Sculpted micromirror in a digital micromirror device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11977220-B2
Application number	US-202017111309-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 3, 2020
Priority date	Jun 3, 2020
Publication date	May 7, 2024
Grant date	May 7, 2024

Abstract

A digital micromirror device comprises an array of micromirror pixels, the array comprising a first micromirror pixel and a second micromirror pixel. The first micromirror pixel comprises a hinge, where the hinge is configured to tilt toward a first raised address electrode and toward a second raised address electrode. The first micromirror pixel also comprises a first micromirror coupled to the hinge, where the first micromirror has a sculpted edge. The second micromirror pixel comprises a second micromirror, where a first gap between a first point on the sculpted edge and a nearest point to the first point on the second micromirror is larger than a second gap between a second point on the sculpted edge and a nearest point to the second point on the second micromirror.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a digital micromirror device (DMD) comprising an array of micromirror pixels comprising a first micromirror pixel and a second micromirror pixel, the first micromirror pixel comprising:
a hinge, wherein the hinge is configured to tilt toward a first raised address electrode and toward a second raised address electrode; and
a first micromirror coupled to the hinge, wherein the first micromirror has a sculpted edge; and

the second micromirror pixel comprising a second micromirror, wherein a first gap between the sculpted edge and the second micromirror is larger than a second gap between the sculpted edge and the second micromirror while the first micromirror is in a flat state and the second micromirror is in a flat state.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sculpted edge is a first sculpted edge, and wherein a second sculpted edge of the first micromirror is opposite and parallel to the first sculpted edge.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the first micromirror has a third edge and a fourth edge that are each perpendicular to the first sculpted edge and the second sculpted edge, wherein the third edge has a first uniform gap between the third edge and a fourth micromirror, and wherein the fourth edge has a second uniform gap between the fourth edge and a fifth micromirror.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the first micromirror includes a third edge and a fourth edge perpendicular to the first sculpted edge and the second sculpted edge, and wherein the third edge and the fourth edge are sculpted.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sculpted edge includes a tapered section at each end of the sculpted edge and a straight section at a center of the sculpted edge, wherein the straight section is perpendicular to a third edge and a fourth edge of the first micromirror.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein each tapered section is tapered at an angle between approximately 0.5 and 4.0 degrees.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sculpted edge is a first sculpted edge, and wherein the second micromirror has a second sculpted edge, wherein the first sculpted edge and the second sculpted edge are adjacent.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first micromirror is in a first reset group, and the second micromirror is in a second reset group.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first micromirror has a pixel pitch between 7.00 and 8.00 micrometers, and the first gap is between approximately 0.30 and 0.80 micrometers.

10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) memory cell coupled to a first address pad and to a second address pad;
a first raised address electrode coupled to the first address pad, and a second raised address electrode coupled to the second address pad; and
a reset bus coupled to the hinge.

11. A system, comprising:
a digital micromirror device (DMD) comprising:
an array of micromirrors comprising a first micromirror and a second micromirror, wherein the first micromirror is in a first reset group and the second micromirror is in a second reset group, wherein the first micromirror has a first sculpted edge, the second micromirror has a second sculpted edge, the first sculpted edge facing the second sculpted edge, wherein the first sculpted edge and the second sculpted edge are configured to create a first gap and a second gap between the first micromirror and the second micromirror, and wherein the first gap is larger than the second gap; and
a reset bus, wherein the reset bus is configured to provide a micromirror clocking pulse to the first reset group.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first gap occurs at a center of the first sculpted edge, and the second gap occurs at an end of the first sculpted edge.

13. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:
a projection lens; and
a light source configured to project light onto the DMD, wherein the DMD is configured to reflect the light to the projection lens.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first micromirror is a rectangular micromirror having four sculpted edges.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first sculpted edge includes a tapered section at each end of the first sculpted edge and a straight section at a center of the first sculpted edge, wherein the straight section is perpendicular to a third edge and a fourth edge of the first micromirror.

16. A method, comprising:
storing data in a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) memory cell coupled to a micromirror pixel in a digital micromirror device (DMD), where the micromirror pixel comprises a first micromirror;
receiving a micromirror clocking pulse at the first micromirror via a reset bus, wherein the first micromirror has a first sculpted edge; and
landing the first micromirror in a first state, the first state based on the data stored in the CMOS memory cell, wherein landing the first micromirror comprises landing the first sculpted edge facing a second sculpted edge of a second micromirror, wherein:
the first sculpted edge and the second sculpted edge are configured to provide a first gap and a second gap between the first micromirror and the second micromirror, wherein the first gap is larger than the second gap.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first micromirror is in a first reset group and the second micromirror is in a second reset group.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first gap occurs at a center of the first sculpted edge, and the second gap occurs at an end of the first sculpted edge.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first sculpted edge includes a tapered section at each end of the first sculpted edge and a straight section at a center of the first sculpted edge, wherein the straight section is perpendicular to a third edge and a fourth edge of the first micromirror.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein each tapered section is tapered at an angle between 0.5 and 4.0 degrees.

Assignees

• Texas Instruments Inc

Inventors

• Mcdonald William Craig
• Hall James Norman
• Bartlett Terry Alan

Classifications

• G02B26/0833 Primary

  the reflecting element being a micromechanical device, e.g. a MEMS mirror, DMD (G02B26/0825 takes precedence; micromechanical devices in general B81B) · CPC title

• B81B3/0056

  Adjusting the distance between two elements, at least one of them being movable, e.g. air-gap tuning · CPC title

• B81B3/0078

  Constitution or structural means for improving mechanical properties not provided for in B81B3/007 - B81B3/0075 · CPC title

• B81B3/0086

  Electrical characteristics, e.g. reducing driving voltage, improving resistance to peak voltage · CPC title

• B81B7/0022

  Protection against electrostatic discharge (circuit arrangements for protecting electronic switching circuits used for pulse technique against overcurrent or overvoltage H03K17/08; electrostatic discharge protection for electronic semiconductor circuits H10D89/60) · CPC title