DISPLAY APERTURE PIXEL CIRCUIT ARCHITECTURE INCLUDING PLANARIZATION LAYER

1 . A display apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of light modulators;

an actuation interconnect for carrying an actuation voltage from one or more drivers to the plurality of light modulators;

a pixel circuit corresponding to each of the light modulators, each pixel circuit including:

a first actuation node, which when energized, causes a corresponding light modulator to enter or remain in a first state, wherein the first actuation node is coupled to the actuation interconnect with parallel connections via a first pre-charge switch and via a first capacitor; and

a second actuation node, which when energized, causes the corresponding light modulator to enter or remain in a second state, wherein the second actuation node is coupled to the actuation interconnect with parallel connections via a second first pre-charge switch and via a second capacitor.

2 . The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the actuation voltage on the actuation interconnect is a switched signal.

3 . The display apparatus of claim 1 , further including a data storage capacitor for storing a voltage corresponding to image data, wherein one terminal of the data storage capacitor is connected to the actuation interconnect.

4 . The display apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the actuation voltage on the actuation interconnect is substantially constant.

5 . The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each pixel circuit includes interconnects formed in each of at least three layers of metal deposited over a substrate.

6 . The display apparatus of claim 5 , wherein a distance between an upper-most metal layer of the three layers of metal is separated from a next nearest metal layer by a planarization layer, which is thicker than any lower level of dielectric.

7 . The display apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the planarization layer is between about 1.5 and about 3.5 microns thick.

8 . The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein driving each of the interconnects consumes a respective amount of power and the interconnect responsible for consuming the greatest amount of power is formed in the uppermost metal layer.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a display;

a processor capable of communicating with the display, the processor being capable of processing image data; and

a memory device capable of communicating with the processor.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:

a driver circuit capable of sending at least one signal to the display; and

a controller capable of sending at least a portion of the image data to the driver circuit.

11 . The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:

an image source module capable of sending the image data to the processor, wherein the image source module includes at least one of a receiver, transceiver, and transmitter.

12 . The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:

an input device capable of receiving input data and communicating the input data to the processor.

13 . A method for using a pixel circuit for actuating a light modulator, the light modulator having a shutter configured to move between a first actuator and a second actuator and the pixel circuit including a first output node coupled to the first actuator and a second output node coupled to the second actuator, comprising:

storing a data voltage in a data storage element of the pixel circuit;

charging the first output node and the second output node to an actuation voltage;

charging a reservoir capacitor coupled to each of the first output node and the second output node;

selectively discharging one of the first output node and the second output node based on the data voltage; and

providing charge to one of the first output node and the second output node, during an actuation of the light modulator, from the corresponding reservoir capacitor.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein storing a data voltage in the data storage element of the pixel circuit includes storing the charge in the data storage element having one terminal maintained at a constant actuation voltage.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein charging a reservoir capacitor coupled to each of the first output node and the second output node includes charging via an actuation voltage source.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein providing charge to one of the first output node and the second output node from the corresponding reservoir capacitor includes balancing a capacitive coupling between the first output node and the second output node.

17 . An apparatus including a pixel circuit for actuating a light modulator having a shutter configured to move between a first actuator and a second actuator, comprising:

data storage means for storing a data voltage;

charging means for charging a first output node and a second output node of the pixel circuit to an actuation voltage, the first output node and the second output node coupled to the first actuator and a second actuator, respectively;

discharging means for selectively discharging one of the first output node and the second output node; and

reservoir charge storage means for providing charge to one of the first output node and the second output node during an actuation of the light modulator.

18 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the data storage means include a data storage capacitor, one terminal of which is maintained at a constant actuation voltage.

19 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the data storage means include a data storage capacitor, one terminal of which is maintained at a voltage equal to a voltage on the shutter.

20 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the reservoir charge storage means are coupled to a voltage source providing the actuation voltage.