Method and device for modulating light with optical compensation
View Patent ↗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.
1. A device, comprising:
a light-absorbing material including a semiconducting film;
a substrate located above said light-absorbing material;
a reflector located below said light-absorbing material; and
an optical resonant cavity, a portion of which is located between said light absorbing material and said reflector, wherein the cavity includes a dielectric film,
wherein a portion of light incident passing through the substrate is reflected by the reflector towards the light-absorbing material.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the substrate includes one or more electrodes connected to a circuitry.
3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the light-absorbing material further includes a metal film.
4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the reflector is movable to alter the thickness of the optical resonant cavity and enable modulation of the light incident passing through the substrate.
5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the reflector includes a metal film.
6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the reflector includes a film of silver.
7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the silver film is at least 50 nm thick.
8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the light-absorbing material includes an absorber and one or more layers.
9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more layers includes a metal film.
10. The device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more layers includes a dielectric film.
11. The device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more layers includes the semiconductor film.
12. The device of claim 8 , wherein the absorber includes the semiconducting film.
13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the one or more layers includes a second semiconducting film.
14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device includes a part of a display array.