Full color range interferometric modulation

• US 7,999,995 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2009
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hashimura, Akinori, Voutsas, Apostolos T., Tweet, Douglas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lester; Evelyn A.
• Application Number:
  US12/568,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20110075245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 359/223, 359/224, 359290-292, 359/295, 359/298, 359/316, 345/108, 345/85, 348/770, 348/771
• 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

Abstract

A full color range analog controlled interferometric modulation device is provided. The device includes a transparent substrate, and a transparent fixed-position electrically conductive electrode with a bottom surface overlying the substrate. A transparent spacer overlies the fixed-position electrode, and an induced absorber overlies the spacer. An optically reflective electrically conductive moveable membrane overlies the induced absorber. A cavity is formed between the induced absorber and the moveable membrane having a maximum air gap dimension less than the spacer thickness. In one aspect, the distance from the top surface of the fixed-position electrode to a cavity lower surface is at least twice as great as the cavity maximum air gap dimension. In another aspect, at least one anti-reflective coating (ARC) layer is interposed between the substrate and the fixed-position electrode, and at least one ARC layer is interposed between the fixed-position electrode and the spacer.

Claims

1. A full color range analog controlled interferometric modulation device comprising:

a transparent substrate;

a transparent fixed-position electrically conductive electrode with a bottom surface overlying the substrate;

a transparent spacer with a thickness overlying the fixed-position electrode;

an induced absorber overlying the spacer;

an optically reflective electrically conductive moveable membrane overlying the induced absorber;

a cavity with a maximum air gap dimension between the induced absorber and the moveable membrane; and

,

wherein the spacer thickness is greater than the cavity maximum air gap dimension.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the fixed-position electrode has a top surface, and the distance from the top surface to a cavity lower surface is at least twice as great as the cavity maximum air gap dimension.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the cavity air dimension is controlled by applying a voltage between the moveable membrane and the fixed-position electrode.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the device accepts a full spectrum light and selectively reflects every pure color in the visible spectrum, where a pure color exhibits a single peak in the visible spectrum, and where each color is responsive to a corresponding cavity air gap dimension.

5. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

a first anti-reflective coating (ARC) layer interposed between the substrate and the fixed-position electrode; and

,

a second ARC layer interposed between the fixed-position electrode and the spacer.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein the first and second ARC layers have thicknesses;

and,

wherein the fixed position electrode reflects less than 1% of light in the visible spectrum in response to the first and second ARC layer thicknesses and indices of refraction.

7. The device of claim 5 wherein the substrate is glass;

wherein the fixed-position electrode is indium tin oxide (ITO); and

,

wherein the first and second ARC layers have an index of refraction value in between the indices of refraction for glass and ITO.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein the first and second ARC layers are silicon oxynitride (SiOxNy).

9. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of ARC layers interposed between the substrate and the fixed-position electrode; and

,

a plurality of ARC layers interposed between the fixed-position electrode and the spacer.

10. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

a first SiOx₁Ny₁ ARC layer overlying the substrate;

a first SiOx₂Ny₂ ARC layer overlying the first SiOx₁Ny₁ ARC layer;

a second SiOx₂Ny₂ ARC layer overlying the fixed-position electrode; and

,

a second SiOx₁Ny₁ ARC layer overlying the second SiOx₂Ny₂ ARC layer.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the moveable membrane is a metal selected from a group consisting of aluminum (Al), silver (Ag), molybdenum, molybdenum alloy, chromium, and combinations of the above-mentioned metals.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein the induced absorber includes:

a first optical admittance matching layer overlying the spacer;

an optical absorbing layer overlying the first matching layer; and

,

a second optical admittance matching layer overlying the absorbing layer.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein the spacer is a material selected from a group consisting of silicon oxide and glass.

14. A method for selectively reflecting pure colors in the visible spectrum using an analog controlled interferometric modulation device, the method comprising:

providing an interferometric device having a transparent spacer overlying a fixed-position electrode, an induced absorber overlying the spacer, a cavity overlying the induced absorber, and a moveable membrane electrode overlying the cavity, where the distance from a top surface of the fixed-position electrode to a bottom surface of the cavity is greater than a cavity maximum air gap dimension;

accepting a full color light spectrum;

applying a first voltage to the electrodes;

in response to the first voltage, forming a first air gap dimension between the electrodes;

reflecting a first color in a visible light spectrum;

applying a second voltage to the electrodes, different than the first voltage;

in response to the second voltage, forming a second air gap dimension between the electrodes; and

reflecting a second color in the visible light spectrum.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

applying a sequence of unique voltages to the electrodes;

in response to the sequence of voltages, sequentially forming a corresponding plurality of air gap dimensions between the electrodes; and

sequentially reflecting a corresponding plurality of colors in the visible light spectrum.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein sequentially reflecting the corresponding plurality of colors in the visible light spectrum includes sequentially reflecting red, blue, and green colors of light.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

applying a third voltage between the electrodes, different than the first and second voltages;

in response to the third voltage, closing the air gap dimension between the electrodes; and

reflecting a black color.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein reflecting the first and second colors in the visible light spectrum includes generating a color hue in response to time-domain multiplexing the first and second voltages.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein providing the interferometric device includes providing a distance between the fixed-position electrode top surface and the cavity lower surface that is at least twice as great as the maximum cavity air gap dimension.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein providing the interferometric device includes providing a spacer made from a material selected from a group consisting of glass and silicon oxide.

21. The method of claim 14 wherein providing the interferometric device includes providing:

at least one anti-reflective coating (ARC) layer interposed between the substrate and the fixed-position electrode; and

,

at least one ARC layer interposed between the fixed-position electrode and the spacer.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein providing the interferometric device includes providing first and second ARC layers have thicknesses;

and,

wherein reflecting the first and second colors includes reflecting less than 1% light in the visible spectrum from the fixed-position electrode in response to the first and second ARC layer thicknesses and indices of refraction.