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US 8,558,250 B2Granted
Displays with embedded MEMS sensors and related methods
AssigneeArizona Board of Regents, A Body Corporate of the State of Arizona Acting for and On Behalf of Arizona State University
InventorsSameer M. Venugopal, Narendra V. Lakamraju
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Embodiments of displays with embedded MEMS sensors and related methods are described herein. Other embodiments and related methods are also disclosed herein.
Claims38
A semiconductor device, comprising:
- a substrate;
- a first MEMS device of one or more MEMS devices over the substrate;
- a pixel array over the substrate, the pixel array comprising one or more pixels;
- and
- a display comprising at least a portion of the one or more pixels of the pixel array;
- and
- one or more pressure sensors;
- wherein:
- a first pressure sensor of the one or more pressure sensors comprises the first MEMS device;
- the first pressure sensor is configured to detect when the display is contacted proximate to the first pressure sensor;
- the first MEMS device comprises:
- a capacitor having:
- an electrically conductive material located over the substrate;
- a sensor membrane movably suspended over the electrically conductive material;
- and
- a first dielectric located over the electrically conductive material and under the sensor membrane;
- and
- a round wall structure configured to support the sensor membrane over a gap between the electrically conductive material and the sensor membrane;
- and
- the sensor membrane is configured to move towards the electrically conductive material when the display is contacted proximate to the first pressure sensor.
17 more elements
A method comprising:
- providing a substrate;
- forming a pixel array over the substrate, the pixel array comprising one or more pixels;
- forming a MEMS array over the substrate;
- providing a display comprising at least a portion of the one or more pixels;
- and
- providing one or more pressure sensors;
- wherein:
- forming the MEMS array over the substrate comprises:
- forming at least a first MEMS device of the one or more MEMS devices;
- a first pressure sensor of the one or more pressure sensors comprises the first MEMS device;
- the first pressure sensor is configured to detect when the display is contacted proximate to the first pressure sensor;
- the first MEMS device comprises:
- a capacitor having:
- an electrically conductive layer over the substrate;
- a sensor membrane movably suspended over the electrically conductive layer;
- and
- a first dielectric located over the electrically conductive layer and under the sensor membrane;
- and
- a round wall structure configured to support the sensor membrane over a gap between the electrically conductive layer and the sensor membrane;
- and
- the sensor membrane is configured to move towards the electrically conductive layer when the display is contacted proximate to the first pressure sensor.
18 more elements
A semiconductor device, comprising:
- a substrate;
- a first MEMS device of one or more MEMS devices over the substrate;
- a pixel array over the substrate, the pixel array comprising one or more pixels;
- and
- one or more pressure sensors;
- wherein:
- a first pressure sensor of the one or more pressure sensors comprises the first MEMS device;
- the first MEMS device comprises a capacitor having:
- an electrically conductive material located over the substrate;
- a sensor membrane movably suspended over the electrically conductive material;
- and
- a round wall structure configured to support the sensor membrane over a gap between the electrically conductive material and the sensor membrane;
- and
- the sensor membrane is configured to move towards the electrically conductive material when the display is contacted proximate to the first pressure sensor.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.