Ois Optical Imaging Systems, Inc.

Qualcomm Mems Technologies, Inc.

Pixtronix, Incorporated

Guardian Industries Corporation

Patrick F Brinkley

Gang Xu

Adiel Abileah

Manish Kothari

Mark W Miles

Ion Bita

Jonathan Charles Griffiths

Brian W Arbuckle

Chen-Jean Chou

Nassim Khonsari

Chun-chen Wu

Jasper Lodewyk Steyn

John A Vanderploeg

Wilhelmus Adrianus De Groot

Michael R Jones

Elif Selin Mungan

This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for forming electromechanical systems (EMS) displays where the area of a substrate occupied by a pixel circuit can be reduced if portions of the pixel circuit can be built in three dimensions. In some aspects, certain EMS displays can incorporate structures that are substantially normal to the surface of a substrate. Incorporating circuit components, such as transistors, into such structures, can reduce the area they occupy within the plane of the substrate. In some aspects, the components of a transistor can be fabricated directly into a MEMS anchor that supports a light modulator or a portion of an actuator over the substrate. In some other aspects, the transistor can be fabricated on one or more sidewalls of any MEMS structure.

Thin-film transistors incorporated into three dimensional MEMS structures

A static interferometric image device including a plurality of solidified liquid layers is formed over a substrate by an inkjet process such that the layers are lateral to one another. In some embodiments, the substrate includes pre-defined cavities, and the liquid layers are formed in the cavities. In other embodiments, the substrate includes a substantially planar, stepped, or continuously transitioning surface, and the solidified liquid layers are formed on the surface. Optical fillers or spacers are provided for defining interferometric gaps between absorbers and reflectors in the display device, based at least partially on an image that the display device is designed to display.

Printable static interferometric images

Methods of fabricating a static interferometric image device and static interferometric image device formed by the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes providing a substrate. A plurality of liquid layers are formed over the substrate by an inkjet process such that the layers are lateral to one another. The liquid layers contain a solidifiable material or particles. Then, the plurality of liquid layers are solidified to form a plurality of solid layers. In some embodiments, the substrate includes pre-defined cavities, and the liquid layers are formed in the cavities. In other embodiments, the substrate includes a substantially planar, stepped, or continuously transitioning surface, and the liquid layers are formed on the surface. The inkjet process provides optical fillers or spacers for defining interferometric gaps between absorbers and reflectors in the display device, based at least partially on an image that the display device is designed to display.

A method of fabricating a MEMS device includes conditioning of an insulating layer by applying a voltage across the insulating layer via a conductive sacrificial layer for a period of time, prior to removal of the conductive sacrificial layer. This conditioning process may be used to saturate or stabilize charge accumulated within the insulating layer. The resistance across the insulating layer may also be measured to detect possible defects in the insulating layer.

Electrical conditioning of MEMS device and insulating layer thereof

A multi-colored pixel for a twisted nematic liquid crystal display including red, green, and blue subpixels, wherein each subpixel includes a pair of substrates, a pair of polarizers, opposing electrodes, and a color personalized retardation film which compensates for the different wavelength of each color. The personalized retardation films of the different color subpixels results in elimination of the multi-gap approach and substantially eliminates the problem of different color leakages at different viewing angles, including normal. Also, one polymer based element, preferably a polyimide, functions as both a color filter and a retardation film in certain embodiments of this invention.

Liquid crystal display with optical compensator

A normally white (NW) twisted nematic liquid crystal display (LCD) outputs improved viewing characteristics which are defined by high contrast ratios and/or reduced inversion. The display includes a pair of negative tilted retarders (#2 and #6) located on one side of the liquid crystal layer (#10), each of the tilted retarders including a tilt or incline angle which varies throughout the thickness of the layer. Additionally, one or two negative uniaxial or biaxial retarders (#4 and #7) are provided on the same side of the liquid crystal layer as the tilted retarders. As a result of the particular orientations, alignments, and retardation values described in the different embodiments, the display exhibits improved contrast and reduced inversion.

NW twisted nematic LCD with negative tilted retarders on one side of

Liquid crystal display with patterned retardation films

A liquid crystal display and corresponding method are provided for reducing display image reflections off of a reflection point on an external medium (e.g. cockpit canopy or automotive windshield). A retarder is provided on the front side of the display so that the polarization direction of the display image is substantially parallel to the plane of incidence when the image reaches the reflection point. Additionally, the angle of incidence .THETA..sub.i is substantially matched to the Brewster angle .THETA..sub.p in order to maximize the reduction of reflection at the reflection point. The retarder has a retardation value of from about 220-320 nm according to certain embodiments, and is a 1/2 .lambda. retarder according to preferred embodiments.

LCD with reduced canopy reflection

A liquid crystal display and corresponding method are provided for reducing display image reflections off of a reflection point on an external medium (e.g. cockpit canopy or automotive windshield). A retarder is provided on the front side of the display so that the polarization direction of the display image is substantially parallel to the plane of incidence when the image reaches the reflection point. Additionally, the angle of incidence .THETA..sub.i is substantially matched to the Brewster angle .THETA..sub.P in order to maximize the reduction of reflection at the reflection point. The retarder has a retardation value of from about 220-320 nm according to certain embodiments, and is a 1/2.lambda. retarder according to preferred embodiments.

Growing community of inventors

Bloomfield, MI, United States of America

Patrick F Brinkley