Method and device for providing electronic circuitry on a backplate

1. A device, comprising:

a transparent substrate;

an array of electromechanical display elements supported by a first surface of said transparent substrate;

a backplane, wherein the backplane is sealed to the first surface of the transparent substrate to form a cavity between the transparent substrate and the backplane, wherein said cavity includes an empty space between at least a portion of the array of electromechanical display elements and the backplane; and

control circuitry fabricated on a first surface of the backplane and configured to control a state of the electromechanical display elements, wherein the control circuitry is in electrical communication with the array of electromechanical display elements.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry includes an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

3. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of electrical connections providing electronic communication between the control circuitry on the backplane and the array of electromechanical display elements.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the electrical connections include a first conducting material in electronic communication with said ASIC and a second conducting material in electronic communication with said array of interferometric modulators.

5. The device of claim 3 , wherein the first conducting material is in electrical communication with the second conducting material through an anisotropic conducting film.

6. The device of claim 3 , wherein the electrical connections include a bump of conducting material.

7. The device of claim 3 , wherein the electrical connections include a conducting support post.

8. The device of claim 3 , wherein the electrical connections include a conducting trace.

9. The device of claim 3 , wherein the electrical connections include a bump of conducting material.

10. A method of fabricating a display, comprising:

providing an array of electromechanical display elements supported by a first surface of a transparent substrate;

forming control circuitry on a first surface of a backplate, wherein the electronic circuitry is configured to control the state of said reflective elements; and

sealing the backplate to the first surface of the transparent substrate such that at least a portion of array of electromechanical display elements is spaced apart from at least a portion of the backplate by a cavity and the control circuitry is placed in electrical connection with the array of interferometric modulators.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the control circuitry includes an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the control circuitry is formed by thin film deposition.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein forming electronic circuitry on the first surface of the backplate includes:

depositing a base layer of silicon on said first surface of said backplate; and

depositing a plurality of metal layers on said base layer of silicon.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein forming electronic circuitry on the first surface of the backplate includes:

forming transistors on the first surface of the backplate; and

forming metallic interconnections between the transistors.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein forming electronic circuitry on the first surface of the backplate further includes:

forming metallic connections between the transistors and external electronic circuitry; and

forming metallic connections between the transistors and the array of interferometric modulators.

16. A device, comprising:

a transparent substrate;

an array of electromechanical display elements supported by a first surface of said transparent substrate;

a backplane, wherein the backplane is sealed to the first surface of the transparent substrate to form a cavity between the transparent substrate and the backplane, wherein said cavity includes an empty space between at least a portion of the array of electromechanical display elements and the backplane; and

means for controlling said electromechanical display elements, wherein said controlling means are fabricated on a first surface of the backplane and in electrical communication with the array of electromechanical display elements.

17. The device of claim 16 , wherein the controlling means include control circuitry fabricated on a first surface of the backplane.