Pixtronix DMS™ MEMS Technology for Broad Spectrum of
Display System Applications
by
Richard Payne, Jignesh Gandhi, Tim Brosnihan, Lodewyk Steyn, Joyce Wu, John DeRoo,
Steve Lewis, Gene Fike, Mark Halfman, Nesbitt Hagood
Microtech Conference and Expo 2011
MEMS-Based Systems Solutions and Integration Approaches
1:30PM Room #209
Hynes Convention Center
June16, 2011
©2011 Pixtronix, Inc.
Outline
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Introduction
Mobile Multimedia Requirements
Key Enabling Elements of DMS™ technology
Application Agility (Algorithm Driven)
Ease of Integrating IC and Discrete Components for
Smart System Functionality
• Summary
©2011 Pixtronix, Inc.
2
Pixtronix
• Mission
• Venture financed
– Develop enabling MEMS Display
technologies for low power
mobile multimedia & beyond
• Company
– Located in Andover,
Massachusetts (Near Boston)
– Founded in 2005 by Dr. Nesbitt
Hagood
– Uniquely qualified team of ~40
employees
• Business Strategy
• Licensing business model
©2011 Pixtronix, Inc.
– Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield &
Byers
– Atlas Venture
– Samsung Ventures
• Current Status:
• Fabricated by multiple partners
(Hitachi, CMI, SEC, ITRI +)
• Specifying product prototypes
with mobile multimedia
Licensees & OEMs
• Securing manufacturing supply
chain partnerships
INTRODUCTION
3
Problem and Solution
• Problem: Current Display
Technologies Are Limiting
• Multimedia devices exploding
• Usage driving longer display ON
time on larger and higher quality
displays
• LCD (precision voltage) & OLED
(precision current) draw excessive
power to support use in all ambients
• Solution: The PerfectLight™
Display Platform
• Delivers exceptional image quality
AND ultra-low power consumption
• Digital system attributes allow
performance optimized to
applications and ambient
environments in software.
©2011 Pixtronix, Inc.
• Technology: Digital Micro
Shutter™ (DMS™)
• Superior optical
performance at 1/4 power
• Breakthrough using two
proven technologies –
MEMS and TFT
• Unique transflective mode:
transmission and reflection
optimized simultaneously
• Precision comes from LED
(digital) timing
• Leverages existing TFTLCD manufacturing
equipment, processes and
materials
MOBILE MULTIMEDIA REQUIREMNTS
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Multi-Media System Use Demands Agile Displays
Smartphone Usage
(non-voice)
E-mail/
E-book
GPS
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Web
Video/
Photo
(D) Digital time division
(M) Micro(S) Shutter Technology
Allows Software Config.
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Bit depth
Color gamut
Refresh rate
Brightness
Contrast
©2011
Inc.
©2009 Pixtronix,
Pixtronix, Inc.
E-mail/
E-book
Web
• Small Color Gamut
• Low Bit Depth
• Low Refresh Rate
• Transflective Mode
• High Contrast
• Wide Color Gamut
• Moderate Bit Depth
• Low Refresh Rate
GPS
• High Brightness
• High Contrast
• Wide Color Gamut
• Moderate Bit Depth
APPLICATION AGILITY
Video
• Fast Motion
• High Bit Depth
• Wide Color Gamut
• High Contrast
5
Four Pillars of DMSTM Technology
MEMS based
Digital Micro
Shutter (DMSTM)
Light Recycling
And Backlight
Design
MEMS Glass
Shutter
Reflective surface
Aperture
Aperture Glass
Recycled Light Rays
RGB
LED
Low Power High
Speed Backplane
Design
DMS™
Digital Field
Sequential Color
Algorithms
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3
3
2
2
2
1 1 1
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3
3
3
2
2
2
1 1 1
Backlight
ESR
©2011 Pixtronix, Inc.
KEY ENABLING ELEMENTS OF DMS™ TECHNOLOGY
6
MEMS
• Digital modulation>>Broader
manufacturing tolerances
• Fast Response >>~100usec
>>Time division multiplexing
for gray scale generation
• SFF & MFF displays >
> Feasibility Demonstration
MEMS
based
Digital
Micro
Shutter
• Fabricated on 6 TFT lines
(DMSTM)
©2011 Pixtronix, In .
TECHNOLOGY c.
KEY ENABLING ELEMENTS OF DMS™
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Recycling Backlight
Light
Recycling
And Backlight
Design
aperture plate
waveguide
MEMS Glass
Shutter
Reflective surface
Aperture
Aperture Glass
Recycled Light Rays
waveguide + aperture plate = mirrored box
RGB
LED
Backlight
ESR
©2011 Pixtronix, Inc.
8
Digital Field Sequential Color
• FSC eliminates CF and
dramatically increases
color gamut
• Color gamut can be traded
for power with overlapping
RGB in time
Blue Green
Digital
Field
Sequential
Color
Algorithms
©2011 Pixtronix, Inc.
White Point
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2
1 1 1
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3
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2
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2
1 1 1
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High Speed Low Power Backplane with Standard TFT
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LTPS CMOS best option
LTPS PMOS demonstrated
a-Si NMOS demonstrated
IGZO also in Development
Low Power High
Speed
Backplane
Design
©2011 Pixtronix, Inc.
Circuits &
mechanical
MEMS
elements
Integrated
Aperature
10
Superior Viewing Quality at All Angles
+60 deg
-60 deg
+60 deg
-60 deg
©2011
Inc.
©2009 Pixtronix,
Pixtronix, Inc.
FOS PERFORMANCE
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How we build it
©2011 Pixtronix, Inc.
12
Normal Electronics and Optical System Integration
• Components using TFT
• Components on Glass
• Shelf Metal Routing
• Chips
• Discrete components
• Components on Flex or PCB
• Flex routes to System Board
flex
components
components
ACF
©2011 Pixtronix, Inc.
TFT
Aperture MEMS epoxy seal
13
DMSTM Technology Summary
• DMS™ provides demonstrated exceptional optics at 1/4 the power
of LCD or OLED
• Unique Transflective nature creates intrinsic low power reflective
modes readable in all ambient environments
• MEMS speed plus low power backplane and RGB FSC backlight
allows programmable digital system architecture creating
Application Agility
• Glass shelf allows high density hybrid component integration
• Pixtronix developments with Hitachi Displays, CMI and Samsung
publicly announced and demonstrated at FPD 2010 and SID 2011
• Imaging the Future is moving into the present
©2009 Pixtronix, Inc.
14
Exceptional Image Quality
Ultra Low Power Consumption
Perfect for Multimedia
Application Agility
Flexible System
Bright Future
The PerfectLight Display Platform
©2009 Pixtronix, Inc.
www.pixtronix.com