CN114019674B

CN114019674B - Transmission type optical switch, array transmission type optical switch and electronic equipment

Info

Publication number: CN114019674B
Application number: CN202111167883.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 谢会开; 肖磊; 王鹏; 丁英涛
Original assignee: Wuxi Weiwen Semiconductor Technology Co ltd; Beijing Institute of Technology BIT
Current assignee: Wuxi Weiwen Semiconductor Technology Co ltd; Beijing Institute of Technology BIT
Priority date: 2021-09-29
Filing date: 2021-09-29
Publication date: 2023-06-06
Anticipated expiration: 2041-09-29
Also published as: CN114019674A

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a transmissive optical switch, an array transmissive optical switch, and an electronic device; the transmission type optical switch comprises a substrate, a driving device and an electrostatic attraction device; the substrate is formed with a light-transmitting area; one end of the driving device is connected with the substrate, the driving device is suspended on the substrate, and the driving device is configured to be capable of bending deformation and flattening; the electrostatic attraction device comprises a first electrostatic electrode and a second electrostatic electrode, the first electrostatic electrode is positioned on the substrate and is made of a light-transmitting material, and the second electrostatic electrode is positioned on the driving device; in the flattened state of the driving device, the driving device can be electrostatically attracted to the first electrostatic electrode through the second electrostatic electrode to close the light-transmitting region. The scheme of the present disclosure provides a new driving mode for the optical switch, which can obviously reduce driving voltage and power consumption, and simultaneously reduce energy consumption for maintaining the optical switch to be turned off.

Description

Transmission type optical switch, array transmission type optical switch and electronic equipment

Technical Field

The embodiment of the disclosure relates to the technical field of transmission type optical switches, and more particularly relates to a transmission type optical switch, an array transmission type optical switch and electronic equipment.

Background

The MEMS transmission type optical switch is used for controlling the light passing rate. Therefore, it can be applied to many optical scenes. In recent years, with the application of MEMS transmission type optical switches, MEMS transmission type optical switches with greatly reduced volume are widely used in the fields of smart windows, smart illumination, smart display, optical detection, and the like.

In the prior art, common ways to drive MEMS transmissive optical switches include both electrostatic and electrothermal actuation. When electrostatic driving is adopted, the driving voltage required at present is higher and can reach 50V-100V generally, and the electrostatic driving mode has a typical characteristic, namely a 'sucking phenomenon', which is easy to cause pixel sucking failure; meanwhile, the light control device is a binary driving mode, namely a non-switching mode and a switching mode, and cannot continuously control light. When the electrothermal driving is adopted, a larger shading element can be arranged to form a larger shading area; however, the electrothermal driving device itself occupies a large volume, is unfavorable for miniaturization of the MEMS transmission type optical switch, and has high driving voltage and power consumption. In addition, it is difficult to precisely control the position of the light shielding element, and the light transmittance of the MEMS transmission type optical switch is low.

Disclosure of Invention

The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a new technical solution for a transmissive optical switch, an array transmissive optical switch and an electronic device.

In a first aspect, the present disclosure provides a transmissive optical switch comprising

A substrate formed with a light-transmitting region;

a driving device, one end of which is connected with the substrate, the driving device is suspended on the substrate, and the driving device is configured to be capable of bending deformation and flattening; and

the electrostatic attraction device comprises a first electrostatic electrode and a second electrostatic electrode, the first electrostatic electrode is positioned on the substrate and is made of a light-transmitting material, and the second electrostatic electrode is positioned on the driving device;

in the flattened state of the driving device, the driving device can be electrostatically attracted to the first electrostatic electrode through the second electrostatic electrode to close the light-transmitting region.

Optionally, the electrostatic attraction device further includes an insulating medium layer, and when the first electrostatic electrode and the second electrostatic electrode are attracted electrostatically, the insulating medium layer is located between the first electrostatic electrode and the second electrostatic electrode;

The first electrostatic electrode and the second electrostatic electrode are both conductive materials.

Optionally, the insulating dielectric layer is disposed on the first electrostatic electrode.

Optionally, the surface of the driving device facing the substrate is provided with a plurality of protruding structures.

Optionally, the substrate itself is a light transmissive material; or,

the substrate is made of a light-tight material, a channel is formed in the substrate, and the channel forms the light-permeable area.

Optionally, the end of the driving device, which is far away from the end connected with the base, is provided with a shading element extending outwards.

Optionally, the first electrostatic electrode is divided into a plurality of independent electrostatic electrode areas in a first direction;

the first direction is a gradually closing direction with the light-transmitting area.

Optionally, the driving device is a multilayer electrothermal driving structure or a piezoelectric film structure.

Optionally, the driving device comprises a heating element, a first material layer and a second material layer, the first material layer and the second material layer are arranged layer by layer and connected together, the heating element is connected with at least one of the first material layer and the second material layer, and the thermal expansion coefficients of the first material layer and the second material layer are different.

Optionally, in the initial state, the driving device bends to open the light-transmitting area;

after the voltage is applied to the driving device, the driving device is flattened;

and applying voltage to the electrostatic attraction device and removing the voltage of the driving device, wherein the driving device is electrostatically attracted to the first electrostatic electrode through the second electrostatic electrode so as to close the light-transmitting area.

Optionally, in the initial state, the driving device flattens to close the light-transmitting area;

and applying voltage to the driving device and removing the voltage of the electrostatic attraction device, wherein the driving device bends towards the direction away from the substrate so as to open the light-transmitting area.

In a second aspect, the present disclosure provides an array transmissive optical switch comprising a transmissive optical switch as described above;

the transmission type optical switches are a plurality of, and the plurality of transmission type optical switches form a switch array.

In a third aspect, the present disclosure also provides an electronic device, comprising

An equipment body; and

the transmission type optical switch as described above is provided on the apparatus body.

One beneficial effect of the disclosed embodiments is that:

the scheme of the present disclosure provides a new combined driving mode for the optical switch, which can obviously reduce driving voltage and power consumption, and can obtain higher light transmittance at the same time; in particular, the energy consumption for maintaining the optical switch off can be reduced. In addition, the scheme of the present disclosure can realize continuous light control, and make up for the defects in the prior art.

Other features of the present specification and its advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments thereof, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the specification and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the specification.

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a transmissive optical switch according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Fig. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a transmissive optical switch according to a second embodiment of the disclosure.

Fig. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of the driving device in the transmissive optical switch in fig. 2 in different on states.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of voltage signals corresponding to the movement process of the electrothermal driver structure.

Fig. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a transmissive optical switch according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the driving device in the transmissive optical switch of fig. 5 in a flattened state.

Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of a driving device in the transmissive optical switch in fig. 5 in different on states.

Fig. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a driving device in a transmission-type optical switch according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure in different on states.

Fig. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of a transmissive optical switch according to a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 10 to fig. 12 are schematic structural diagrams of a transmissive optical switch according to a sixth embodiment of the present disclosure in different states.

Reference numerals:

1. a substrate; 2. a driving device; 3. a first electrostatic electrode; 4. a second electrostatic electrode; 5. an insulating dielectric layer; 6. a first control circuit; 7. a second control circuit; 8. a bump structure; 9. a channel; 10. a shading element.

Detailed Description

Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that: the relative arrangement of the components and steps, numerical expressions and numerical values set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present disclosure unless it is specifically stated otherwise.

The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the disclosure, its application, or uses.

Techniques and equipment known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but should be considered part of the specification where appropriate.

In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values should be construed as merely illustrative, and not a limitation. Thus, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values.

It should be noted that: like reference numerals and letters denote like items in the following figures, and thus once an item is defined in one figure, no further discussion thereof is necessary in subsequent figures.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to fig. 1-10, various configurations of a transmissive optical switch are provided. The transmission type optical switch is manufactured by adopting an MEMS technology.

The transmissive optical switch comprises a substrate 1. The substrate 1 is used to support components in a transmissive optical switch.

The substrate 1 is formed with a light-transmitting area, so that a light-transmitting effect can be realized.

The substrate 1 may be a semiconductor material.

For example, the substrate 1 may be silicon, a compound of silicon such as silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, and silicon carbide.

For another example, the substrate 1 may be germanium and gallium arsenide, and the substrate 1 may also be a piezoelectric crystal, a ceramic compound.

The substrate 1 may be made of a light-transmitting material or a light-impermeable material.

For example, when the substrate 1 is a light-transmitting material, it may itself form a light-transmitting region. In such a case, light emitted by the light source may propagate through the substrate 1 if there is no shielding on the substrate 1.

For another example, when the base 1 is an opaque material, the base 1 may be etched to remove unwanted material from the substrate by etching processes, such as a dry etching process and a wet etching process, to form the opaque region of the base 1 in the present disclosure. The light-transmitting area is for example a channel 9, see fig. 8. The light source is arranged opposite to the transmission switch, and the light emitted by the light source can be transmitted through the channel 9 on the substrate 1.

The transmission type optical switch comprises a driving device 2, as shown in fig. 2, one end of the driving device 2 is connected with the substrate 1, the driving device 2 is suspended on the substrate 1, and the driving device 2 is configured to be capable of bending deformation and flattening.

The driving means 2 is for example of a light-impermeable material, and the driving means 2 can act as a light-shielding means with respect to the light-permeable area on the substrate 1, so that it can be used to open or close the light-permeable area.

For example, the driving device 2 is formed using a MEMS process, and the present disclosure is not particularly described herein.

Referring to fig. 1, 2, 5 and 7-9, the transmissive optical switch further includes an electrostatic attraction device. The electrostatic attraction device comprises a first electrostatic electrode 3 and a second electrostatic electrode 4; wherein the first electrostatic electrode 3 is located on the substrate 1, and the second electrostatic electrode 4 is located on the driving device 2.

That is, the first electrostatic electrode 3 and the second electrostatic electrode 4 constituting the electrostatic chuck are provided separately on the substrate 1 and the driving device 2. For example, the first electrostatic electrode 3 is integrated with the substrate 1. The second electrostatic electrode 4 is integrated with the driving means 2. Thus, when a driving voltage (e.g., V _ES ) Then, an electrostatic attraction force is generated between the first electrostatic electrode 3 and the second electrostatic electrode 4, so that the first electrostatic electrode and the second electrostatic electrode are attracted to each other electrostatically.

The driving device 2 is suspended on the substrate 1, when the second electrostatic electrode 4 on the driving device 2 and the first electrostatic electrode 3 on the substrate 1 are not attracted electrostatically, the other end of the driving device 2 can be bent (or warped) freely towards the direction away from the substrate 1 after being separated from the substrate 1 due to residual stress, and at this time, light from a light source can propagate through a light-transmitting area on the substrate 1.

In the flattened state, the driving device 2 can be electrostatically attracted to the substrate 1 through the second electrostatic electrode 4 by applying a driving voltage to the electrostatic attraction device, so as to close the light-transmitting region, and at this time, the light from the light source cannot propagate through the light-transmitting region.

That is, in the case where the light-transmitting region is closed, the driving means 2 is in a flattened state and parallel to the surface of the substrate 1, which can block the light-transmitting region, light from the light source is blocked by the driving means 2 (light-impermeable material), and cannot continue to propagate. When the light-transmitting area is opened, the driving device 2 is freely bent towards the direction away from the substrate 1, so that the light-transmitting area can be avoided, and the light from the light source can continue to propagate through the light-transmitting area.

In some examples of the disclosure, referring to fig. 1 to 3 and fig. 5 to 9, the electrostatic chuck device further includes an insulating medium layer 5, where the insulating medium layer 5 is located between the first electrostatic electrode 3 and the second electrostatic electrode 4 when the first electrostatic electrode 3 is electrostatically chuck with the second electrostatic electrode 4. Wherein, the first electrostatic electrode 3 and the second electrostatic electrode 4 are both conductive materials.

In fact, in the case of electrostatic attraction between the driving device 2 and the substrate 1, there is also an insulating dielectric layer 5 between the two, and the presence of the insulating dielectric layer 5 can avoid electrical conduction between the second electrostatic electrode 4 on the driving device 2 and the first electrostatic electrode 3 on the substrate 1.

Wherein, the insulating medium layer 5 can be a film of insulating material.

For example, the insulating dielectric layer 5 is a silicon oxide material film or a silicon nitride material film.

Furthermore, if a surface of the driving device 2 facing the substrate 1 is itself electrically insulating, no additional insulating medium layer 5 is required.

In the scheme of the disclosure, the driving voltage and power consumption for opening or closing the light transmission area can be effectively reduced by adopting an electrostatic attraction mode. Compared with the prior art, the scheme of the present disclosure provides a new driving mode for the optical switch, and the driving mode can obviously reduce driving voltage and power consumption, and can obtain higher light transmittance. In particular, the energy consumption for maintaining the optical switch off can be reduced. And continuous light control can be realized, and the defects in the prior related art are overcome.

In some examples of the present disclosure, the insulating dielectric layer 5 is disposed on the first electrostatic electrode 3.

Of course, the insulating medium layer 5 may also be selectively disposed on the second electrostatic electrode 4, and a person skilled in the art may flexibly select a disposition position of the insulating medium layer 5 according to specific needs, which is not limited in this disclosure.

Wherein, the first electrostatic electrode 3 may be a light-transmitting conductive material.

For example, the first electrostatic electrode 3 is a transparent conductive film such as an indium tin oxide semiconductor transparent conductive film ITO or the like.

The electrostatic attraction device formed by combining the first electrostatic electrode 3 and the second electrostatic electrode 4 corresponds to an electrostatic driver.

When a driving voltage is applied to the electrostatic chuck, an electrostatic chuck force can be generated between the first electrostatic electrode 3 and the second electrostatic electrode 4, so that the driving device 2 can be electrostatically chuck on the substrate 1 and kept in a closed state.

In addition, a surface of the substrate 1 may be directly made of a light-transmitting conductive material, and in this case, the surface of the substrate 1 may be directly used as the first electrostatic electrode 3, and after a driving voltage is applied thereto, it may be capable of electrostatically attracting the second electrostatic electrode 4 provided on the driving device 2, so that the transmissive optical switch is in an off state.

In the scheme of the disclosure, the opening and closing of the light-transmitting area on the substrate 1 can be controlled through the bending deformation and flattening of the driving device 2, so that the light-transmitting amount is controlled.

In some examples of the present disclosure, referring to fig. 2, 3 and 5, a plurality of protruding structures 8 are provided on a surface of the driving device 2 facing the substrate 1.

When the driving device 2 is electrostatically attracted to the substrate 1, there may be a case where the driving device 2 cannot be separated from the substrate 1 after stopping the application of the driving voltage to the electrostatic attraction device. In order to avoid this, a plurality of raised structures 8 are designed in the solution of the present disclosure on the lower surface of the driving means 2 (see fig. 2, the surface facing the substrate 1). The bump structure 8 is used for contacting the insulating medium layer 5, at this time, static electricity only adsorbs the bump structure 8, but not the whole driving device 2, so that the electrostatic adsorption force can be reduced, and the structure is more easy to rebound.

As shown in fig. 2, the bump structures 8 are, for example, bumps with triangular cross-sections.

Of course, the protruding structures 8 may also be protruding points with a semicircular cross section or protruding points with a trapezoid cross section, etc. Those skilled in the art may flexibly select according to the specific circumstances, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

Furthermore, the shape of each of the bump structures 8 may be designed to be the same or different on the surface of the substrate 1, which is not limited by the present disclosure.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the plurality of bump structures 8 may be arranged in an array.

For example, the plurality of bump structures 8 are arranged in a matrix.

Those skilled in the art may flexibly adjust the arrangement of the plurality of protruding structures 8 on the substrate 1 according to a specific situation, which is not limited in this disclosure.

In some examples of the present disclosure, referring to fig. 1 to 3 and 5 to 9, the transmissive optical switch further includes a first control circuit 6 and a second control circuit 7.

Wherein the first control circuit 6 is connected to the driving device 2, and the first control circuit 6 is further connected to a wire bonding pad provided on the substrate 1. The first control circuit 6 is configured to be able to apply a drive voltage V to the drive device 2 _ET . The driving voltage V _ET The driving device 2 can be bent, deformed and flattened.

The second control circuit 7 is connected with the driving device 2, and the second control circuit 7 is also connected with the electrostatic attraction device. The second control circuit 7 is configured to apply a driving voltage V to the electrostatic chuck _ES . For example, the driving device 2 may be electrostatically attracted to the substrate 1 in a flattened state (mainly, the second electrostatic electrode 4 is electrostatically attracted to the first electrostatic electrode 3).

After the driving device 2 is in a flattened state and electrostatically attracted to the substrate 1, i.e. when the driving device 2 is closed in placeThereafter, in the solution of the present disclosure, in order to avoid the problem of the high driving voltage, it is designed to disconnect the first control circuit 6, even if the driving voltage V is applied _ET =0, and keeps the driving voltage V small in the second control circuit 7 _ES To keep the driving means 2 electrostatically attracted to the substrate 1 and thus maintain the transmissive switch in the off state.

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the driving device 2 in the transmission type optical switch in different on states. Specifically:

when the driving means 2 is in a state of bending deformation, i.e. the first state in fig. 3 shows: the first control circuit 6 and the second control circuit 7 are both powered off, i.e. the driving voltage V _ET =0, and drive voltage V _ES The driving device 2 is in a state of bending deformation away from the substrate 1, for example, a bending angle is greater than 90 °, the transmissive optical switch is in an on state, light from the light source can propagate through the light-transmitting region of the substrate 1, the first electrostatic electrode 3 and the insulating medium layer 5, and in this state, the light-transmitting amount of the transmissive optical switch is the maximum, that is, the all-pass state.

See the second state in fig. 3: the first control circuit 6 is used to apply a drive voltage V to the drive device 2 _ET And let 0<V _ET <V _OFF Wherein V is _OFF In order to enable the driving device 2 to be fully flattened to shut off the driving voltage of the light transmitting region, the driving voltage V applied to the electrostatic chuck by the second control circuit 7 is maintained _ES =0, the driving device 2 gradually changes from a bent deformed state to a flattened state (the radius of curvature of the driving device 2 follows the driving voltage V _ET An increase in value), in which state the driving means 2 is not fully flattened, the light transmitted through the light-transmitting area of the substrate 1 is partially blocked by the driving means 2. In this state, the transmissive optical switch is in a continuously controlled state of the driving device 2, the light quantity of which can be controlled by adjusting the driving voltage V _ET Value is changed, the transmission type optical switchIs between the fully light blocking and Quan Tong light states.

It should be noted that, referring to the second state in fig. 3, the first control circuit 6 may also be used to apply the driving voltage V to the driving device 2 _ET The driving voltage V _ET The value can be directly to V _OFF So that the driving device 2 is directly converted from a bending deformation state to a flattening state, and the light quantity of the transmission type optical switch can be directly converted from a full light-transmitting state to a full light-blocking state.

See the third state in fig. 3: the driving means 2 is gradually flattened, and when the angle between the driving means 2 and the substrate 1 is gradually reduced and smaller than a set angle (for example < 45 DEG), the driving voltage V applied to the driving means 2 is maintained _ET The value of the driving voltage V applied to the electrostatic attraction device is adjusted _ES >V _T ，V _T To enable the drive means 2 to be in a fully light blocking state. Under the action of electrostatic attraction, the flattened driving device 2 and the substrate 1 are electrostatically attracted through the second electrostatic electrode 4 and the first electrostatic electrode 3, at this time, the transmission type optical switch is in a closed state, and the driving device 2 is closed in place. Light from the light source is blocked by the driving means 2. In this way, the driving device 2 blocks the light-transmitting area on the substrate 1, and the luminous flux is 0 at this time, that is, a Quan Zu light state is formed.

Wherein, when the driving device 2 is gradually flattened, the included angle between the driving device 2 and the substrate 1 can be increased by the driving voltage V gradually _ET Is determined by the current value of (a) different driving voltages V _ET Corresponding to different included angles, the corresponding relation of the two can be determined in advance. In addition, the angle between the driving device 2 and the substrate 1 can also be determined by the detection result of the light passing amount.

As shown in fig. 4, after the driving device 2 is closed in place, the first control circuit 6 is opened, at which time the driving voltage V _ET =0, i.e. no driving voltage is applied to the driving device 2, while the driving voltage V is made _ES (applied to the rest)The value of the electro-attraction means) is kept small, and the driving means 2 is kept to be attracted to the substrate 1 electrostatically, so that the transmission switch is in a closed state, i.e. in a full light blocking state. This design in the present disclosure avoids the use of a drive voltage V _ET Maintaining the drive device 2 off causes a problem of large drive power consumption.

Removing the driving voltage V from the electrostatic attraction device _ES After that, the second control circuit 7 is turned off, at this time, the electrostatic attraction device no longer provides electrostatic attraction force to the driving device 2, and the driving device 2 can return to the state of bending deformation.

In the fully light-blocking state, the first control circuit 6 is switched off, i.e. the drive voltage V applied to the drive means 2 is removed _ET While retaining the driving voltage V applied to the electrostatic chuck by the second control circuit 7 _ES High power consumption in the full blocking state can be avoided. Wherein the driving voltage V is removed _ET The timing of (a) may be, for example, when the driving means 2 is fully flattened, i.e. when the driving means 2 is fully closed. And whether the driving means 2 is completely closed or not can be achieved by means of a light-passing detection.

The driving voltage V is maintained when the driving means 2 is changed from the bent state to the flattened state _ET ＝V _OFF (V _OFF To enable the driving means 2 to be fully flattened to close the driving voltage value of the light-transmitting area), and to apply a driving voltage V to the electrostatic actuation means _ES When the light-blocking switch is in the full-light-blocking state, the light-blocking switch can be in the full-light-blocking state. And once the first control circuit 6 is disconnected, the drive voltage V _ET =0, the driving device 2 becomes in a state of bending deformation, and a phenomenon that the driving device 2 cannot be separated from the substrate 1 due to electrostatic attraction does not occur.

In some examples of the present disclosure, the substrate 1 is a light transmissive material.

Since the substrate 1 is light-transmitting, i.e. a light-transmitting region is formed by itself, there is no need to specially provide a portion for light transmission thereon.

In other examples of the present disclosure, the substrate 1 may be made of an opaque material, as shown in fig. 8, and a channel 9 is formed on the substrate 1, where the channel 9 is used to form the light-transmitting area.

Wherein the channels 9 may be formed by an etching process. For example, a portion is removed from the substrate 1 by a dry etching process and a wet etching process, thereby forming a light-transmitting region of the substrate 1 in the present disclosure. The light source is arranged opposite to the transmission switch, and the light emitted by the light source can be transmitted through the channel 9.

In some examples of the present disclosure, referring to fig. 9, the driving device 2 is provided with a light shielding member 10 extending to the outside away from an end connected to the base 1.

When the driving device 2 is in a flattened state and the light-transmitting area is closed, the light shielding element 10 can be used for shielding light transmission of other parts so as to ensure that light rays emitted by the light source cannot transmit through the substrate 1 from any angle, and further ensure a full light-blocking state.

In some examples of the present disclosure, the light shielding element 10 includes a first functional layer and a second functional layer, the first functional layer and the second functional layer being stacked and connected together.

The first functional layer is used for blocking light transmission.

The first functional layer is made of a light-tight material, such as metal, for example aluminum.

Wherein the second functional layer is used for improving the rigidity of the shading element 10.

The first functional layer is for example an inorganic non-metallic material such as silicon dioxide.

The order in which the first functional layer and the second functional layer are stacked is not limited herein. It is also possible to provide only the first functional layer, so that the first functional layer can have a suitable rigidity and at the same time also block light propagation. That is, the light shielding member 10 is not limited to the two-layer structure in the above example, but may have a single-layer structure, and may be adjusted according to the specific situation by those skilled in the art, which is not limited thereto.

In some examples of the present disclosure, referring to fig. 5 and 6, the first electrostatic electrode 3 is divided into a plurality of independent electrostatic electrode regions along a first direction, and the first direction refers to a gradually closing direction with the light-transmitting region.

In order to control the light flux of the transmissive switch with low power consumption, the first electrostatic electrode 3 is designed to include a plurality of independent electrostatic electrode regions that are not connected to each other, see 3 (1) to 3 (N) in fig. 5 and 6. Wherein the electrostatic driving voltage of each electrostatic electrode area is controlled by the second control circuit 7, for example.

A surface of the driving device 2 facing the substrate 1 is provided with a plurality of protruding structures 8. Referring to fig. 6, the plurality of bump structures 8 may be designed in a plurality of rows, for example. Each row of the bump structures 8 corresponds to one of the electrostatic electrode areas.

The electrostatic electrode areas are only subjected to a driving voltage V by the second control circuit 7 when the driving device 2 moves nearby _ES The second electrostatic electrode 4 on the driving device 2 is electrostatically attracted, and the driving voltage V applied to the driving device 2 by the first control circuit 6 can be removed when the electrostatic attraction of the second electrostatic electrode and the driving device is maintained _ET Thereby realizing low-power consumption multi-stage control.

The plurality of independent electrostatic electrode regions that are not connected to each other may be distributed at equal intervals or may not be distributed at equal intervals. The length of each electrostatic electrode region can be adjusted according to specific requirements.

Referring to fig. 7, fig. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a driving device in a transmissive optical switch in different on states, illustrating a multistage control process of light passing amount, specifically:

step 1, the first electrostatic electrode 3 is divided into a 1 st electrostatic electrode region, … …, an i-th electrostatic electrode region, an i+1th electrostatic electrode region, … …, and an N-th electrostatic electrode region, and the driving voltage of the i-th electrostatic electrode region is denoted as V _ES (i) Where i=1, 2, …, N.

The first state as in fig. 7: in an initial state, a driving voltage V is applied to each of the electrostatic electrode regions _ES (1, 2, …, i, i+1, …, N) =0, i.e. the second control circuit 7 is de-energized, at the same time the first control circuit 6 is de-energized, so that the driving voltage V applied to the driving device 2 _ET At this time, the driving device 2 may bend under the residual stress. Where i=1 is initialized.

Step 2, making the first control circuit 6 apply a driving voltage V to the driving device 2 _ET Equal to or gradually increase to V ₁ ，V ₁ The voltage required to close one of the electrostatic electrode areas. The driving device 2 is closed to the substrate 1, and the second control circuit 7 controls the electrostatic driving voltage V applied to the ith electrostatic electrode area when the closing length covers the ith electrostatic electrode area _ES (i)＝V _T And maintain the applied voltage V _ES (i) State V _T To maintain the voltage of one electrostatic electrode area in a closed state, the second state and the third state are shown in fig. 7.

Step 3, adding 1 to i, repeating the procedure of step 2 until the driving device 2 is closed to the required electrostatic electrode area position, and the second control circuit 7 maintains the driving voltage V applied to the electrostatic attraction device _ES And removes the driving voltage V for driving the flattening of the driving device 2 _ET I.e. to disconnect said first control circuit 6. At this time, the second control circuit 7 applies a driving voltage V to the electrostatic electrode region to be closed _ES And a driving voltage V applied to the driving device 2 _ET =0, as in the fourth state in fig. 7.

With reference to the transmissive optical switch shown in fig. 5, stepless continuous control can also be achieved. As shown in FIG. 7, the first electrostatic electrode 3 is divided into 1 st stage … …, i th stage, i+1th stage, … … th stage, and N th stage, wherein the driving voltage of the i th electrostatic electrode region is denoted as V _ES (i)，i＝1，2，…，N-1。

Step a, in an initial state, the second control circuit 7 applies a driving voltage V to each electrostatic electrode region _ES (1, 2, …, i, i+1, …, N) =0, i.e. the second control circuit 7 is de-energized, while the first control circuit 6 is de-energized, i.e. the driving voltage V driving the flattening of the driving device 2 _ET =0, the driving device 2 may be deformed by bending in a direction away from the substrate 1 under the effect of residual stress, as in the first state of fig. 7. Initializing i=1.

Step b, making the first control circuit 6 apply a driving voltage V to the driving device 2 _ET Is equal to or gradually increases to the driving voltage V required to close one electrostatic electrode area ₁ The driving device 2 is closed to the substrate 1, and after the closing length covers the ith electrostatic electrode area, the second control circuit 7 controls the driving voltage V applied to the ith electrostatic electrode area _ES (i)＝V _T And V is _ES (i+1, …, N) =0, and holds this state, V _T To maintain a static electrode region in a closed state. Drive voltage V of ith electrostatic electrode area _ES (i) After the application, the applied drive voltage V is not withdrawn as the drive device 2 continues to be applied backwards _ES (i)。

Step c, adding 1 to the i, and repeating the step b.

The closing length of the driving device 2 corresponding to the required light quantity covers the parts of the P complete electrostatic electrode areas and the P+1th electrostatic electrode area; wherein P is a positive integer.

In the step b, P times are needed to be executed, and the closing of P complete electrostatic electrode areas is completed; at this time, the turn achieves partial closure in the p+1th electrostatic electrode region. If the total required closing length is an integer multiple of the electrostatic electrode area length, step b may be performed multiple times and the driving voltage V is withdrawn _ET And then ends after application of (c). The integer multiple of the electrostatic electrode area length ignores the gap between the electrostatic electrode areas.

Step d, making the first control circuit 6 control the driving voltage V _ET A driving voltage V corresponding to the closing length required for the P+1th electrostatic electrode area or gradually increasing ₂ ，V ₂ <V ₁ The method comprises the steps of carrying out a first treatment on the surface of the And remain inSo that the drive means 2 is closed to any desired position. At this time, the first P electrostatic electrode regions apply a driving voltage V _ES The P+1st electrostatic electrode region applies a driving voltage V ₂ 。

As can be seen from the above flow, the voltage value controlling the driving of the driving means 2 is not completely removed, but a part of the driving voltage V is maintained ₂ . The part of the driving voltage V ₂ Only a partial closure of one electrostatic electrode area needs to be driven. If the driving voltage V is used completely _ET The power consumption required by the stepless continuous control from the on to the off is Q, and the novel driving method only needs the power consumption of Q/N to realize the interval stepless continuous control.

In some examples of the present disclosure, the driving device 2 is a multilayer electrothermal driving structure or a piezoelectric thin film structure.

For example, the driving device 2 is a multi-layer electrothermal driving structure. The driving device 2 comprises a heating element, a first material layer and a second material layer, which are arranged one above the other and are connected together, the heating element being connected to at least one of the first material layer and the second material layer (the first material layer and/or the second material layer), wherein the first material layer and the second material layer have different coefficients of thermal expansion.

Wherein the first material layer of the driving device 2 is for example a metallic material, such as aluminum, copper or platinum, etc.; the second material layer of the drive device 2 is, for example, an inorganic nonmetallic material, such as silicon dioxide, silicon nitride or silicon carbide.

The drive device 2 also has a heating element which can be arranged between the first material layer and the second material layer, can be connected only to the first material layer, or can be connected only to the second material layer.

The heating element is, for example, a resistor, such as platinum, titanium, or tungsten, but may be other resistive materials sufficient to provide a heat source for the first material layer and the second material layer, which is not limited herein. For example, when a voltage is applied to the resistor by the control unit, the resistor generates heat to raise the temperature of the driving device 2.

Wherein the first material layer and the second material layer have different coefficients of thermal expansion. When the temperature increases, the thermal expansion coefficient of aluminum is higher, and the driving device 2 is bent to open the light-transmitting region. When the driving voltage applied to the resistor by the first control circuit 6 is reduced, the driving device 2 is gradually flattened to close the light-transmitting area, and the light cannot pass through the light-transmitting area.

In some examples of the present disclosure, the driving means 2 is a piezoelectric drive. The first material layer is a silicon dioxide material, and the second material layer is a material with inverse piezoelectric effect, such as piezoelectric ceramic. When the first control circuit 6 applies a driving voltage to the piezoelectric ceramic, the piezoelectric ceramic deforms to drive the driving device 2 to bend and deform. When the first control circuit 6 reduces the driving voltage applied to the piezoelectric ceramic, the deformation of the piezoelectric ceramic is reduced, and the driving device 2 is flattened.

It will be appreciated that in the above examples, there may be the first material layer, or the first material layer may be omitted. So long as the drive means 2 can be made to form the desired degree of curvature.

In some examples of the present disclosure, in an initial state, the driving device 2 is bent to open the light-transmitting region; after applying a voltage to the driving device 2, the driving device 2 is flattened; and applying a voltage to the electrostatic attraction device and removing the voltage of the driving device 2, wherein the driving device 2 is electrostatically attracted on the first electrostatic electrode 3 through the second electrostatic electrode 4 so as to close the light-transmitting area.

The initial state refers to a state in which no voltage is applied to the driving device 2.

In the initial state, the transmission type optical switch is in an on state, namely an all-pass state.

For example, the driving device 2 is in a state of bending deformation, and at this time, the transmission type optical switch is in a maximally opened state. The first control circuit 6 applies a driving voltage to the driving device 2V _ET Thereafter, the driving device 2 is gradually flattened and can be electrostatically attracted to the substrate 1 to close the light-transmitting region, thereby blocking light.

It should be noted that, when the driving device 2 is electrostatically attracted to the substrate 1, the first control circuit 6 is powered off, and no driving voltage (i.e. V is applied to the driving device 2 _ET ＝0)。

In other embodiments of the present disclosure, in an initial state, the driving device 2 is flattened to close the light-transmitting region; after applying a voltage to the driving device 2 and removing the voltage of the electrostatic chuck, the driving device 2 is bent in a direction away from the substrate 1 to open the light-transmitting region.

The transmission type optical switch is in an initial state of being in a closed state, namely, the driving device 2 is in a flattened state, and is in a full light blocking state at the moment.

That is, the driving device 2 is initially in a flattened state, and the transmissive optical switch is in a fully light blocking state. The first control circuit 6 applies a driving voltage V to the driving device 2 _ET Then, the driving device 2 is gradually bent from the flat state and separated from the substrate 1 to open the light-transmitting area, so that the light can be transmitted.

Example 1

Referring to fig. 1, fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a transmissive optical switch according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and a first transmissive optical switch is provided.

The transmission type optical switch comprises a substrate 1, a driving device 2 and an electrostatic attraction device.

The substrate 1 is made of a light-transmitting material, and a light-transmitting area is formed on the substrate 1.

One end of the driving device 2 is connected with the substrate 1, the driving device 2 is suspended on the substrate 1, and the driving device 2 can be bent, deformed and flattened.

The driving device 2 is a multi-layer electrothermal driving structure, and comprises a heating element, a first material layer and a second material layer, wherein the first material layer and the second material layer are arranged in a layer-by-layer mode and are connected together, the heating element is connected with the first material layer and/or the second material layer, and the thermal expansion coefficients of the first material layer and the second material layer are different.

The electrostatic attraction device comprises a first electrostatic electrode 3, a second electrostatic electrode 4 and an insulating medium layer 5, wherein the first electrostatic electrode 3 is positioned on the substrate 1, the second electrostatic electrode 4 is positioned on the driving device 2, the insulating medium layer 5 is arranged on the first electrostatic electrode 3, and when a driving voltage is applied to the electrostatic attraction device, electrostatic attraction force can be generated between the first electrostatic electrode 3 and the second electrostatic electrode 4;

the first electrostatic electrode 3 is an indium tin oxide semiconductor transparent conductive film ITO, the insulating dielectric layer 5 is a silicon oxide material film, and the insulating dielectric layer 5 is a light-transmitting material.

In the flattened state of the driving device 2, the driving device 2 can be electrostatically attracted to the first electrostatic electrode 3 through the second electrostatic electrode 4 to close the light-transmitting region.

In this embodiment, the transmission type optical switch, in an initial state, the driving means 2 is bent to open the light-transmitting region; after applying a voltage to the driving device 2, the driving device 2 is flattened; and applying a voltage to the electrostatic attraction device and removing the voltage of the driving device 2, wherein the driving device 2 is electrostatically attracted on the first electrostatic electrode 3 through the second electrostatic electrode 4 so as to close the light-transmitting area.

Wherein the transmission type optical switch further comprises a first control circuit 6 and a second control circuit 7;

one end of the first control circuit 6 is connected with the driving device 2, the other end of the first control circuit 6 is electrically connected with the substrate 1, and the first control circuit 6 is configured to apply a driving voltage V to the driving device 2 _ET ；

The second controlOne end of a control circuit 7 is connected with the driving device 2, the other end of the second control circuit 7 is connected with the electrostatic attraction device, and the second control circuit is configured to apply a driving voltage V to the electrostatic attraction device _ES 。

It should be noted that, after the driving device 2 is flattened and electrostatically attracted to the substrate 1, the first control circuit 6 is turned off to drive the voltage V _ET Is 0 and reduces the driving voltage V applied to the electrostatic chuck by the second control circuit 7 _ES To keep the driving device 2 to be capable of being electrostatically attracted to the first electrostatic electrode 3 through the second electrostatic electrode 4, so as to realize a low-power-consumption full-light-blocking state.

< example two >

Referring to fig. 2, fig. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a transmissive optical switch according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and a second transmissive optical switch is provided.

One end of the driving device 2 is connected with the substrate 1, the driving device 2 is suspended on the substrate 1, and the driving device 2 can be bent, deformed and flattened;

the driving device 2 is a multi-layer electrothermal driving structure, and comprises a heating element, a first material layer and a second material layer, wherein the first material layer and the second material layer are arranged in a layer-by-layer mode and are connected together, the heating element is connected with the first material layer and/or the second material layer, and the thermal expansion coefficients of the first material layer and the second material layer are different;

further, a plurality of protruding points (i.e., protruding structures 8) having triangular cross sections are provided on the lower surface of the driving device 2 (the surface facing the substrate 1, as shown in fig. 2).

Unlike embodiment 1, in the solution of embodiment 2, the insulating medium layer 5 is contacted by a plurality of bumps on the driving device 2, that is, static electricity only adsorbs the bumps, but not the whole driving device 2, so that the electrostatic adsorption force can be reduced, and the structure is more easy to rebound.

One end of the second control circuit 7 is connected with the driving device 2, the other end of the second control circuit 7 is connected with the electrostatic attraction device, and the second control circuit is configured to be capable of attracting the static electricityThe device applying a driving voltage V _ES 。

It should be noted that, after the driving device 2 is flattened and electrostatically attracted to the substrate 1, the first control circuit 6 is turned off to drive the voltage V _ET Is 0 and reduces the driving voltage V applied to the electrostatic chuck by the second control circuit 7 _ES To keep the driving device 2 capable of being electrostatically attracted to the first electrostatic electrode 3 through the second electrostatic electrode 4, so as to realize a full light blocking state.

Example III

Referring to fig. 5, fig. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a transmissive optical switch according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and a third transmissive optical switch is provided.

the driving device 2 is a piezoelectric driving device, the first material layer is made of silicon dioxide material, and the second material layer is made of piezoelectric ceramic;

a plurality of protruding points (i.e., protruding structures 8) each having a triangular cross section are also provided on the lower surface of the driving device 2.

the first electrostatic electrode 3 is an indium tin oxide semiconductor transparent conductive film ITO, the insulating medium layer 5 is a silicon nitride material film, and the insulating medium layer 5 is a light-transmitting material;

The first electrostatic electrode 3 is divided into a plurality of independent electrostatic electrode regions in the first direction; the first direction is a direction gradually closing the light-transmitting area.

Referring to fig. 6, the plurality of bumps may be designed in a plurality of rows, for example, each row of bumps corresponds to one of the electrostatic electrode regions.

One end of the second control circuit 7 is connected with the driving device 2, the other end of the second control circuit 7 is connected with the electrostatic attraction device, and the second control circuit is configured to apply a driving voltage V to the electrostatic attraction device _ES 。

In this embodiment, when the first control circuit 6 applies a voltage to the piezoelectric ceramic, the piezoelectric ceramic deforms to drive the driving device 2 to bend and deform; when the first control circuit 6 reduces the voltage applied to the piezoelectric ceramic, the deformation of the piezoelectric ceramic is reduced, and the driving device 2 is flattened.

Further, in this embodiment, unlike the first two embodiments, in order to control the light quantity of the transmission switch with low power consumption, the first electrostatic electrode 3 in the electrostatic chuck is designed to include a plurality of independent electrostatic electrode areas that are not connected to each other, see 3 (1) to 3 (N) in fig. 5 and 6; the driving voltage of each electrostatic electrode region is controlled by the second control circuit 7.

Each of the electrostatic electrode areas applies a driving voltage V only when the driving device 2 moves nearby _ES The driving device 2 is electrostatically attracted, and the driving voltage V applied to the driving device 2 can be removed when the electrostatic attraction of the driving device 2 and the driving device is maintained _ET Thereby realizing low-power consumption multi-stage control.

In addition, the plurality of bumps on the driving device 2 are used for contacting the insulating medium layer 5, static electricity only adsorbs the bumps, but not the whole driving device 2, so that the electrostatic adsorption force can be reduced, and the structure is more easy to rebound.

Example IV

Referring to fig. 8, fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of a transmission type optical switch according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and a fourth transmission type optical switch is provided.

The substrate 1 is made of a light-tight material, a channel 9 is formed on the substrate 1, a light-permeable area is formed by the channel 9, and the channel 9 removes a part of the substrate 1 through a dry etching process and a wet etching process; the light source is arranged opposite to the transmission switch and light emitted by the light source can propagate through said channel 9.

further, a plurality of protruding points (i.e., protruding structures 8) having triangular cross sections are provided on the lower surface of the driving device 2 (the surface facing the substrate 1, as shown in fig. 8).

< example five >

Referring to fig. 9, fig. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of a transmissive optical switch according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and a fifth transmissive optical switch is provided.

The driving device 2 is provided with a light shielding member 10 extending outward from one end connected to the base 1. When the driving device 2 is in the flattened state, the light shielding element 10 may be used to block light from passing through other portions, so as to ensure that light emitted from the light source cannot pass through the substrate 1 from any angle, thereby ensuring a full-blocking state.

The light shielding element 10 includes an aluminum layer for preventing light from passing therethrough, and a silicon layer or an oxide layer is stacked under the aluminum layer for providing rigidity to the light shielding element 10.

< example six >

Referring to fig. 10 to 12, fig. 10 to 12 are schematic structural views of a transmissive optical switch according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, and a sixth transmissive optical switch is provided, which includes a plurality of driving devices 2, where a plurality of the driving devices 2 collectively cover a light-transmitting area of the substrate 1.

The driving devices 2 may be arranged in parallel, and the driving devices 2 may be integrally formed or in a split structure.

The driving device 2 in this embodiment is of a split structure. In this way, a plurality of the driving devices 2 can be simultaneously bent and flattened at the same angle, so that the transmissive optical switch is jointly turned on or off.

Of course, each driving device 2 may be independently driven, and thus, the control unit may individually control the driving devices 2. To realize different rotation angles of the driving device 2 so as to adapt to luminous flux requirements of different situations.

The disclosed embodiments also provide an array transmissive optical switch comprising a transmissive optical switch as described above; the number of the transmission type optical switches is plural, and the plural transmission type optical switches constitute a switch array.

The array transmissive optical switch provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can be used to provide flux-adjustable illumination for, for example, electronic devices and the like.

The present disclosure also provides an electronic device comprising a device body and a transmissive optical switch as described above, the transmissive optical switch being disposed on the device body.

The electronic equipment can be traffic equipment such as electric automobiles, electric bicycles, high-speed rails or subways and the like. And the intelligent device can also be an intelligent device, such as an electric curtain, an optical detector and the like.

While certain specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail by way of example, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the above examples are for illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the above embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A transmission-type optical switch, characterized in that: comprising

A substrate (1), the substrate (1) being formed with a light-transmitting region;

a driving device (2), wherein one end of the driving device (2) is connected with the substrate (1), the driving device (2) is suspended on the substrate (1), and the driving device (2) is configured to be capable of bending deformation and flattening; and

the electrostatic attraction device comprises a first electrostatic electrode (3) and a second electrostatic electrode (4), the first electrostatic electrode (3) is positioned on the substrate (1) and is made of a light-transmitting material, and the second electrostatic electrode (4) is positioned on the driving device (2);

in the flattened state of the driving device (2), the driving device (2) can be electrostatically attracted on the first electrostatic electrode (3) through the second electrostatic electrode (4) so as to close the light-transmitting area;

the driving device (2) is of a multi-layer electrothermal driving structure;

the driving device (2) comprises a heating element, a first material layer and a second material layer, wherein the first material layer and the second material layer are arranged in a layer-by-layer mode and are connected together, the heating element is connected with at least one of the first material layer and the second material layer, and the thermal expansion coefficients of the first material layer and the second material layer are different.

2. The transmissive optical switch of claim 1, wherein: the electrostatic attraction device further comprises an insulating medium layer (5), and when the first electrostatic electrode (3) and the second electrostatic electrode (4) are attracted electrostatically, the insulating medium layer (5) is positioned between the first electrostatic electrode (3) and the second electrostatic electrode (4);

the first electrostatic electrode (3) and the second electrostatic electrode (4) are both made of conductive materials.

3. The transmissive optical switch of claim 2, wherein: the insulating medium layer (5) is arranged on the first electrostatic electrode (3).

4. The transmissive optical switch of claim 1, wherein: a plurality of protruding structures (8) are arranged on the surface of the driving device (2) facing the substrate (1).

5. The transmissive optical switch of claim 1, wherein: the substrate (1) itself is a light-transmitting material; or,

the substrate (1) is made of a light-tight material, a channel (9) is formed in the substrate (1), and the channel (9) forms the light-tight area.

6. The transmissive optical switch of claim 1, wherein: the end of the driving device (2) far away from the substrate (1) is provided with a shading element (10) extending outwards.

7. The transmissive optical switch of claim 1, wherein: the first electrostatic electrode (3) is divided into a plurality of independent electrostatic electrode areas in a first direction;

8. The transmissive optical switch of any of claims 1-7, wherein: in an initial state, the driving device (2) is bent to open the light-transmitting region;

after applying a voltage to the driving device (2), the driving device (2) is flattened;

and applying a voltage to the electrostatic attraction device and removing the voltage of the driving device (2), wherein the driving device (2) is electrostatically attracted on the first electrostatic electrode (3) through the second electrostatic electrode (4) so as to close the light transmission area.

9. The transmissive optical switch of any of claims 1-7, wherein: in an initial state, the driving device (2) is flattened to close the light-transmitting area;

applying a voltage to the driving device (2) and removing the voltage of the electrostatic attraction device, wherein the driving device (2) bends towards a direction away from the substrate (1) so as to open the light-transmitting area.

10. An array transmission type optical switch, characterized in that: comprising a transmissive optical switch according to any of claims 1-9;

11. An electronic device, characterized in that: comprising

An equipment body;

the transmissive optical switch of any of claims 1-9 disposed on the device body.