Patents Assigned to Spatial Photonics, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20090278870
    Abstract: A method for displaying a pixel on a display system using a series of digital pulses obtained by first determining a minimum pulse width (MPW) capable of displaying a pixel on the display system and then using a series of pulses for the display of the pixel, where at least some of the pulses have different pulse widths, and where at least one pulse has a width that is a non-integer multiple greater than 1 of the MPW. In this way, the number of unique intensity levels of the pixels of the displayed image can be increased and display resolution is improved. Even better resolution is obtained using two different, alternating series of digital pulses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2008
    Publication date: November 12, 2009
    Applicant: Spatial Photonics, Inc.
    Inventor: DAVID L. MEDIN
  • Patent number: 7586669
    Abstract: A micro mirror device includes a hinge supported by a substrate and a mirror plate tiltable around the hinge. The hinge is configured to produce an elastic restoring force on the mirror plate when the mirror plate is tilted away from an un-tilted position. The micro mirror device also includes a controller that can produce an electrostatic force to overcome the elastic restoring force to tilt the mirror plate from the un-tilted position to an “on” position or an “off” position. The electrostatic force can counter the elastic restoring force to hold the mirror plate at the “on” position or the “off” position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: Spatial Photonics, Inc.
    Inventor: Shaoher X. Pan
  • Patent number: 7557435
    Abstract: An encapsulated micro device includes a micro device on a substrate within a chamber, a transparent encapsulation cover in part defining the chamber, an opaque layered structure on the encapsulation cover and inside the chamber. The layered structure includes an opening over the micro device and is configured to absorb light and moisture in the chamber. A spacer wall between the substrate and the encapsulation cover in part defines the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: Spatial Photonics, Inc.
    Inventor: Shaoher X. Pan
  • Patent number: 7538922
    Abstract: Devices and methods for forming a spatial light modulator with high contrast are described. Light absorbing materials are used within a chamber that houses a spatial light modulator. The light absorbing materials absorb reflected light that is not intended for forming a part of a display image. The light absorbing material can form an aperture layer, wherein light to form the display image is transmitted through an opening in the aperture layer. An array of spatial light modulators can be within the housing and dummy spatial light modulators may be formed to enable easy alignment of the array with the opening in the aperture layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Spatial Photonics, Inc.
    Inventor: Shaoher X. Pan
  • Patent number: 7538932
    Abstract: A high contrast spatial light modulator for display and printing is fabricated by coupling a high active reflection area fill-ratio and non-diffractive micro mirror array with a high electrostatic efficiency and low surface adhesion control substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Spatial Photonics, Inc.
    Inventor: Shaoher X. Pan
  • Patent number: 7508569
    Abstract: Methods for driving a plurality of MEMS devices in an apparatus are described. A voltage pulse is applied to an electrode or a structure portion of a MEMS device. The electrode is on the substrate underneath the structure portion. At least two MEMS devices of the plurality of MEMS devices have different threshold voltages, and the threshold voltage is the minimum voltage required to move the structure portion. A bias voltage is applied to whichever of the electrode or the structure portion of the MEMS device does not have the voltage pulse applied thereto. The bias voltage and the voltage pulse are capable of moving the structure portion of the MEMS device that has the higher threshold voltage of the different threshold voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: Spatial Photonics, Inc.
    Inventors: Shaoher X. Pan, Tore Nauta
  • Patent number: 7483200
    Abstract: A micro mirror device is described. The device has a tiltable mirror plate with a reflective surface configured to reflect incident light to form a reflected light beam. A controller is configured to cause the mirror plate to tilt from an un-tilted position to an “off” position, a first “on” position, or a second “on” position. An opaque aperture structure is configured to block substantially all of a reflected light beam from reaching a display surface when the mirror plate is tilted to the “off” position, allow a first portion of a reflected light beam to pass through when the mirror plate is tilted to the first “on” position and allow a second portion of a reflected light beam to pass through when the mirror plate is tilted to the second “on” position. The tilting positions determine a brightness of display pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2009
    Assignee: Spatial Photonics, Inc.
    Inventor: Shaoher X. Pan
  • Patent number: 7471440
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a tiltable micro mirror plate includes forming a substrate comprising an upper surface and a hinge support post in connection with the upper surface, disposing over the substrate a first sacrificial material selected from the group of amorphous carbon, polyarylene, polyarylene ether, and hydrogen silsesquioxane, depositing one or more layers of structural materials over the first sacrificial material, forming an opening in the one or more layers of structural materials, wherein the opening can provide access from outside to the first sacrificial material below the one or more layers of structural materials, and removing the first sacrificial material to form the tiltable micro mirror plate in connection with the hinge support post.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Spatial Photonics, Inc.
    Inventor: Shaoher X. Pan
  • Patent number: 7471445
    Abstract: A spatial light modulator includes a mirror plate comprising a reflective upper surface, a lower surface, and a substrate portion comprising a cavity having an opening on the lower surface, a substrate comprising an upper surface, a hinge support post in connection with the substrate, and a hinge component supported by the hinge support post and in connection with the mirror plate, and one or more landing tips configured to contact the lower surface of the mirror plate to limit rotation of the mirror plate. The hinge component includes a protrusion that is anchored in a hole in the top surface of the hinge support post and the hinge component is configured to extend into the cavity to facilitate rotation of the mirror plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Spatial Photonics, Inc.
    Inventor: Shaoher X. Pan
  • Patent number: 7468830
    Abstract: A method for applying anti-stiction material to a micro device on a substrate includes introducing anti-stiction material on a surface of an encapsulation device or a surface of the substrate and sealing at least a portion of the encapsulation device to the surface of the substrate to form a chamber to encapsulate the micro device and the anti-stiction material. The micro device includes a first component and a second component. The first component is moveable and is configured to contact the second component. The method also includes vaporizing the anti-stiction material and depositing the anti-stiction material on a surface of the first component or a surface of the second component after vaporizing the anti-stiction material to prevent stiction between the first component and the second component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2008
    Assignee: Spatial Photonics, Inc.
    Inventor: Shaoher X. Pan
  • Patent number: 7453621
    Abstract: A spatial light modulator includes a substrate; a hinge in connection with the substrate; a mirror plate that is connected with the hinge and is configured to tilt about the hinge; and a piezoelectric device coupled with the substrate. The piezoelectric device is configured to produce an acoustic wave to assist the separation between the mirror plate and the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Spatial Photonics, Inc.
    Inventor: Vlad Novotny
  • Patent number: 7443572
    Abstract: A spatial light modulator includes a mirror plate comprising a reflective upper surface, a lower surface, and a cavity having an opening on the lower surface; a substrate comprising an upper surface, a hinge support post in connection with the upper surface, and a hinge component supported by the hinge support post and in connection with the mirror plate; and a landing tip having a laterally extended upper portion and a vertically extended lower portion in connection with the substrate and the vertically extended lower portion. The laterally extended upper portion can contact the lower surface of the mirror plate to limit the rotation of the mirror plate. The hinge component extends into the cavity and can facilitate a rotation of the mirror plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: Spatial Photonics, Inc.
    Inventors: Shaoher X. Pan, Vlad Novotny, Xuchun Liu
  • Patent number: 7428092
    Abstract: A spatial light modulator includes a mirror plate comprising a reflective upper surface, a lower surface having a conductive surface portion, and a substrate portion having a first cavity having an opening on the lower surface, a second cavity in the substrate portion, and a membrane over the second cavity. The modulator includes a substrate comprising an upper surface, a hinge support post in connection with the upper surface, a hinge component supported by the hinge support post and in connection with the mirror plate to facilitate a rotation of the mirror plate, and an upright landing tip in connection with the upper surface of the substrate. The hinge component is extends into the first cavity. The upright landing tip is configured to contact the membrane over the second cavity in the substrate portion of the mirror plate to stop the rotation of the mirror plate at a predetermined orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2008
    Assignee: Spatial Photonics, Inc.
    Inventors: Chii Guang Lee, Chun-Teh Kao, Hung Kwei Hu, Shaoher X. Pan
  • Patent number: 7423798
    Abstract: A control substrate of spatial light modulator for a bi-directional micro mirror array includes a plurality of unit cells, each includes a common electrode at a fixed constant potential and an addressing electrode under the mirror plate on opposite sides of a pivot point of the mirror hinge, a pair of micro landing tips, a single CMOS transistor electrically connected to a storage capacitor, and a word-line/bit-line interconnection structure for communicating signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: Spatial Photonics, Inc.
    Inventor: Shaoher X. Pan
  • Patent number: 7416908
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a micro structure includes depositing a first layer of a first material over a substrate; patterning a first hard mask over the first layer; depositing a second layer of a second material over the first layer and the first hard mask; patterning a second hard mask over the second layer; and selectively removing the first material and the second material not covered by any of the first mask and the second mask to produce over the substrate the micro structure having a first structure portion having a first height and a second structure portion having a second height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Spatial Photonics, Inc.
    Inventors: Chii Guang Lee, Shaoher X. Pan, Hung Kwei Hu
  • Patent number: 7405862
    Abstract: A spatial light modulator includes a mirror plate comprising a reflective upper surface, a louver surface having a recess in the lower surface, a first cavity having an opening on the lower surface, and a cantilever situated under the recess and connected with the lower portion of the mirror plate. The mirror plate can tilt around a hinge component extending into the first cavity. The hinge component is supported by a stationary substrate. The tilt movement of the mirror plate can be stopped when the cantilever comes to contact with a stationary object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: Spatial Photonics, Inc.
    Inventors: Shaoher X. Pan, Vlad Novotny
  • Patent number: 7394586
    Abstract: A high contrast spatial light modulator for display and printing is fabricated by coupling a high active reflection area fill-ratio and non-diffractive micro-mirror array with a high electrostatic efficiency and low surface adhesion control substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: Spatial Photonics, Inc.
    Inventor: Shaoher X. Pan
  • Patent number: 7391554
    Abstract: A spatial light modulator includes a two-dimensional array of hexagonal mirror plates disposed in a honeycomb pattern over a substrate. Each of the hexagonal mirror plates is supported by one or more structural members. There is a gap between adjacent hexagonal mirror plates. The structural members are not located in the gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Spatial Photonics, Inc.
    Inventor: Shaoher X. Pan
  • Patent number: 7391556
    Abstract: A display system includes a transparent tapered plate comprising a first face, a second face, and a third face. The first face is substantially smaller than the second face and the third face. The display system also includes a row of tiltable mirror plates each comprising a reflective surface. Each of the mirror plates is configured to tilt to an “on” position to reflect incident light in an “on” direction or to tilt to an “off” position to reflect incident light in an “off” direction. An optical scanning system is configured to control the direction of the light reflected by the mirror plates in the “on” direction. The row of the tiltable mirror plates, optical scanning system and the tapered plate are configured to allow the light reflected by the row of mirror plates in the “on” direction to enter the tapered plate at the first face, be reflected by the second face, and produce a line of image pixels on the third face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Spatial Photonics, Inc.
    Inventor: Shaoher X. Pan
  • Patent number: 7388708
    Abstract: A spatial light modulator having a multi-layer mirror is described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2008
    Assignee: Spatial Photonics, Inc.
    Inventor: Shaoher X. Pan