Document Type

Patent

Publication Date

May 2012

Patent Number

8179581

Abstract

The present invention provides an improved electrostatic micro actuator array system comprising a plurality of electrostatic micro actuators, each of the micro actuators further comprising at least one hold-down electrode and at least two pull-down electrodes positioned to actuate the micro actuator. A hold-down signal line is then coupled to each of the hold-down electrodes of each of the plurality of micro actuators and a plurality of first pull-down signal lines coupled to one of the at least two pull-down electrodes of each micro actuator and a plurality of second pull-down signal lines coupled to another of the at least two pull-down electrodes of each micro actuator, the first pull-down signal lines and the second pull-down signal lines configured in a cross-point matrix such that a unique pair of first pull-down signal lines and second pull-down signal lines is associated with each of the plurality of micro actuators. The system and method of the present invention reduces the number of driving lines required for the micro actuator array. In a particular embodiment, a reconfigurable microelectromechanical (MEMS) micromirror array system capable of deflecting incident light onto or away from a detector is described.

Application Number

12/057,915

Assignees

University of South Florida

Filing Date

03/28/2008

Primary/U.S. Class

359/200

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