Photonic mems and structures

An arc-lamp structure comprising a monolithic fabrication on a planar substrate, the fabrication comprising deposited thin films and/or a material of the substrate, the fabrication including thin film electrodes between which an arc is to be formed.

Apparatus comprising

• a reflective display comprising pixel elements each configured to contribute a controlled amount of white and saturated color, and
• a controller that controls the pixels to provide a full-color display.

An electronic product comprising

• a core non-general-purpose processor that is reconfigurable to perform any selected one or more of multiple software applications or functions, and
• a control element that enables a user to reconfigure the processor to use any of the software applications or functions.

An interferometric modulator comprising

• a cavity that provides for actuation of the modulator, and
• a separate cavity that provides an interference effect.

An interferometric modulator comprising a structure associated with actuation of the modulator, and

• an interferometric cavity having walls,
• the structure being obscured by at least one of the walls of the interferometric cavity.

An interferometric modulator comprising

• a thin film stack, and
• a structure associated with actuation of the modulator, the structure being deposited directly upon the thin film stack, interference of the structure and the stack causing the stack to reflect minimal amounts of light.

An interferometric modulator comprising

• a movable wall that
• is configured as a spiral by induced residual stresses, in one mode of operation, and
• is un-rolled to form a plate which acts interferometrically on light in another mode of operation.

A micromechanical switch comprising

• a supporting substrate, and
• a movable component that effects switching by motion in a plane parallel to a plane of the substrate.

A dynamic micromechanical structure comprising a structure having an index of refraction that varies in a periodic fashion along more than one of at least two orthogonal axis.

A process for fabricating multi-dimensional photonic structures in conjunction with microelectromechanical structures, the process comprising

• holographic patterning or polymeric self-assembly processes or self-organizing particle suspensions.

A process for introducing defects into multidimensional photonic structures, the process comprising

• using a beam of atomic or sub-atomic particles to modify part of the photonic structure, by the addition or removal of material, by alteration of optical properties of a material or, by using micro-electrodeposition to add material.

A process for introducing defects into a multidimensional photonic structure, the process forming features on surface of a substrate, the features configured to provide locations for development of defects in a later formed photonic structure.

A device comprising

• a substrate,
• an interferometric modulator fabricated on the substrate, the interferometric modulator configured to modulate light propagating within the substrate upon which it is fabricated, in a direction that is generally parallel to the surface of the substrate.

A device comprising a substrate and a metalllic MEM structure formed on the substrate, the MEM structure being configured to modulate light that is propagating as guided waves.

A dynamic micromechanical structure comprising a substrate, and a reflecting optic on the substrate, the reflecting optic when actuated, re-directing light which is incident upon it and is propagating within the substrate, towards another optical structure.

A static microfabricated structure comprising a substrate and a mirror fabricated on or in close proximity to the substrate, the mirror being configured to redirect light that is incident upon it and is propagating within the substrate.

An optical switch comprising

• a dynamic micromechanical structure comprising a reflecting optic and a fixed micro-structure incorporating a reflecting optic,
• the two structures being fabricated on opposite sides of a substrate/waveguide,
• the reflecting optics being oriented such that when a beam of light propagating within the substrate/waveguide is incident upon the dynamic structure in an actuated state, the optical path of the combined reflecting optics allows the path of the light's propagation within the substrate/waveguide to be altered arbitrarily.

An optical device comprising

• micromechanical structures configured to process light is propagating within a substrate/waveguide, and an optical or electronic device configured to thereafter intercept or manipulate the light.

An optical path repositioning device comprising a patterned block of dielectric material deposited upon the surface of a substrate/waveguide.

A process for fabricating micromechanical structures comprising

• feeding a continuous web of a plastic supporting substrate through a series of tools for depositing, patterning, and etching deposited films.

A method of measuring a residual stress of deposited materials that comprise an interferometric cavity which is deformed by the deposition of the materials to be measured, the method comprising determining the deformation of the microstructure by measuring a pattern of wavelengths of light reflected by the cavity.

A dynamic micromechanical structure comprising a a dielectric, metallic, or semiconducting film which is discontinuous, the optical properties of said film differing from those of a continuous film because of the discontinuity.

A dynamic micromechanical structure comprising a a dielectric, metallic, or semiconducting film which has been etched in such a way as to produce a continuous variation in the optical properties of the film through its depth.