Five transistor SRAM cell for small micromirror elements
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorsJames D. Huffman, Rodney D. Miller
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved memory cell (300) for use in applications, such as micromirror arrays, in which little space is available and a slow read-back cycle is tolerated. The memory (300) comprises a first input/output node (314) connected to the input of a first inverter and to the output of a second inverter. The first inverter is comprised of two transistors (304, 306) and drives a signal to a second input/output node (316). The input of the second inverter is connected to the second input/output node (316). When used to drive a typical micromirror cell, the address electrode of the micromirror cell are electrically connected to the first input/output node (314) and the second input/output node (316).
Claims12
A micromirror device comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate;
- at least one memory cell formed in said substrate, said memory cell comprising:
- a first input/output node;
- a first inverter having an input and an output, said input of said first inverter electrically connected to said first input/output node, said output of said first inverter electrically connected to a second input/output node;
- and
- a second inverter having an input and an output, said input of said second inverter electrically connected to said second input/output node, said output of said second inverter electrically connected to said first input/output node;
- at least one address electrode, said at least one address electrode electrically connected to one of said first and second input/output nodes;
- at least one deflectable member supported by said semiconductor substrate, said deflectable member operable to deflect when electrostatically attracted to said at least one address electrode by a voltage differential between said address electrode and said deflectable member.
A memory cell comprising:
- a first input/output node;
- a first inverter having an input and an output, said input of said first inverter electrically connected to said first input/output node, said output of said first inverter electrically connected to a second input/output node;
- and
- a second inverter having an input and an output, said input of said second inverter electrically connected to said second input/output node, said output of said second inverter electrically connected to said first input/output node;
- at least one address electrode, said at least one address electrode electrically connected to one of said first and second input/output nodes;
- at least one deflectable member supported by a semiconductor substrate, said deflectable member operable to deflect when electrostatically attracted to said at least one address electrode by a voltage differential between said address electrode and said deflectable member.
A image projection system comprising:
- a light source for providing a beam of light along a light path;
- a micromirror device on said light path for selectively reflecting portions of said beam of light along a second light path in response to image data signals;
- a controller for providing image data signals to said micromirror device;
- and
- a projection lens on said second light path for focusing said selectively reflected light onto an image plane;
- said micromirror device comprising;
- a semiconductor substrate;
- at least one memory cell fabricated on said semiconductor substrate, said memory cell comprising:
- a first input/output node;
- a first inverter having an input and an output, said input of said first inverter electrically connected to said first input/output node, said output of said first inverter electrically connected to a second input/output node;
- and
- a second inverter having an input and an output, said input of said second inverter electrically connected to said second input/output node, said output of said second inverter electrically connected to said first input/output node;
- at least one address electrode, said at least one address electrode electrically connected to one of said first and second input/output nodes;
- at least one deflectable member supported by said semiconductor substrate, said deflectable member operable to deflect when electrostatically attracted to said at least one address electrode by a voltage differential between said address electrode and said deflectable member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.