Micro Mirror with Segmented Electrodes for High Tilting Angle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electro-statically driven micro mirrors face challenges in achieving a high tilting angle while maintaining low driving voltage, leading to reduced operation speed and durability against external noise.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates an insulation substrate with an address electrode, a charging unit insulated from the address electrode, and a reflecting body with a hinge and support unit made of elastic material, where the charging unit is pre-charged and a discharge prevention layer is used to optimize the electrostatic attraction and tilting angle, allowing for reduced driving voltage and increased tilting angle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the areas of the address electrode and reflecting body are designed to be large and the spacing is designed to be short to drive with low voltage, then the driving voltage is reduced, but the tilting angle becomes small
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode system is segmented into two independent components: an address electrode and a charging unit. The charging unit is pre-charged to a high voltage and maintains a fixed charge, while the address electrode applies lower voltage signals. This segmentation allows the reflecting body to experience strong electrostatic attraction from the pre-charged unit while responding to control signals from the address electrode, achieving both low driving voltage and large tilting angle.
Solution Approach 2:
The charging unit is pre-charged to a high voltage before the micro mirror operation begins. This preliminary action stores electrostatic energy in the charging unit, which then exerts a strong attractive force on the reflecting body. The address electrode only needs to apply small voltage changes to modulate this pre-established electrostatic field, enabling large tilting angles with low driving voltages.
2Shape
If the restoring forces of the hinges are designed to be weak to achieve large tilting angle, then the tilting angle increases, but the operation speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge structure is segmented and positioned to provide optimized restoring force. The hinges are designed with specific geometric configurations that balance the restoring force to allow large tilting angles while maintaining adequate response speed. The segmentation of the support structure enables independent optimization of different functional regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The physical parameters of the hinge (material properties, geometry, thickness) are optimized to achieve the desired balance between restoring force and operation speed. By adjusting these parameters, the hinge provides sufficient restoring force for rapid response while allowing the reflecting body to achieve large tilting angles under electrostatic actuation.
3Shape
If the size of the reflecting body is designed to be small and the spacing to the address electrode is designed to be long to increase the tilting angle, then the tilting angle increases, but the driving voltage becomes great
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode system is divided into an address electrode and a separately pre-charged charging unit. This segmentation allows the charging unit to be positioned at an optimized distance from the reflecting body, providing strong electrostatic attraction without requiring the address electrode to be at a long spacing. The pre-charged unit compensates for the spacing effect, enabling large tilting angles with moderate driving voltages.
Solution Approach 2:
The charging unit is pre-charged to a high voltage level that establishes a strong electrostatic field. This preliminary charging compensates for the reduced electrostatic force that would result from larger spacing between the address electrode and reflecting body. The pre-established field allows the system to achieve large tilting angles without requiring high driving voltages from the address electrode.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enables a higher tilting angle with a lower driving voltage, enhancing the operation speed and durability of the micro mirror against external noise, while minimizing light loss by positioning the hinges and support units to avoid exposure to incident light.
Implementation Method 1
the reflecting body 150 rotates based on the hinges 160a and 160b by an electrostatic force generated between the address electrode 120 and the reflecting body 150
Implementation Method 2
The hinge is made with an elastic material
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are a micro mirror and a micro mirror array using the same. The micro mirror includes: an insulation substrate; an address electrode formed on the insulation substrate; a charging unit electrically insulated from the address electrode; and a reflecting body rotatably provided on the insulation to reflect incident light and spaced apart from the address electrode and the charging unit.