Highly reflective MEMS device
First Claim
1. An interference-based MEMS device, comprising:
- a lower substrate including a substrate electrode;
a lower membrane spaced apart from the lower substrate by a lower gap, the lower membrane including a lower membrane electrode;
an upper membrane located on a side of the lower membrane opposite the lower substrate and spaced apart from the lower membrane by an upper gap, the upper membrane including an upper membrane electrode; and
control circuitry configured to provide control voltages to the electrodes of the lower substrate, the lower membrane and the upper membrane to change the dimensions of the lower gap and the upper gap to control the reflective properties of the device with respect to light incident upon the lower substrate.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An interference-based MEMS device having a lower substrate including a substrate electrode; a lower membrane spaced apart from the lower substrate by a lower gap, the lower membrane including a lower membrane electrode; an upper membrane located on a side of the lower membrane opposite the lower substrate and spaced apart from the lower membrane by an upper gap, the upper membrane including an upper membrane electrode; and control circuitry configured to provide control voltages to the electrodes of the lower substrate, the lower membrane and the upper membrane to change the dimensions of the lower gap and the upper gap to control the reflective properties of the device with respect to light incident upon the lower substrate.
8 Citations
17 Claims
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1. An interference-based MEMS device, comprising:
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a lower substrate including a substrate electrode; a lower membrane spaced apart from the lower substrate by a lower gap, the lower membrane including a lower membrane electrode; an upper membrane located on a side of the lower membrane opposite the lower substrate and spaced apart from the lower membrane by an upper gap, the upper membrane including an upper membrane electrode; and control circuitry configured to provide control voltages to the electrodes of the lower substrate, the lower membrane and the upper membrane to change the dimensions of the lower gap and the upper gap to control the reflective properties of the device with respect to light incident upon the lower substrate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of controlling an interference-based MEMS device, the device including a lower substrate including a substrate electrode;
- a lower membrane spaced apart from the lower substrate by a lower gap, the lower membrane including a lower membrane electrode;
an upper membrane located on a side of the lower membrane opposite the lower substrate and spaced apart from the lower membrane by an upper gap, the upper membrane including an upper membrane electrode; and
control circuitry configured to provide control voltages to the electrodes of the lower substrate, the lower membrane and the upper membrane to change the dimensions of the lower gap and the upper gap to control the reflective properties of the device with respect to light incident upon the lower substrate, the method comprising;during a first mode of operation reducing the dimension of the lower gap to zero such that the lower membrane is held in contact with the lower substrate, and controlling the dimension of the upper gap to control a colour of light reflected by the device, wherein colours of reflected light requiring multiple peaks in the visible spectrum are provided by rapidly varying the dimension of the upper gap so as to be perceived by a viewer as a single colour; during a second mode of operation reducing the dimension of the upper gap to zero such that the upper membrane is held in contact with the lower membrane, and controlling the intensity of light reflected by the device by controlling the dimension of the lower gap, wherein levels of grey scale are provided by rapidly varying the dimension of the lower gap so as to be perceived by a viewer as a single grey scale level; and time sequentially combining the first and second modes of operation so as to be perceived by a viewer to produce an unsaturated colour of light reflected by the device.
- a lower membrane spaced apart from the lower substrate by a lower gap, the lower membrane including a lower membrane electrode;
Specification