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US 10,122,300 B2Granted
Row and column actuator control
AssigneeDigitalOptics Corporation MEMS
InventorRoman C. Gutierrez
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In one embodiment, a device is provided that includes: a plurality of actuators arranged into a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns; a plurality of row conductors corresponding to the plurality of rows; a plurality of column conductors corresponding to the plurality of columns; and a controller configured to select at least one of the actuators a row by raising a voltage on the corresponding row conductor to couple each selected actuator to its corresponding column conductor.
Claims21
A device comprising:
- a cascaded electrostatic actuator including a stack of cells in a substrate, each cell having an isolated plate formed from a respective portion of the substrate, each isolated plate being surrounded by a corresponding gap between the isolated plate and another portion of the substrate;
- and
- a controller configured to drive the cascaded electrostatic actuator to open and close selected ones of the gaps by asserting a voltage on selected ones of the isolated plates;
- and wherein
- the actuator including a plurality of flexures coupled to ends of the isolated plates;
- the flexures inhibit relative movement between the isolated plates and the substrate in the vicinity of the flexures;
- and
- the portion of the substrate surrounding a corresponding isolated plate is deformed when the corresponding cell is actuated.
5 more elements
A device comprising:
- a cascaded electrostatic actuator including a stack of cells in a substrate, each cell having an isolated plate formed from a respective portion of the substrate, each isolated plate being surrounded by a corresponding gap between the isolated plate and another portion of the substrate;
- and
- means for independently and selectively actuating ones of the isolated plates to cause selected ones of the gaps to be opened or closed;
- and wherein
- the actuator includes a plurality of flexures coupled to ends of the isolated plates;
- the flexures inhibit relative movement between the isolated plates and the substrate in the vicinity of the flexures;
- and
- the portion of the substrate surrounding a corresponding isolated plate is deformed when the corresponding isolated plate is actuated.
5 more elements
A cascaded electrostatic actuator comprising:
- a conductive substrate having an array of electrostatic cells formed therein, each of the electrostatic cells including a peripheral wall and an open middle portion formed by a respective portion of the substrate;
- a plurality of conductive isolated plates formed in the conductive substrate, each of the isolated plates being formed in the middle portion of an associated one of the electrostatic cells by another portion of the substrate such that a gap surrounds the isolated plate;
- a plurality of flexures coupled to ends of the conductive isolated plates;
- and
- a plurality of control conductors selectively coupled to the plurality of isolated plates, each of the plurality of control conductors being configured to apply a voltage to an associated one of the isolated plates when selectively coupled thereto, whereby application of the voltage causes the substrate to deform and reduce the gap around at least a portion of the associated isolated plate, by creating an attractive force between the peripheral wall and the isolated plate;
- and
- wherein the flexures inhibit relative movement between the conductive isolated plates and the conductive substrate in the vicinity of the flexures.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.