iMoD Displays

By:
Nawaz Ahmad
II Year
Elec. & Comm. Engg.
 Abstract

The IMod is a display device under development at San Diego based firm Qualcomm.
IMod displays can produce brilliant colors by exploiting the physical effect of
interference while using little of the limited power in mobile devices such as cell phone.
They are also readily seen in bright daylight.

This paper will briefly explain the IMod concept and discuss future potential
applications of the technology. It will also describe the current research and
development efforts which are aimed at creating a high performance yet low cost
display system.
BIOMIMETICS
Nature is the ultimate engineer. Billions of years of “natural R&D” have resulted in effective,
optimized biological solutions that really work. By studying and mimicking nature’s processes and
structures, scientists and engineers can develop natureinspired solutions that are far more effective
than solutions conceived and developed exclusively by man. This field of study is called biomimetics,
which falls into two distinct areas:
1) mimicking of natural creation of chemical compounds and
2) imitating mechanisms found in nature.

Naturally Successful Solutions

Examples of biomimetics that have evolved into standard setting inventions and developments can be
observed in everyday life:
 Velcro® – inspired by seeds’ clingy burrs
 Low-friction ship hulls – inspired by shark skin
 Morphing aircraft wings – inspired by bird wings
 Temperature-adapting fabric – inspired by pinecones
 Dirt- and water-resistant paint – inspired by the lotus flower
 Neuromorphic computer chips – inspired by actual neural networks

iMoD displays bring living color to technology by applying one of nature’s most remarkable
innovations—the butterfly’s wings. These highly developed structures reflect light so that
specific wavelengths interfere with each other to create nature’s purest, most vivid colors. By using
this brilliant, time-tested biological development as the launching point for the new iMoD technology,
QUALCOMM brings nature to light effectively and efficiently in a cutting-edge display that will
reshape the industry.
 Replicating The Beauty Of Mother Nature

iMoD Displays and Biomimetics: Naturally Brilliant

Interferometric modulator display (IMOD) is an electrically switched display composed of

miniature Fabry-Perot interferometers (etalons) that are switched on and off with
microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). An etalon reflects light at a specific wavelength and gives
pure, bright colors like those a butterfly's wings, while consuming no power. Qualcomm has
commercialized the technology in a number of portable electronic devices, under the trademarked
name mirasol. IMOD technology was developed for use in mobile phones
and other portable devices. An IMOD element is composed of subpixels that are actually individual
Fabry-Perot interferometers (etalons), like the scales in butterfly wings. An etalon consists of two
mirrors, one opaque and one half-silvered, with an air gap of an exact distance between them. This
distance determines the wavelength that the etalon amplifies by constructive interference. As the light
is "selected" from incoming light, the display is actually brighter in bright sunlight. In contrast, a back-
lit LED display suffers from incoming light. The etalon is switched off by bringing the mirrors very
close together, pushing the reflected wavelength into the invisible ultraviolet range. A
microelectromechanical device moves the lower, opaque mirror to achieve this
The Efficiency of iMoD Memory
An iMoD display’s electro-mechanical memory, called hysteresis, allows it to maintain its state (open
or collapsed). Once moved into the open/collapsed state, it stays there with very low quiescent current.
This means the display acts as a highly power-efficient memory element, providing notable power
savings over active matrix devices that constantly refresh

COLORED UNIT CELL

The IMOD unit cell consists of two parallel, mirrored surfaces. When light hits the structure, some
reflects off the top and some passes through the translucent top mirror into the gap, where it reflects
internally. A little light, however, leaks out with each upward bounce. Many of the escaping light
waves (green and blue in this example) will be slightly out of phase with those rebounding off the top
as well as with other escaping waves. These waves will cancel one another out via destructive
interference. But other reflecting light waves that are in phase (here, red) will add (constructively
interfere) and so will be visible to the eye.
UNIT CELL IN BLACK STATE
A colored unit cell turns black when an applied voltage produces an electrostatic attraction between
the mirrors, thereby collapsing the air gap. The black color appears because the shrunken gap shifts the
reflected light into the invisible, ultraviolet range. Another voltage pulse reverses the cell back to
color.

Simple Electromechanical Model

The distance between the the two plates can be adjusted by applying a potential
difference between them. When a high potential is applied, unit cell turns black because
the shrunken gap shifts the reflected light into the invisible , ultraviolet region
When no potential is applied the reflected light falls under visible spectrum.

Competition between electrostatic force and elastic

FULL-COLOR PIXEL
An IMOD color pixel features arrays of red, green and blue subpixels, which each consist of two
columns of seven unit cells. The hue and brightness of a pixel depend on the number and color of
activated cells. Gap depth determines if the cells are colored red, green or blue.

Competing Technologies
The IMOD Display Advantage
Demand for portable electronic devices continues to grow, and new applications
encouraging constant usage require components that consume less power than current
prevailing technologies can provide. For example, QUALCOMM’s new MediaFLO™
technology will enable users to watch high-performance video on portable devices – but
applications such as this need a display offering superior viewability and frugal power
consumption.
IMOD displays have the following advantages for the consumer:
• Always-On – the IMOD display gives users instant access with no start-up delays.
• Low power consumption – IMOD displays use just a fraction of the power needed by
conventional technologies. IMOD displays need little or no power-draining illumination
in most viewing environments. And because the display does not demand continuous
refreshing, once an image has been written to the display, very little power is required
to sustain it.
• Readability – IMOD displays have approximately the same contrast ratio and
reflectivity as a newspaper, making it easy to read in almost all lighting situations.
• Response time – The fast response time of IMOD displays reduces blurring when
viewing fast-moving video and gaming animation applications. IMOD displays’
response time is 10 to 1000 times faster than competitive LCD technologies.
• Thinner and lighter – The lack of a backlight has the potential to significantly reduce
the module size and weight, making it especially useful for mobile applications such as
cameras, mobile phones, games, PDAs and GPS units.
• Scalable – Once IMOD technology is perfected for smaller screens, it will be scalable
to larger applications such as TVs and outdoor digital signs.

IMOD displays benefit from the following industry advantages:

• Little or no retooling to manufacture – IMOD displays can be made on existing
FPD (flat-panel display) assembly lines using existing materials.
Low-risk adoption into standard mobile systems due to industry-standard interfaces.
• QUALCOMM’s commitment – The company is making the investment necessary to
make IMOD technology a successful competitor in the display industry, including a
dedicated MEMS Research and Innovation Center in San Jose, California.
• New market opportunities – Now that IMOD displays have brought instant access,
low-power consumption, an intuitive interface and a smaller form factor to the user
experience, manufacturers and content developers can create compelling new ways to
help users organize their lives, keep up with news and other interests, play games,
watch videos, and so on.

Potential Applications :

• Gaming devices
• MP3 players
• Laptop and desktop monitors
• Digital TV and DVD player screens
• Medical Imaging
• Automotive navigation
• Outdoor TVs
• Outdoor signage
• Digital camera and camcorder screens
•

Interferometric MOdulator Display…..A next-generation mobile information

display that mimics the iridescent wings of butterflies through attenuation and
amplification of certain wavelengths by modulating light waves.The primary
methods applied are nano- and micro-fabrication and photonic crystals,making it
possible for
• An etalon consists of two mirrors, one opaque and one half-silvered, with an air
gap of an exact distance between them. This distance determines the wavelength
that the etalon amplifies by constructive interference.

• As the light is "selected" from incoming light, the display is actually brighter in
bright sunlight. The etalon is switched off by bringing the mirrors very close
together, pushing the reflected wavelength into the invisible ultraviolet range. A
microelectromechanical device moves the lower, opaque mirror to achieve this.

• There is a few hundred nanometers wide gap between the two that is filled with
air. Interference between light reflected from the mirror and from the partially
reflective optical stack generates vibrant color.

• Black is perceived when the iMoD element is in a collapsed state.

• RGB pixels have iMoD elements with different air gaps designed to reflect in the
red, green, and blue wavelength, respectively.