Daewoo Electronics Co., Ltd.

Jae-Hyuk Chung

Myung-Kwon Koo

Yong-Ki Min

You-Kwang Kim

An inventive method for the manufacture of a thin film actuated mirror array comprises the steps of: preparing an active matrix including a substrate, an array of switching devices and an array of connecting terminals; forming a first sacrificial layer including an array of empty cavities; forming an array of actuating structures, each of the actuating structures including an elastic member, a lower electrode, an electrodisplacive member, an upper electrode and a via contact; forming a second sacrificial layer including an array of empty slots; forming an array of mirrors; removing the first and the second sacrificial layer to thereby form the thin film actuated mirror array. The use of a poly-Si as the material for the first and the second sacrificial layers will ensure an easy flattening thereof and an easy removal thereof, resulting an increased otpical efficiency in the thin film actuated mirror thus formed.

Method for the manufacture of a thin film actuated mirror array

An inventive method for the manufacture of an array of thin film actuated mirrors includes the steps of: providing an active matrix; forming a plurality of insulating layers having a planarized top surface on top of the active matrix; forming a thin film sacrificial layer having an array of empty cavities on the planarized top surface of the plurality of insulating layers; forming an array of actuating structures on top of the thin film sacrificial layer including the empty cavities, each of the actuating structures including a first thin film electrode, a thin film electrodisplacive member, a second thin film electrode, an elastic member and a conduit; and removing the thin film sacrificial layer, thereby forming the array of thin film actuated mirrors. Since the thin film layers constituting each of the actuating structures are formed on the planarized top surface of the insulating layers, the thin film layers constituting each of the actuating structures are flat, allowing the first thin film electrode placed on top thereof, which also acts as a mirror, to have a flat top surface, thereby increasing the overall optical efficiency and performance of the array.

Method for manufacturing a thin film actuated mirror having a flat light

A method for manufacturing an array of M.times.N thin film actuated mirrors includes the steps of: providing an active matrix; forming a thin film sacrificial layer; creating an array of empty slots with sharp edges in the thin film sacrificial layer; rounding off the sharp edges; forming supporting members; depositing an elastic layer; forming conduits; forming a second thin film layer; depositing a thin film electrodisplacive layer; patterning the thin film electrodisplacive and the second thin film layers into an array of thin film electrodisplacive members and second thin film electrodes; depositing an insulating layer; patterning the insulating and the elastic layers into an array of insulating and elastic members; removing the thin film sacrificial layer, thereby providing driving spaces; forming a photoresist layer, the photoresist also filling the driving spaces; removing the photoresist layer and the insulating members formed on top of each of the thin film electrodisplacive members; and forming a first thin film electrode on top of each of the thin film electrodisplacive members thereby forming the array of M.times.N thin film actuated mirrors.

Method for manufacturing an array of thin film actuated mirrors

An inventive method for the manufacture of an array of M.times.N thin film actuated mirrors for use in an optical projection system includes the steps of: providing an active matrix; depositing a thin film sacrificial layer; creating an array of empty cavities in the thin film sacrificial layer; depositing an elastic layer; forming an array of conduits in the elastic layer; depositing a second thin film, a thin film electrodisplacive and a first thin film layers, successively; patterning the first thin film, the thin film electrodisplacive, the second thin film and the elastic layers, thereby forming an array of actuated mirror structures; forming a thin film protection layer completely covering each of the actuated mirror structures; removing the thin film sacrificial layer by using an etchant; rinsing away the etchant by using a rinse; removing the rinse by drying in a vacuum or by using a spin drying method; and removing the thin film protection layer, thereby forming the array of M.times.N thin film actuated mirrors.

Growing community of inventors

Seoul, South Korea

Jae-Hyuk Chung