Electric display device
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsCarl O. Bozler, Steven Rabe
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A bistable electrostatic light valve display in which a movable electrode is disposed opposite a fixed electrode and is biased to move in a preferred direction upon application of an electric field across the electrodes to produce a light valve or light shutter. In one embodiment, the movable electrode is restrained at one end and coils about the fixed end in a preferential roll direction. The bias is achieved by inducing anisotropic stress or anisotropic stiffness. In another embodiment, the moveable electrode is restrained at both ends and is biased upwardly by anisotropic stress or stiffening.
Claims23
An electrostatic light valve comprising:
- a) a fixed electrode formed on a substrate;
- b) a first high resistance layer on said fixed electrode;
- c) a movable electrode formed with an anisotropic stress in a predetermined direction and disposed adjacent said fixed electrode with a second high resistive layer formed between the movable electrode and the first high resistance layer;
- and
- d) wherein the fixed electrode, high resistance layers and movable electrode are portions of a monolithic thin film structure and the movable electrode is formed of two layers of metal, one of which is nearer the substrate and is formed with compressive stress and the other of which is formed with tensile stress.
An electrostatic light valve comprising:
- a) a fixed electrode formed on a substrate;
- b) a first high resistance layer on said fixed electrode;
- c) a movable electrode formed adjacent said fixed electrode and coiled in a roll after formation and anisotropically stressed in the direction of roll with a second high resistive layer formed between the movable electrode and the first high resistance layer:
- and
- d) wherein the fixed electrode, high resistance layers and movable electrode are portions of a monolithic thin film structure and the movable electrode is formed of two layers of metal, one of which is nearer the substrate and is formed with compressive stress and the other of which is formed with tensile stress.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.