Texas Instruments Corporation

Vincent C Lopes

Jwei Wien Liu

Michael F Brenner

Steven Monroe Penn

John Charles Ehmke

Bradley Morgan Haskett

Seth Andrian Miller

John Paul Harris, Jr

A light valve assembly comprises a holographic optical element and a light valve that comprises an array of individually addressable pixels. The light valve assemblies can be fabricated on the die level or on a wafer-level.

Light valve assembly with a holographic optical element and a method of making the same

The method of protecting micromechanical structures during a wafer fabrication process. A protective layeris deposited to protect the fragile microstructures during a wafer separation process and a post separation cleanup process. Suitable protective layerstypically are plastic and tend to deform or delaminate when the wafer is sawn. The deformation of the protective overcoat during the saw process destroys the structures it is intended to protect. To prevent deformation of the protective layera brittle layeris deposited on the protective layerto hold the protective layer in place during the saw process. Cured photoresist is a suitable protective layer. The photoresist can be applied to the protective layer using standard processes and cured, typically by baking the photoresist. Once the wafer is separated, the brittle layer may be removed. After the debris created during the saw process is removed, the protective overcoat may be removed. The brittle layerand the protective overcoatmay be removed at the same time. The preceding abstract is submitted with the understanding that it only will be used to assist in determining, from a cursory inspection, the nature and gist of the technical disclosure as described in 37 C.F.R. &#xa7; 1.72(). In no case should this abstract be used for interpreting the scope of any patent claims.

Separating wafers coated with plastic films

A drop-in environmental control material carrier assembly, which improves the performance and lowers the cost of semiconductor packages. The disclosed approach positions the environmental control materials inside the package cavity by means of a drop-in environmental control material carrier assembly, which can hold up to eight materials. In the case of a packaged micromirror, the getters consist of at least three types; i.e., (1) one for absorbing moisture inside the package, (2) one for absorbing adhesive outgassing constituents inside the package, and (3) one for storing the PFDA lubricant used to prevent the micromirror mirrors from sticking. The performance and lifetime of the micromirror devices are improved and the cost of projection display systems, in which these micromirrors are central components, is lowered. The preceding abstract is submitted with the understanding that it only will be used to assist in determining, from a cursory inspection, the nature and gist of the technical disclosure as described in 37 C.F.R. &#xa7; 1.72(b). In no case should this abstract be used for interpreting the scope of any patent claims.

Package with environmental control material carrier

A method of individually packaging a multiplicity of devices, such as a spatial light modulator, before the multiplicity of devices formed on a substrate wafer are separated. The method and structure comprises individually sealing each device while the device is still part of sealed by the combination interposer wafer and a cover or window wafer. After each device is sealed by the combination interposer wafer and cover wafer, the combination cover wafer is sawed through down to the substrate wafer. The sealed devices may then be fully separated by scoring and breaking the substrate wafer.

Method for fabricating a lid for a wafer level packaged optical MEMS device

A method for coating free-standing micromechanical devices using spin-coating. A solution with high solids loading but low viscosity can penetrate the free areas of a micromachined structure. Spinning this solution off the wafer or die results in film formation over the devices without the expected damage from capillary action. If an organic polymer is used as the solid component, the structures may be re-released by a traditional ash process. This method may be used as a process in the manufacture of micromechanical devices to protect released and tested structures, and to overcome stiction-related deformation of micromechanical devices associated with wet release processes.

Re-coating MEMS devices using dissolved resins

A drop-in environmental control material carrier assembly 55, which improves the performance and lowers the cost of semiconductor packages. The environmental control materials are positioned inside the package cavity by means of a drop-in environmental control material carrier assembly 54, which can hold up to eight materials. Three types of environmental control materials are typically used in micromirror packages: (1) one for absorbing moisture inside the package, (2) one for absorbing adhesive outgassing constituents inside the package, and (3) one for storing the PFDA lubricant used to prevent the micromirror mirrors from sticking. The performance and lifetime of the micromirror devices are improved and the cost of projection display systems, in which these micromirrors are central components, is lowered.

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Lucas, TX, United States of America

Vincent C Lopes