Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for electromechanical systems variable capacitance devices. In one aspect, an electromechanical systems variable capacitance device includes a substrate with a bottom bias electrode on the substrate. A first radio frequency electrode above the bottom bias electrode defines a first air gap. A non-planarized first dielectric layer is between the bottom bias electrode and the first radio frequency electrode. A metal layer above the first radio frequency electrode defines a second air gap. The metal layer includes a top bias electrode and a second radio frequency electrode.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for providing illumination by using light turning features in a light guide. In an aspect, an illumination system is provided with a light guide configured to support propagation of light along the length of the light guide. The light guide includes a light turning feature formed by an indentation in the light guide. A coating layer is disposed along surfaces of the indentation and the volume of the indentation over the coating is filled with a filler. The filler substantially fills the indentation to an upper surface of the light turning feature and is spaced apart from the light guide. The light guide is configured to provide total internal reflection of light at the upper surface of the light guide. Light from a light source can be injected into the light guide and then redirected by the turning features to illuminate a display.

Abstract: This disclosure provides apparatus, systems and methods for manufacturing electromechanical systems (EMS) packages. One method includes making an EMS package that includes an out-gassable anti-stiction coating. The anti-stiction coating may be a solvent that is included within part of a desiccant mixture. In some implementations, the method includes sealing an EMS device into a package and then heating the package using a temperature profile that out-gasses at least a portion of a residual solvent. The method may include an incubation bake cycle to distribute anti stiction material to display elements within the EMS package. The incubation bake cycle may also more evenly distribute contaminants within the EMS package so as to reduce their effects.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for reducing artifacts in an image generated by a display device. In one aspect, data is written to a display and a position of display elements is maintained based on the application of a bias voltage pattern. The bias voltage pattern includes alternating polarities along one dimension in a pattern having a first frequency spectrum, and alternating polarities along a second dimension in a pattern having a second frequency spectrum that is different than the first frequency spectrum. At least one of the first and second frequency spectrums may include a plurality of frequency components.

Abstract: This disclosure describes systems, methods, and apparatus for increasing the frame rate of a display, while maintaining or improving image resolution. In one aspect, displays may include a plurality of pixels arranged along segment lines and common lines, and the common lines may be associated with one or more colors. In one implementation, one set of common lines is written independently of the other common lines, and at least one other set of common lines is written simultaneously. The resolution is preserved by the independent writing of one set of common lines, while the frame rate is increased by the line multiplication of another set of common lines.

Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, are used for driving a display. In one aspect, the method includes connecting a first segment line to a first voltage, connecting a second segment line to a second voltage, and connecting the least a first segment line to the second segment line through at least one inductor. The polarities of segment line voltages may therefore be switched by reusing energy in the system.

Abstract: An interferometric modulator (Imod) cavity has a reflector and an induced absorber. A direct view reflective flat panel display may include an array of the modulators. Adjacent spacers of different thicknesses are fabricated on a substrate by a lift-off technique used to pattern the spacers which are deposited separately, each deposition providing a different thickness of spacer. Or a patterned photoresist may be used to allow for an etching process to selectively etch back the thickness of a spacer which was deposited in a single deposition. A full-color static graphical image may be formed of combined patterns of interferometric modulator cavities. Each cavity includes a reflector, and an induced absorber, the induced absorber including a spacer having a thickness that defines a color associated with the cavity.

Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus are provided for electromechanical systems devices having a non-uniform gap under a mechanical layer. An electromechanical systems device includes a movable element supported at its edges over a substrate by at least two support structures. The movable element can be spaced from the substrate by a gap having two or more different heights in two or more corresponding distinct regions. The gap has a first height in a first region below the gap, such as an active area of the device, and a second height in a second region adjacent the support structure. In an interferometric modulator implementation, the second region can be encompasses within an anchor region with a black mask.

Abstract: This disclosure provides photovoltaic apparatus and methods of forming the same. In one implementation, a photovoltaic device includes an anode contact structure, a cathode contact structure, and an inorganic solar cell disposed between the anode and cathode contact structures. The inorganic solar cell includes a p-type photovoltaic layer, an n-type photovoltaic layer, and one or more minority carrier blocking layers for improving the efficiency of the solar cell by preventing minority carriers within the solar cell from reaching interface recombination surfaces associated with the anode and cathode contact structures.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for reducing perceived color shift as a function of viewing angle is disclosed. One embodiment is a display device that includes a color light modulator and a color filter. The filter is configured to filter wavelengths of light that would be perceived as color shifted light when reflected by the modulator at an off-axis viewing angle. Another embodiment includes a color light modulator and a color light source configured to provide light having a spectral content that lacks the wavelengths that would be perceived as color shifted light by a view of the display at an off-axis viewing angle. Another embodiment are methods of making such display devices.

Abstract: An interference modulator (Imod) incorporates anti-reflection coatings and/or micro-fabricated supplemental lighting sources. An efficient drive scheme is provided for matrix addressed arrays of IMods or other micromechanical devices. An improved color scheme provides greater flexibility. Electronic hardware can be field reconfigured to accommodate different display formats and/or application functions. An IMod's electromechanical behavior can be decoupled from its optical behavior. An improved actuation means is provided, some one of which may be hidden from view. An IMod or IMod array is fabricated and used in conjunction with a MEMS switch or switch array. An IMod can be used for optical switching and modulation. Some IMods incorporate 2-D and 3-D photonic structures. A variety of applications for the modulation of light are discussed. A MEMS manufacturing and packaging approach is provided based on a continuous web fed process.

Abstract: Electromechanical systems dilation mode resonator (DMR) structures are disclosed. The DMR includes a first electrode layer, a second electrode layer, and a piezoelectric layer formed of a piezoelectric material. The piezoelectric layer has dimensions including a lateral distance (D), in a plane of an X axis and a Y axis perpendicular to the X axis, and a thickness (T), along a Z axis perpendicular to the X axis and the Y axis. A numerical ratio of the thickness and the lateral distance, T/D, is configured to provide a mode of vibration of the piezoelectric layer with displacement along the Z axis and along the plane of the X axis and the Y axis responsive to a signal provided to one or more of the electrodes. Ladder filter circuits can be constructed with DMRs as series and/or shunt elements, and the resonators can have spiral configurations.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for fabricating spacers for electromechanical systems devices. In one aspect, a method of forming a spacer on a spacer portion of a device surface of an electromechanical systems device includes exposing the device surface to spacer particles suspended in a fluid. The spacer particles are allowed to attach to the spacer portion. Each of the spacer particles can have at least one dimension of about 1 micron to 10 microns. The electromechanical systems device can also include a sacrificial layer that is subsequently removed between the device surface and a substrate surface of a substrate on which the electromechanical systems device is formed.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for a touch screens configured to determine a position of a touch event by selectively redirecting light to correlated locations on a light sensor. In one aspect, the touch screen apparatus can include a light guide forming a touch interface, a light source for injecting light into the light guide, a light sensor for detecting the injected light, and a pixilated light-turning layer. The pixilated light-turning layer can include a plurality of light-turning features forming pixels. The pixels can receive incident light corresponding to the emitted light scattered by an object contacting the light guide. The pixels can redirect the incident scattered light towards the light sensor such that light selectively propagates to one or more correlated light receiving locations. A processor can map the light receiving location to an area contacted by the object, thereby determining a position of a touch event.

Abstract: Electromechanical systems dilation mode resonator (DMR) structures are disclosed. The DMR includes a first electrode layer, a second electrode layer, and a piezoelectric layer formed of a piezoelectric material. The piezoelectric layer has dimensions including a lateral distance (D), in a plane of an X axis and a Y axis perpendicular to the X axis, and a thickness (T), along a Z axis perpendicular to the X axis and the Y axis. A numerical ratio of the thickness and the lateral distance, T/D, is configured to provide a mode of vibration of the piezoelectric layer with displacement along the Z axis and along the plane of the X axis and the Y axis responsive to a signal provided to one or more of the electrodes. Ladder filter circuits can be constructed with DMRs as series and/or shunt elements, and the resonators can have spiral configurations.

Abstract: Various devices and methods of lighting a display are disclosed. In one embodiment, for example, a display device includes a transmissive display configured to be illuminated through a back surface and a reflective display configured to be illuminated through a front surface. A light source is disposed with respect to the back of the transmissive display to illuminate the transmissive display through the back surface. A light pipe is disposed with respect to the light source to receive light from the light source and is configured to propagate the light such that this light provides front illumination of the reflective display.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing MEMS devices with integrated desiccant are provided. In one embodiment, a dry composition comprising desiccant is impact sprayed onto the backplate or substrate of a MEMS device, and becomes fused with the substrate. In another embodiment, the desiccant is impact sprayed such that the desiccant adheres to the impact sprayed surface. In yet another embodiment, the impact-sprayed surface is impregnated with the desiccant. In still another embodiment, the desiccant is combined with a suitable inorganic binder, then impact sprayed such that the desiccant adheres to the impact sprayed surface. In yet a further embodiment, the desiccant is micronized or pulverized into a powder of desired particle size, and then impact sprayed onto a surface. Thus, the desiccant particles or powder are fused onto the target surface through the impact spraying process.

Abstract: A method of driving electromechanical devices such as interferometric modulators includes applying a voltage along a common line to release the electromechanical devices along the common line, followed by applying an address voltage along the common line to actuate selected electromechanical devices along the common line based on voltages applied along segment lines. Hold voltages may be applied along common lines between applications of release and address voltages, and the segment voltages may be selected to be sufficiently small that the segment voltages will not affect the state of the electromechanical devices along other common lines not being written to.

Abstract: This disclosure provides methods, apparatus, and computer programs encoded on computer storage media for tone based halftoning of digital images. By exploiting knowledge of local image features and tone levels, the halftoning method may be adaptively switched between error-diffusion and mask-based dithering with reduced boundary artifacts. By further utilizing a smart quantization error clipping scheme, artifacts inherent to the method of error diffusion are also reduced. The method consistently generates higher quality halftone images for both still and video applications when compared to conventional methods.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical (MEMS) device includes a substrate, a movable element over the substrate, and an actuation electrode above the movable element. The movable element includes a deformable layer and a reflective element. The deformable layer is spaced from the reflective element.