US 12,077,427 B2
MEMS display device with a vertical hinge
Fusao Ishii, Pittsburgh, PA (US); Victor Stone, Pittsburgh, PA (US); and Toshitaka Torikai, Kanagawa (JP)
Assigned to IGNITE, Inc., Minato-Ku Tokyo (JP)
Appl. No. 17/280,941
Filed by IGNITE, Inc., Tokyo (JP); Fusao Ishii, Pittsburgh, PA (US); Victor Stone, Pittsburgh, PA (US); and Toshitaka Torikai, Kanagawa (JP)
PCT Filed Sep. 29, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/053713
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 29, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/069482, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 2, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/739,175, filed on Sep. 29, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0340005 A1, Nov. 4, 2021
Int. Cl. B81B 3/00 (2006.01); G02B 26/08 (2006.01)
CPC B81B 3/0051 (2013.01) [B81B 3/0021 (2013.01); G02B 26/0841 (2013.01); B81B 2201/042 (2013.01)] 27 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) device, comprising:
a substrate;
an electronic circuit mounted on the substrate;
an electrode electrically connected to the electronic circuit;
an etch stop layer mounted on the substrate;
a hinge base mounted on the substrate;
a stopper mounted on the hinge base;
a hinge formed on the stopper and made of a doped semiconductor, the hinge comprising:
a vertical support that extends vertically away from the hinge base;
a horizontally-extending hinge tab in contact with the vertical support;
a hinge foot in contact with the hinge base, wherein the hinge base includes a hinge support mounted on the substrate or the stopper mounted on the hinge support, and the hinge foot extends horizontally in a direction opposite from the hinge tab;
a second vertical support extending in parallel with the vertical support at opposing edges of the hinge foot; and
a second horizontally-extending hinge tab in contact with the second vertical support and extending in a direction opposite from the hinge tab;
a movable mirror that is electrostatically attracted to the electrode responsive to application of a voltage between the electrode and the movable mirror; and
a mirror via that couples the movable mirror to the hinge tab and a second mirror via that couples the movable mirror to the second hinge tab, wherein movement of the movable mirror changes a relative position between the hinge tab and the vertical support, and the hinge tab is configured to contact the stopper to mechanically stop the movement of the movable mirror before contact with one of the electrode or the etch stop layer.