Optical interference display panel and manufacturing method thereof

• US 8,004,736 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2009
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm MEMS Technologies Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lin, Wen-Jian, Arbuckle, Brian, Floyd, Philip, Palmateer, Lauren, Gally, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Choi; William C
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRA, TUYEN Q
• Application Number:
  US12/463,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20090219605A1
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 359/245, 359/246, 359/254, 359/247, 359290-295, 359/298, 359/223, 359/224, 438/253, 438/396
• US Class Current: 359/237
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/045 Optical switches
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 7/0012 Protection against reverse engineering, unauthorised use, use in unintended manner, wrong insertion or pin assignment
• 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 first electrode and a sacrificial layer are sequentially formed on a substrate, and then first openings for forming supports inside are formed in the first electrode and the sacrificial layer. The supports are formed in the first openings, and then a second electrode is formed on the sacrificial layer and the supports, thus forming a micro electro mechanical system structure. Afterward, an adhesive is used to adhere and fix a protection structure to the substrate for forming a chamber to enclose the micro electro mechanical system structure, and at least one second opening is preserved on sidewalls of the chamber. A release etch process is subsequently employed to remove the sacrificial layer through the second opening in order to form cavities in an optical interference reflection structure. Finally, the second opening is closed to seal the optical interference reflection structure between the substrate and the protection structure.

Claims

1. An optical interference display panel, comprising:

a substrate;

a protection structure;

a micro electro mechanical structure comprising a sacrificial layer disposed between a first electrode and a second electrode of the micro electro mechanical structure; and

an adhesive, adhering the protection structure to the substrate to form at least one cavity for enclosing the micro electro mechanical structure, wherein a sidewall of the cavity has an opening for input of an etching reagent used to remove the sacrificial layer and form an optical interference reflection structure.

2. The optical interference display panel of claim 1, wherein the micro electro mechanical structure further comprises:

a plurality of supports, located in the sacrificial layer, for supporting the first electrode and the second electrode.

3. The optical interference display panel of claim 1, wherein the protection structure is a flat protection structure or a U-shaped protection structure.

4. The optical interference display panel of claim 1, wherein the protection structure is a U-shaped protection structure, and the opening is positioned on a sidewall of the U-shaped protection structure.

5. The optical interference display panel of claim 1, wherein the adhesive comprises spacers, and the spacers keep a predetermined distance between the protection structure and the substrate to prevent the protection structure from damaging the optical interference reflection structure.

6. The optical interference display panel of claim 1, wherein the adhesive comprises a UV glue or a thermosetting adhesive.

7. The optical interference display panel of claim 1, wherein the sacrificial layer comprises at least one of the following:

dielectric material, metal, and silicon.

8. The optical interference display panel of claim 1, wherein the opening is located in the adhesive.

9. The optical interference display panel of claim 1, wherein there are two or more openings, and wherein the openings are uniformly distributed in the adhesive.

10. The optical interference display panel of claim 1, wherein the opening includes one whole side between the protection structure to the substrate.

11. The optical interference display panel of claim 1, wherein the micro electro mechanical structure comprises a plurality of pixels.

12. The optical interference display panel of claim 1, wherein the protection structure comprises at least one of the following:

glass, plastic, organic polymer, and inorganic polymer.

13. An electronic display comprising:

a substrate;

a protection structure;

an optical interference structure comprising a sacrificial layer; and

an adhesive, adhering the protection structure to the substrate to form at least one cavity for enclosing the optical interference structure, wherein the adhesive comprises an opening.

14. The display of claim 13, wherein the optical interference structure comprises at least one modulator.

15. The display of claim 13, wherein the optical interference structure comprises a first electrode and a second electrode, and the sacrificial layer is located between the first electrode and the second electrode.

16. The display of claim 13, wherein the protection structure is substantially parallel with the substrate.

17. The display of claim 13, wherein the protection structure is a U-shaped protection structure, and the opening is positioned on a sidewall of the adhesive.

18. The display of claim 13, wherein the optical interference structure comprises one or more pixels.