Abstract: A system, including a flow control system, including a valve, a first cylinder including a piston coupled to the valve, wherein the piston moves axially within the first cylinder to transition the valve between open and closed positions, a magnetorheological (MR) fluid within the first cylinder configured to axially move the piston, and an MR fluid device configured to magnetize the MR fluid to control axial movement of the piston.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for providing compact shutter assemblies. Shutter assemblies can be formed in a more compact fashion, allowing for higher pixel-per-inch displays, by incorporating shutters that during actuation pass over or under portions of the actuators that control those shutters.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus for providing protective coatings on electromechanical systems (EMS) devices. A display apparatus can include an electrostatic actuation assembly for controlling the position of a suspended portion of a display element. The electrostatic actuation assembly can include a load beam, drive beam, and a coating disposed over a portion of the drive beam. The coating can include a plurality of raised tabs spaced apart from each other. One or both of the size of the raised tabs and a pitch between raised tabs can be varied along a surface of the drive beam. The voltage used to actuate the actuator is, in part, related to the shape and relative position of the load and drive beams. The raised tabs can be sized, spaced, or positioned to affect a desired rest position and rest shape of the drive beam relative to the load beam.

Abstract: This disclosure provides devices, apparatuses and methods of preventing incorporation of bright defects into an image generated by a display apparatus. A display apparatus may include a chromic film that is selectively activated, with the activated regions of the chromic film being colored, light blocking regions that overlie or underlie bright defect pixels of the display apparatus. The remainder of the chromic film is colorless and light transmissive. The chromic film may be provided as a coating on a substrate of the display apparatus. The chromic film may be selectively activated by exposing regions that overlie or underlie bright defect pixels to laser radiation. The laser radiation may induce a photochemical or thermally activated reaction in the chromic film, selectively changing the irradiated regions from colorless and light transmissive to colored and light blocking.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for reducing capacitance between interconnects in a display apparatus. In one aspect, a display apparatus can include a plurality of light modulators each having a shutter suspended over a substrate. A first suspended interconnect can electrically couple a first light modulator and a second light modulator. A majority of the length of the first suspended interconnect can be suspended a first height above the substrate. A second suspended interconnect can electrically couple the first light modulator and a third light modulator. A majority of the length of the second suspended interconnect can be above the substrate at a different height than the first suspended interconnect.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus including processes that use two layers of resist, with a layer of etch stop material in between.

Abstract: Display devices incorporating light modulators are disclosed along with methods of manufacturing such devices. According to some aspects of the invention, a control matrix for controlling light modulators of a display includes a light absorbing layer that includes a material having a substantially light absorbing property.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for providing relatively thinner and less stiff compliant beams for a shutter assembly. A protective coating is deposited and patterned over the shutter assembly before it is released from a sacrificial mold over which the shutter assembly is formed. Because some primary surfaces of the compliant beams are in contact with the sacrificial mold, these primary surfaces are not coated with the protective coating. Therefore, when the shutter assembly is finally released, the resulting compliant beams are relatively thinner and less stiff providing a reduction in an actuation voltage used to operate the shutter assembly. In some instances, the protective coating is patterned into discontinuous segments before release.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for modulating light to form an image on a display, as well as methods manufacturing such apparatus. The display apparatus includes dual-level shutter assemblies. Each dual-level shutter assembly includes front and rear light obstructing levels positioned adjacent to respective front and rear light blocking layers. The front and rear light blocking layers define apertures providing optical paths from a backlight to the front of the display. The dual-level shutters selectively obstruct these optical paths to generate an image.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for providing multi-level multi-state shutter assemblies. The shutter assembly includes at least a first shutter at a first height over a substrate and a second shutter at a second height over the substrate. Both the first shutter and the second shutter can be operated in an open or closed state for passing or partially blocking light propagating through an aperture. In some implementations, the shutter assembly can operate in four states: a fully transmissive state, a fully obstructive state and two partially transmissive states based on the open or closed states of the first and second shutters.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for modulating light to form an image on a display, as well as methods manufacturing such apparatus. The display apparatus includes shutters having asymmetric light obstructing portions extending out from opposing sides of a shutter aperture along an axis of motion of the shutter. Actuators move the shutters laterally along the axis of motion to move the shutter between fully closed, partially open, and fully open states to modulate light, thereby forming an image.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for generating images using dual-shutter shutter assemblies. Such shutter assemblies include two shutters that move over a common aperture to selectively obstruct the passage of light there through. In the closed position, portions of one of the shutters overlaps a portion of the other shutter to provide such light obstruction without the two shutters needing to come into contact.

Abstract: A method for optimizing startup time and efficiency for a WBC laser diode system having numerous diode elements, wherein each diode element is measured, an optimal band region is determined for each diode element, and placed in an optimal placement within an array of diode elements.

Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) excited laser assembly includes a pair of opposed electrodes defining an inter-electrode gap and a conductive termination bridge in electrical contact with both electrodes. The termination bridge mechanically supports and positions the electrodes relative to each other and provides a termination impedance for an RF voltage applied to the electrodes. A conical spiral inductor includes one or more metals windings, and one or more concentric terminals, such that the conical spiral inductor defines an inter-winding spacing sufficient to mitigate ionization of a gas medium between windings. A radio frequency (RF) feed-through assembly configured to apply an RF voltage to a pair of opposing electrodes such that a conductor is isolated from a metal sleeve position around the conductor by ion sheath discharge barrier.

Abstract: A system, including a flow control system, including a valve, a first cylinder including a piston coupled to the valve, wherein the piston moves axially within the first cylinder to transition the valve between open and closed positions, a magnetorheological (MR) fluid within the first cylinder configured to axially move the piston, and an MR fluid device configured to magnetize the MR fluid to control axial movement of the piston.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for displaying images. Some such apparatus include an array of display elements coupled to a substrate and an elevated aperture layer (EAL) suspended over the array of display elements. The EAL is coupled to the substrate, and includes, for each of the display elements, at least one aperture for allowing passage of light therethrough. Methods for manufacturing such apparatus include at least one of forming etch holes through the EAL, employing an at least partially sublimatable sacrificial mold, employing a two phase release process, and releasing the apparatus such that a portion of a sacrificial mold remains surrounding portions of the apparatus.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for displaying images. One such apparatus includes a substrate, an elevated aperture layer (EAL) defining a plurality of apertures formed therethrough, a plurality of anchors for supporting the EAL over the substrate and a plurality of display elements positioned between the substrate and the EAL. Each of the display elements may correspond to at least one respective aperture of the plurality of apertures defined by the EAL. Each display element also includes a movable portion supported over the substrate by a corresponding anchor supporting the EAL over the substrate. In some implementations, one or more light dispersion elements may be disposed in optical paths passing through the apertures defined by the EAL.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for displaying images. Some such apparatus include a transparent substrate, a display element formed on the substrate, a light blocking elevated aperture layer (EAL) supported over the substrate by an anchor formed on the substrate, and an electrical interconnect disposed on the EAL for carrying an electrical signal to the display element. The electrical interconnect can include one or more of a data voltage interconnect, a scan-line interconnect or a global interconnect. In some implementations, a dielectric layer can separate the electrical interconnect from the EAL. The EAL can include an aperture formed through it that corresponds to the display element. In some implementations, a second electrical interconnect disposed on the substrate can be electrically coupled to a plurality of display elements.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for modulating light to form an image on a display, as well as methods manufacturing such apparatus. The display apparatus includes dual-level shutter assemblies. Each dual-level shutter assembly includes front and rear light obstructing levels positioned adjacent to respective front and rear light blocking layers. The front and rear light blocking layers define apertures providing optical paths from a backlight to the front of the display. The dual-level shutters selectively obstruct these optical paths to generate an image.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for modulating light to form an image on a display, as well as methods manufacturing such apparatus. The display apparatus includes shutters having asymmetric light obstructing portions extending out from opposing sides of a shutter aperture along an axis of motion of the shutter. Actuators move the shutters laterally along the axis of motion to move the shutter between fully closed, partially open, and fully open states to modulate light, thereby forming an image.