Microelectronic non-landing mirror system

Abstract

The application discloses a microelectronic non-landing mirror system, which comprises a substrate, at least two supporting components, at least two driving electrodes, a rotating mirror and a driving circuit. The supporting components and the driving electrodes are arranged on the substrate; the rotating mirror is elastically supported on the supporting components through elastic reset components; when the driving circuit applies a driving voltage, the rotating mirror is close to the driving electrode with the driving voltage applied within the movement range without landing on the substrate; when the driving voltage is removed, the rotating mirror is away from the driving electrode under the elastic restoring force of each elastic reset component. Each elastic reset component comprises at least two elastic reset units connected to different corner positions of the rotating mirror by corresponding supporting components, for providing at least two rotation degrees of freedom of the rotating mirror. In the above manner, the application can avoid adhesion after the rotating mirror lands, and realize more flexible deflection under a simpler structure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), and particularly to a microelectronic non-landing reflector system. Background Technology

[0002] In existing microelectronic pixel mirror structures, a voltage is typically applied between the substrate and the pixel mirror to control the deflection of the pixel mirror relative to the substrate using electrostatic force. However, as the distance between the pixel mirror and the substrate decreases, the electrostatic force increases proportionally to the inverse of the square of the distance, which can easily cause the pixel mirror to come into contact with the substrate. This can lead to the substrate and the pixel mirror sticking together due to static friction and other reasons, making it impossible to separate the substrate and the pixel mirror even after the applied voltage is removed.

[0003] On the other hand, existing microelectronic pixel mirror structures typically include a torsional central mechanical structure. Driven by voltage, the pixel mirror rotates around the axis of the torsional central mechanical structure. This torsional central mechanical structure restricts the pixel mirror's degrees of freedom, resulting in a limited deflection angle. Moreover, the torsional central mechanical structure needs to be mounted on a support column, increasing structural complexity. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a microelectronic non-landing reflector system to solve the problems in the prior art where the substrate and pixel mirror may not be able to return to their original state due to static friction and other reasons, as well as the problems of complex system structure and low degree of freedom of pixel mirror movement.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides a microelectronic non-landing reflector system, comprising: a substrate; at least two driving electrodes and at least two support components disposed on the substrate, wherein the number of support components is not greater than the number of driving electrodes; a rotating reflector suspended above the at least two driving electrodes and elastically supported on each of the support components by elastic reset components corresponding to each of the support components, each of the elastic reset components comprising at least two elastic reset units connected to different corner positions of the rotating reflector by its corresponding support component, for providing at least two rotational degrees of freedom for the rotating reflector; and a driving circuit for applying a driving voltage between the driving electrodes and the rotating reflector; wherein, when the driving circuit applies a driving voltage between at least one of the at least two driving electrodes and the rotating reflector, the rotating reflector moves closer to the driving electrode to which the driving voltage is applied within a range of motion that does not land on the substrate, thereby adjusting the deflection angle of the rotating reflector; when the driving circuit releases the applied driving voltage, the rotating reflector moves away from the driving electrode under the elastic restoring force of each of the elastic reset components.

[0006] The beneficial effects of this invention are that by using at least two elastic reset components, each including at least two elastic reset units, the rotating mirror is elastically supported on support components that correspond one-to-one with the elastic reset components. That is, at least four elastic reset units are used to support the rotating mirror on at least two support components, so that the rotating mirror will not land on the substrate in the working state. Thus, the rotating mirror is supported with as few support structures as possible, which greatly simplifies the structural complexity and reduces the cost. Moreover, at least four elastic reset units are connected to different corner positions of the rotating mirror to provide the rotating mirror with at least two rotational degrees of freedom, so that the rotating mirror can have higher degrees of motion freedom, realize more three-dimensional angle deflection, and expand the application field of microelectronic mirror systems.

[0007] In one embodiment, among the elastic reset components, the elastic reset component located away from the driving electrode to which the driving voltage is applied provides a restraining force on the rotating mirror, preventing the rotating mirror from landing on the substrate. The beneficial effects of this technical solution are: unlike the prior art, this invention indirectly connects the rotating mirror to the substrate through a support component and an elastic reset component on the support component. On the one hand, it utilizes the characteristic that the greater the deformation of the elastic reset component, the stronger the restoring force, neutralizing the characteristic that the electrostatic force increases with decreasing distance, making the rotation angle of the rotating mirror more controllable. On the other hand, the elastic reset component located away from the driving electrode to which the driving voltage is applied provides a restraining force on the rotating mirror, preventing the rotating mirror from landing on the substrate. Therefore, after the voltage applied between the driving electrode and the rotating mirror is released, the rotating mirror can move away from the driving electrode under the elastic restoring force of the elastic reset component to return to its original shape, avoiding adhesion after the mirror lands and preventing irreversible damage to the device.

[0008] In one embodiment, there are two support components and two driving electrodes, which are arranged side by side on the substrate and located between the two support components.

[0009] In one embodiment, the line connecting the centers of the two driving electrodes intersects the projection of the line connecting the centers of the two support components onto the substrate.

[0010] In one embodiment, there are two support components and four driving electrodes, with the four driving electrode arrays disposed on the substrate and located between the two support components.

[0011] In one embodiment, each of the elastic reset components includes two elastic reset units, the projection of each elastic reset unit on the substrate at least partially overlapping one of the four driving electrodes.

[0012] In one embodiment, the elastic reset unit includes an elastic strip with a bending structure, which can elastically deform in two directions along the bending structure.

[0013] In one embodiment, the elastic reset unit includes a serpentine spring.

[0014] In one embodiment, the elastic reset unit includes a linear elastic strip, and at least two elastic reset units of the elastic reset assembly are obliquely connected from different corners of the rotating reflector to their corresponding support components.

[0015] In one embodiment, the elastic reset unit includes linear elastic strips, the support component is elongated, and each of the linear elastic strips is arranged in parallel between the rotating reflector and the support component.

[0016] In one embodiment, the elastic reset unit includes a spring and a suspension portion extending from the support assembly above the corner of the rotating mirror. The spring connects the suspension portion to the rotating mirror, and the length direction of the spring is perpendicular to the plane in which the rotating mirror is in a non-operating state.

[0017] In one embodiment, the geometric centroid of the contact point between each of the elastic reset units and the rotating mirror coincides with the center point of the rotating mirror.

[0018] In one embodiment, within the angular range of the deflection angle of the rotating mirror, a steady state at any angle can be achieved by controlling the driving voltage. This technical solution enables the microelectronic non-landing mirror system to function as an analog device, allowing the output light to achieve a continuous angular distribution. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a top view schematic diagram of the first embodiment of the microelectronic non-landing reflector system of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Front and right view schematics of AMEC's ​​non-landing reflector system without applied driving voltage;

[0021] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Front and right view schematics of AMEC's ​​non-landing reflector system when a driving voltage is applied;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a top view schematic diagram of a modified embodiment of the microelectronic non-landing reflector system of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 5This is a top view schematic diagram of yet another modified embodiment of the microelectronic non-landing reflector system of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a top view schematic diagram of yet another modified embodiment of the microelectronic non-landing reflector system of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 7 A front view schematic diagram of a second embodiment of the microelectronic non-landing reflector system provided by the present invention;

[0026] Figure 8 This is a top view schematic diagram of a third embodiment of the microelectronic non-landing reflector system provided by the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this invention involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. If the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this invention.

[0029] The "non-landing" in this invention specifically means that the rotating mirror of the system does not contact the substrate during operation, which is different from the technical solution of limiting the rotating mirror by making it contact the substrate.

[0030] Please see Figure 1 This is a top view schematic diagram of a first embodiment of the microelectronic non-landing reflector system of the present invention. The microelectronic non-landing reflector system 10 includes a substrate 100, a support assembly 200, a driving electrode 300, a rotating reflector 400, an elastic reset assembly 500, and a driving circuit (not shown).

[0031] In this embodiment, there are two driving electrodes 300, which are disposed on the substrate 100, specifically on the same surface of the substrate 100 and spaced apart. Two support components 200 are also disposed on the substrate 100 in this embodiment. A rotating mirror 400 is located on the side of the two driving electrodes 300 away from the substrate 100. Specifically, the rotating mirror 400 is suspended above and near the two driving electrodes 300 (the driving electrodes 300 are shown as dashed lines in the figure to indicate that they are located below the rotating mirror 400). The rotating mirror 400 is elastically supported on the two support components 200 by two sets of elastic reset components 500. Each set of elastic reset components includes at least two elastic reset units 510 and 520, which are connected by the same support component 200 to different corner positions of the rotating mirror 400. These at least four elastic reset units connected to different corner positions of the rotating mirror 400 provide at least two rotational degrees of freedom for the rotating mirror 400. In this invention, the elastic reset components and the support components are one-to-one and the same in number. The elastic reset units connected to the same support component are considered to belong to one elastic reset component. This embodiment illustrates an implementation of an elastic reset component including two elastic reset units. It can be understood that in other implementations, a group of elastic reset components may include three or more elastic reset units.

[0032] The driving circuit applies a driving voltage between the driving electrode 300 and the rotating mirror 400. Specifically, when the driving circuit applies a driving voltage between at least one of the two driving electrodes 300 and the rotating mirror 400, the rotating mirror 400 will move closer to the driving electrode 300 with the applied driving voltage due to electrostatic force, thereby adjusting the deflection angle of the rotating mirror 400. When the driving circuit releases the applied driving voltage, the rotating mirror 400 moves away from the driving electrode 300 under the elastic restoring force of each elastic reset component 500. In this invention, the rotating mirror 400 does not land on the substrate 100 within its range of motion to approach or move away from the driving electrode. The maximum deformation of each elastic reset component 500 is used as the limiting boundary, rather than contact with the substrate. This avoids the rotating mirror directly adhering to the substrate and generating static friction after contacting it, reducing the possibility of malfunction.

[0033] In the above embodiments, further, in each elastic reset assembly, the elastic reset assembly furthest from the driving electrode to which the driving voltage is applied provides a restraining force on the rotating mirror, thereby ensuring that "the rotating mirror does not land on the substrate," thus preventing adhesion after the rotating mirror lands. In conventional technical solutions, a torsion hinge along a rotation centerline of the rotating mirror is typically used to restore the position of the rotating mirror, which cannot limit the maximum rotation angle of the rotating mirror and necessitates using the contact between the rotating mirror and the substrate to control the deflection angle of the rotating mirror. In this invention, at least four elastic reset units are used to elastically support the rotating mirror at different corners. When the rotating mirror moves downward toward the substrate, the far-end elastic reset unit pulls and restrains the rotating mirror from above, limiting the maximum deflection angle of the rotating mirror through different technical approaches and avoiding a series of problems associated with the former technical solutions.

[0034] Please see further. Figure 2 and Figure 3 , respectively Figure 1 The front view and right view of the AMEC non-landing reflector system with and without applied driving voltage are shown. The driving electrode 300 includes a first driving electrode 300-1 and a second driving electrode 300-2, which are arranged side by side on the substrate 100 and located between two support components.

[0035] For the driving electrode 300, when the driving circuit independently applies a driving voltage to one of the driving electrodes, such as 300-1, since the rotating mirror 400 is grounded through the elastic reset component 500 and the support component 200, a voltage difference and charge distribution are generated between the driving electrode 300-1 and the rotating mirror 400. This causes the rotating mirror 400 to move towards the driving electrode 300-1 under the action of electrostatic force, driving the elastic reset unit 510 to move towards the driving electrode, causing the elastic reset unit 510 to deform. At the same time, as the rotating mirror 400 is pulled towards the driving electrode 300-1 by the electrostatic force, the elastic reset unit 520, which is away from the driving electrode 300-1, is also pulled and deformed by the rotating mirror 400, thereby providing a restraining force on the rotating mirror 400.

[0036] Specifically, in this embodiment, the projection of the line connecting the centers of the two driving electrodes and the line connecting the centers of the two support components onto the substrate intersects. From a force perspective, this technical solution ensures that when the rotating mirror 400 flips towards one driving electrode 300-1, the elastic reset units connected to the two support components deform simultaneously, and the remaining two elastic reset units connected to the two support components simultaneously provide restraining force, resulting in a more balanced force on the rotating mirror. Furthermore, when the rotating mirror flips towards the other driving electrode 300-2, the elastic reset units of the two elastic reset components simultaneously exert restoring force and restraining force, making the force situation of the rotating mirror 400 similar when flipping towards driving electrodes 300-1 and 300-2, allowing for more precise control of the flipping angle. This avoids the situation where the deformation of the two sets of elastic reset components is inconsistent due to device tolerances when only one set of elastic reset components provides restraining force.

[0037] In this embodiment, the elastic reset units 510 / 520 include L-shaped elastic strips that can elastically deform along the two sides of the L-shape, thereby providing two rotational degrees of freedom for the rotating mirror 400. Specifically, the L-shaped elastic strips in this embodiment include two sides parallel to the two sides of the square rotating mirror 400. When the rotating mirror 400 moves towards the drive electrode 300-1, one side of the L-shaped elastic strip parallel to this direction of movement undergoes major deformation. When the rotating mirror 400 moves towards a support component, the other side of the L-shaped elastic strip undergoes major deformation. The statement that one side undergoes major deformation does not mean that the other side does not deform, but rather that the deformation is relatively minor.

[0038] In other specific embodiments of the present invention, the shape of the rotating reflector 400 is not limited; it can be rectangular, triangular, circular, or other regular or irregular polygons. The two sides of the L-shaped elastic strip are not necessarily parallel to one side of the rotating reflector. In general, the elastic reset unit includes an elastic strip with a bending structure, which can elastically deform along two directions of the bending structure.

[0039] In other embodiments of the invention, elastic reset elements of other shapes or types may also be used. See also... Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a top view schematic diagram of a modified embodiment of the microelectronic non-landing reflector system of the present invention. In this system, the elastic reset unit of the elastic reset assembly 500 includes a linear elastic strip, and at least two elastic reset units of each elastic reset assembly 500 are obliquely connected from different corners of the rotating reflector 400 to their corresponding support assembly 200. In this technical solution, the oblique arrangement of the linear elastic strip allows it to be stretched and deformed in two vertical directions, thereby giving the rotating reflector 400 multiple degrees of freedom of movement.

[0040] Please see Figure 5 This is a top view schematic diagram of another modified embodiment of the microelectronic non-landing reflector system of the present invention. In this embodiment, the elastic reset unit of the elastic reset component 500 includes linear elastic strips, and the support component 200 is elongated. Each linear elastic strip is arranged parallel to the rotating reflector 400 and the support component 200. Specifically, the four linear elastic strips support two opposite sides of the rotating reflector 400 in pairs. When the rotating reflector 400 swings in a direction parallel to the linear elastic strips, the linear elastic strips are stretched and deformed; when the rotating reflector 400 swings in a direction perpendicular to the linear elastic strips, the linear elastic strips are torsional and deformed. In either case, the linear elastic strips mainly rely on the restraining force along the length of the linear elastic strips to restrain the rotating reflector 400, preventing it from landing on the substrate 100.

[0041] Please see Figure 6 This is a top view schematic diagram of another modified embodiment of the microelectronic non-landing reflector system of the present invention. In this embodiment, the elastic reset unit of the elastic reset assembly 500 includes a serpentine spring. Relative to... Figure 5 In the embodiment shown, the serpentine spring can elastically stretch and deform along two intersecting directions, thereby providing the rotating reflector 400 with at least two degrees of freedom of movement in two directions, and providing corresponding restoring force and restraining force when it moves in two different directions.

[0042] Please see Figure 7 This is a front view schematic diagram of a second embodiment of the microelectronic non-landing reflector system provided by the present invention. Unlike the embodiments described above, the elastic reset unit 510 included in this embodiment comprises a spring 502 and a suspension portion 501. The suspension portion 501 extends from the support component 200 to above the corner of the rotating reflector 400. The spring 501 connects the suspension portion 502 and the rotating reflector 400, and the length direction of the spring 501 is perpendicular to the plane where the rotating reflector is in its non-working state (i.e., the state shown in the figure). In this technical solution, when the rotating reflector 400 drives the electrode 300 to approach under the action of electrostatic force, the spring 501, which is away from the driving electrode 300, provides a restraining force on the rotating reflector 400, thereby preventing it from landing on the substrate 100.

[0043] In the above embodiments, two driving electrodes are used as examples. In other embodiments of the present invention, there may be more than two driving electrodes to achieve more flexible and precise control of the rotating mirror.

[0044] Please see Figure 8This is a top view schematic diagram of a third embodiment of the microelectronic non-landing reflector system provided by the present invention. In this embodiment, four driving electrodes 300 are included, while only two support components 200 are present. The four driving electrodes 300 are arrayed on the substrate 100 and located between the two support components 200. A driving voltage can be applied to any one or two of the four driving electrodes 300 to cause the rotating reflector 400 to move closer to those driving electrodes. For example, by applying a driving voltage to the two driving electrodes on the right side of the figure, the rotating reflector 400 flips to the right; by applying a driving voltage to the two driving electrodes at the top of the figure, the rotating reflector 400 flips upward, greatly improving the control precision of the rotating reflector.

[0045] It is understood that other modified embodiments based on the third embodiment can refer to the technical solutions of the elastic reset unit in the above embodiments and modified embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0046] In various embodiments of the present invention, the contact points of each elastic reset unit and the rotating mirror are sequentially connected to form a polygon, the geometric centroid of which coincides with the center of the rotating mirror, so that the rotating mirror can maintain balance.

[0047] In this invention, the elastic reset component and the electrostatic force are a positively correlated pair of forces. As the rotation angle of the rotating mirror increases, the electrostatic force increases, and the restoring force of the elastic reset component also increases. Since the two forces are roughly opposite in direction, the overall net force on the rotating mirror decreases, reducing the time the rotating mirror is in an unstable state. Within the deflection angle range of the rotating mirror, by controlling the driving voltage, the restoring force and electrostatic force at any specific deflection angle can be balanced, allowing the rotating mirror to stabilize at that deflection angle and thus achieving a steady state at any angle. This technical solution transforms the microelectronic non-landing mirror system from a digital device containing only two stable states (0 and 1) into an analog device capable of programming any number from 0 to 1, greatly improving the adaptability of the microelectronic non-landing mirror system to the application environment.

[0048] It is understood that the microelectronic non-landing reflector system of the present invention can include multiple steady-state segments with continuous angular distributions. For example, a steady-state at any angle can be achieved within two continuous angular distributions: -12° to -3° and 3° to 12°. Given that rotating reflectors are more prone to vibration when electrostatic forces and restoring forces are small, the missing -3° to 3° range is not considered part of the steady-state angular range of the microelectronic non-landing reflector system. The above are merely examples and do not limit the definition of the achievable steady-state angular range for the microelectronic non-landing reflector system of the present invention; other angular ranges are also possible.

[0049] In summary, in the above embodiments, by applying a driving voltage between the driving electrode and the rotating mirror, the rotating mirror can approach the driving electrode and deflect. Furthermore, by providing an elastic reset component, after the applied voltage is released, the rotating mirror can move away from the driving electrode under the elastic restoring force of the elastic reset component to return to its original shape. Moreover, by aligning the deformation direction of the elastic reset component with the deflection direction of the rotating mirror, interference with the rotating mirror is reduced, thereby enabling linear control of the rotating mirror's deflection angle to achieve a more precise angle deflection effect.

[0050] The above are merely embodiments of the present invention and do not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent results or equivalent process transformations made using the content of the present invention's specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A microelectronic non-landing mirror system, characterized by, The application relates to a substrate, at least two driving electrodes and at least two supporting components arranged on the substrate, the number of the supporting components not being greater than that of the driving electrodes, a rotating mirror suspended above the driving electrodes and elastically supported on each of the supporting components through an elastic reset component corresponding to the supporting component, each of the elastic reset components comprising at least two elastic reset units connected to different corner positions of the rotating mirror through the corresponding supporting component, for providing at least two rotating degrees of freedom of the rotating mirror, the deformation direction of the elastic reset corresponding to the deflection direction of the rotating mirror, a driving circuit for applying a driving voltage between the driving electrodes and the rotating mirror, wherein when the driving circuit applies a driving voltage between at least one of the driving electrodes and the rotating mirror, the rotating mirror approaches the driving electrode with the applied driving voltage in a movement range without landing on the substrate, so as to adjust the deflection angle of the rotating mirror, and when the driving circuit removes the applied driving voltage, the rotating mirror moves away from the driving electrode under the elastic restoring force of each of the elastic reset components, the restoring force of the elastic reset component and the electrostatic force become a pair of positive correlation forces, when the rotating angle of the rotating mirror increases, the electrostatic force increases, and the restoring force of the elastic reset component also increases, the contact points of each of the elastic reset units and the rotating mirror are sequentially connected to form a polygon, the geometric center of the polygon coincides with the center of the rotating mirror, so that the rotating mirror can keep balance, in each of the elastic reset components, the elastic reset component away from the driving electrode with the applied driving voltage provides a restraining force for the rotating mirror, so that the rotating mirror does not land on the substrate, the supporting components are two, the driving electrodes are two, the two driving electrodes are arranged side by side on the substrate and located between the two supporting components, the connecting line of the centers of the two driving electrodes and the connecting line of the centers of the two supporting components intersect on the projection of the substrate, the supporting components are two, the driving electrodes are four, the four driving electrodes are arranged in an array on the substrate and located between the two supporting components, each of the elastic reset components comprises two elastic reset units, and the projections of the elastic reset units on the substrate at least partially overlap with one of the four driving electrodes, respectively, the elastic reset unit comprises an elastic strip comprising a bending structure, and can elastically deform in two directions of the bending structure, respectively, the elastic reset unit comprises a snake spring, the elastic reset unit comprises a linear elastic strip, and at least two elastic reset units of the elastic reset component are connected to the corresponding supporting component from different corner positions of the rotating mirror. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 2. The microelectronic non-landing mirror system of claim 1, wherein, ​ 3. The microelectronic non-landing mirror system of claim 2, wherein, ​ 4. The microelectronic non-landing mirror system of claim 3, wherein, ​ 5. The microelectronic non-landing mirror system of claim 2, wherein, ​ 6. The microelectronic non-landing mirror system of claim 5, wherein, ​ 7. The microelectronic non-landing mirror system of any of claims 1 to 6, wherein, ​ 8. The microelectronic non-landing mirror system of any of claims 1 to 6, wherein, ​ 9. The microelectronic non-landing mirror system of any of claims 1 to 6, wherein, ​ 10. The microelectronic non-landed mirror system of any of claims 1 to 6, wherein, ​ 11. The microelectronic non-landed mirror system of any of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The elastic reset unit comprises a spring and a hanging part, the hanging part is extended by the support assembly to above the corner of the rotating mirror, the spring connects the hanging part and the rotating mirror, and the length direction of the spring is perpendicular to the plane where the rotating mirror is located in the non-working state.

12. The microelectronic non-landed mirror system of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, In the angle range of the deflection angle of the rotating mirror, the steady state of any angle can be realized by controlling the driving voltage.

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