 359/246, 359/254, 345/84, 345/85, 345/102, 345/108, 345/207, 216/13, 216/24, 216/41, 385/147, 228/44.7, 228/120
• US Class Current: 359/295
• 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: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3466 based on interferometric effect

Abstract

A transmissive backlit display is disclosed. In one aspect, the backlit display comprises a backlight and an array of transmissive interferometric modulators. Each interferometric modulator comprises a fixed and moving dielectric mirror stack. The interferometric modulators cause light within the desired wavelength range to be transmitted while reflecting at least a portion of the remaining light.

Claims

1. A transmissive display device, comprising:

an array of interferometric modulators formed on a substantially transparent substrate, each interferometric modulator comprises;

a cavity defined by a first layer deposited on the substrate and a second layer connected to the substrate, the first and second layers being at least partially transparent, wherein light incident to the display device is interferometrically modulated by the first and second layers,

a substantially transparent first electrode operatively connected to the first layer,

a substantially transparent second electrode operatively connected to the second layer;

and

a back plate coupled to the substrate and comprising at least one bus line configured to connect one or more electrodes of the interferometric modulators, the at least one bus line comprising substantially solid metal.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second layers comprises dielectric material.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second electrodes comprises metal or metal oxide.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second electrodes comprises zinc oxide or ITO.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the second layer is movable between a first and a second position.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein each interferometric modulator is configured to block out a substantial amount of visible light while the second layer is in a second position.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein each interferometric modulator is configured to pass through light of a particular wavelength range while the second layer is in a first position.

8. The device of claim 5, wherein the second layer is further movable to a third position.

9. 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.

10. The device of claim 9, further comprising a driver circuit configured to send at least one signal to the display.

11. The device of claim 10, further comprising a controller configured to send at least a portion of the image data to the driver circuit.

12. The device of claim 9, further comprising an image source module configured to send said image data to said processor.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the image source module comprises at least one of a receiver, transceiver, and transmitter.

14. The device of claim 9, further comprising an input device configured to receive input data and to communicate said input data to said processor.

15. A transmissive display device, comprising:

means for transmissively and interferometrically modulating light, the light modulating means formed on a substantially transparent substrate;

means for actuating the light modulating means, the actuating means being substantially transparent;

and

means for enclosing the light modulating means, the enclosing means being coupled to the substrate and comprising means for electrically connecting at least one of the actuating means.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the light modulating means and the actuating means are formed as an array of interferometric modulators formed on the substantially transparent substrate, each interferometric modulator comprises:

a cavity defined by a first layer deposited on the substrate and a second layer connected to the substrate, the first and second layers being at least partially transparent, wherein light incident to the display device is interferometrically modulated by the first and second layers,

a substantially transparent first electrode operatively connected to the first layer, and

a substantially transparent second electrode operatively connected to the second layer,

and wherein the light modulating means comprise the first and second layers of the interferometric modulators and the actuating means comprises the first and second electrodes of the interferometric modulators.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the enclosing means comprises a back plate coupled to the substrate and comprising at least one bus line configured to connect one or more electrodes of the interferometric modulators, the at least one bus line comprising substantially solid metal.

18. A method of making a transmissive display device, comprising:

forming an array of interferometric modulators on a substantially transparent substrate, each interferometric modulator comprises;

a cavity defined by a first layer deposited on the substrate and a second layer connected to the substrate, the first and second layers being at least partially transparent, wherein light incident to the display device is interferometrically modulated by the first and second layers,

a substantially transparent first electrode operatively connected to the first layer,

a substantially transparent second electrode operatively connected to the second layer;

and

forming a back plate coupled to the substrate and comprising at least one bus line configured to connect one or more electrodes of the interferometric modulators, the at least one bus line comprising substantially solid metal.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein each of the first and second layers comprises dielectric material.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein each of the first and second electrodes comprises metal or metal oxide.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein each of the first and second electrodes comprises zinc oxide or ITO.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein each of the first and second electrodes comprises absorbing metal or absorbing metal oxide.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the second layer is movable between a first and a second position.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the display device blocks out a substantial amount of visible light while the second layer is in the second position.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the display device passes through light of a particular wavelength range while the second layer is in the first position.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the second layer is further movable to a third position.