Methods of fabricating interferometric modulators by selectively removing a material
AssigneeIdc, LLC
InventorsMing-Hau Tung, Philip D. Floyd, Brian W. Arbuckle
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods for making MEMS devices such as interferometric modulators involve selectively removing a sacrificial portion of a material to form an internal cavity, leaving behind a remaining portion of the material to form a post structure. The material may be blanket deposited and selectively altered to define sacrificial portions that are selectively removable relative to the remaining portions. Alternatively, a material layer can be laterally recessed away from openings in a covering layer. These methods may be used to make unreleased and released interferometric modulators.
Claims22
A method for making a MEMS device comprising:
- depositing a material over a first electrode layer;
- selectively altering a portion of the material to define a sacrificial portion of the material and a remaining portion of the material;
- forming a second electrode layer over the material;
- and
- selectively removing the sacrificial portion of the material to thereby form a cavity and a support structure of the MEMS device, the support structure comprising the remaining portion of the material, the second electrode layer comprising a moveable layer supported by the support structure;
- wherein the material is a radiation-sensitive polymer;
- and
- wherein the step of selectively altering a portion of the material comprises irradiating a portion of the radiation-sensitive polymer to thereby form an irradiated portion of the radiation-sensitive polymer and a non-irradiated portion of the radiation-sensitive polymer.
An unreleased MEMS substrate comprising a material, the MEMS substrate being configured so that a sacrificial portion of the material is removable to form a cavity;
- and the MEMS substrate being further configured so that a remaining portion of the material forms a post structure of an interferometric modulator upon removal of the sacrificial portion, wherein the sacrificial portion of the material is compositionally distinct from the remaining portion of the material;
- and
- wherein the material comprises a polymer and the sacrificial portion of the polymer has a degree of crosslinking that is different from the remaining portion of the polymer.
A method for making an interferometric modulator, the interferometric modulator comprising at least a first mirror, a second mirror separated from the first mirror by a cavity, and a post structure positioned at a side of the cavity and configured to support the second mirror spaced from the first mirror, the method comprising:
- providing a substrate, the substrate having a first area configured to underlie the first mirror and a second area configured to underlie the post structure;
- depositing a first mirror layer over at least the first area;
- depositing a material over the first area and over the second area;
- selectively altering by irradiation at least one selected from the group consisting of the material over the first area and the material over the second area;
- and
- depositing a second mirror layer over at least the material over the first area;
- the material over the first area being removable to thereby form the cavity and the post structure, where the post structure comprises the material over the second area;
- wherein the material is a radiation-sensitive polymer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.