Candescent Technologies Corporation

Other

The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.

Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Steven T Cho

Jennifer Y Sun

Christopher J Spindt

Alfred S Conte

Theodore S Fahlen

Paul N Ludwig

Marc Steven Weinberg

Robert M Duboc

Christopher J Curtin

Paul A Ward

Kollengode S Narayanan

George B Hopple

David L Morris

Anthony P Schmid

Robert G Neimeyer

Igor L Maslennikov

Robert J Pressley

Anthony S Kourepenis

Eric M Hildebrant

Vasil M Chakarov

Ralph E Hopkins, Iii

Lance C Niles

John K O'Reilly

Anthony J Cooper

Floyd R Pothoven

Robert L Marion

A pair of plate structures ( and ), such as a baseplate structure and a faceplate structure of a flat-panel display, are sealed to each other by first attaching the plate structures to each other, typically at multiple attachment locations, in a non-vacuum environment. The plate structures are then hermetically sealed to each other, typically through an outer wall ( ) or/and typically by gap jumping, in a vacuum environment.

Sealing of plate structures

A getter (,) is situated in an auxiliary compartment (,) of a hollow structure (,and,) having a larger main compartment (,). The auxiliary compartment is situated outside the main compartment and is connected to the main compartment so that the two compartments reach largely the same steady-state compartment pressure. The getter is activated by directing light energy locally through part of the hollow structure and onto the getter. The light energy is typically furnished by a laser beam (,). The getter, typically of the non-evaporable type, is usually inserted as a single piece of gettering material into the auxiliary compartment. The getter normally can be activated/re-activated multiple times in this manner, typically during sealing of different parts of the structure together.

Multi-compartment getter-containing flat-panel device

Portions (40 and 44) of a structure, such as a flat-panel device, are sealed together by a gap-jumping technique in which a sealing area (40S) of one portion is positioned near a matching sealing area (44S) of another portion such that a gap (48) at least partially separates the two sealing areas. The gap typically has an average height of 25 .mu.m or more. With the two portions of the structure so positioned, energy is initially transferred locally to material of a specified one of the portions along part of the gap while the two portions are in a non-vacuum environment to cause material of the two portions to bridge that part of the gap and partially seal the two portions together along the sealing areas. Energy is subsequently transferred locally to material of the specified portion of the structure along the remainder (48A) of the gap while the two portions are in a vacuum environment to cause material of the two portions to bridge the remainder of the gap and complete sealing of the two portions together along the gap. A laser (56) is typically employed in performing at least one of the gap-jumping steps.

Gap jumping to seal structure, typically using combination of vacuum and

A flat-panel device, typically a flat-panel display, contains a main compartment (46) formed with a first plate structure (40), a second plate structure (42), and an outer wall (44) that extends between the plate structures. A getter (94) is situated in an auxiliary compartment (92) formed with an auxiliary wall (96) that contacts the first plate structure outside the main compartment, extends away from the first plate structure and main compartment, bends back towards the second plate structure, and contacts the second plate structure outside the main compartment. Control circuitry (84/86) is typically situated over the first plate structure outside the compartments. The auxiliary compartment does not extend significantly further away from the first plate structure than the control circuitry.

Trenches which reduce or eliminate force and sensitivity associated with proof mass motion normal to the substrate as a result of voltage transients is disclosed. The trenches provide increased separation between interleaved comb electrodes and the substrate, and thereby also reduce the comb lift to drive ratio. The trenches are typically formed directly below the interleaved comb electrodes, but may also be formed below other suspended portions. Trench depth is from 6-10 microns and provides a comb electrode to substrate separation of approximately 8.5-12.5 microns.

Trenches to reduce charging effects and to control out-of-plane

Growing community of inventors

Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Steven T Cho