The present disclosure provides an improved method of parking a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) mirror in an array of MEMS mirrors to protect against single high voltage channel failures in a driver. Two separate voltages are applied to each MEMS mirror to move and park the mirror out of a camera sensor field of view in a servo system. For example, a first voltage may be applied in a positive X direction and a second voltage may be applied in a positive Y direction which will move the mirror in a diagonal direction. If one of the high voltage channels fail, the mirror will still be parked and outside of the camera sensor field of view. If a high voltage channel fails, the servo system can park a mirror affected by the failure in an opposite corner. Moreover, if 2-axis parking is not feasible, the mirror can use single-voltage parking.

A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) scanner having actuator pairs adjacent to sides of a scanning mirror. Actuator pairs include individual actuators that are physically located adjacent to opposite sides of the scanning mirror and that, upon activation, induce angular rotation into the scanning mirror. Torsional beam flexures suspend the scanning mirror from a frame structure and facilitate rotation of the scanning mirror about a rotational axis. During operation of the MEMS scanner, a drive signal may be applied to the actuator pair to cause each individual actuator, of the actuator pair, to deform in unison, thereby generating some degree of tip deflection. Since the torsional beam flexures are connected to the tips of the actuators via the lever arms, this tip deflection serves as actuator stroke that induces torsional deformation into the torsional beam flexure—thereby causing rotation of the scanning mirror about the rotational axis.

Embodiments of the disclosure provide a micromachined mirror assembly for controlling optical directions in an optical sensing system. The micromachined mirror assembly may include a micro mirror configured to direct an optical signal into a plurality of directions. The micromachined mirror assembly may also include at least one actuator coupled to the micro mirror and configured to drive the micro mirror to tilt around an axis. The micromachined mirror assembly may further include one or more objects attached to the micro mirror. The one or more objects may be asymmetrically disposed with respect to the axis to create an imbalanced state of the micro mirror when the micro mirror is not driven by the at least one actuator.

A digital micromirror device includes a plurality of micromirror cells on a semiconductor die. Each respective cell includes a memory circuit and an electrode selection circuit. At least some of the micromirror cells include a micromirror and each respective memory circuit controls a micromirror tilt angle. For a given memory circuit controlled to a first tilt angle, a measurement circuit measures a first value indicative of a capacitance between a first electrode and the micromirror and measures a second value indicative of a capacitance on the second electrode. For a second micromirror tilt angle, the measurement circuit measures a third value indicative of a capacitance between the first electrode and the micromirror and measures a fourth value indicative of a capacitance on the second electrode. The measurement circuit generates a signal indicative of whether the micromirror is stuck at a particular angle or missing.

A method of post-processing an actuator element is presented. The method begins by receiving a fabricated actuator element including a metallic layer contacting a substrate, sacrificial layer proximate the metallic layer, and a first dielectric layer on the sacrificial layer. The metallic layer has an end proximal to and contacting at least part of the substrate and a distal end extending over the first dielectric layer. A second dielectric is deposited on a portion of the metallic layer at the distal end. And, the sacrificial layer is removed.

A mirror unit includes a mirror device includes a support portion and a movable mirror portion configured to be movable with respect to the support portion, and a package including a light incident opening and accommodating and holding the mirror device such that light incident from the light incident opening is able to be incident on the movable mirror portion. The package is provided with a ventilation port communicating an inside and an outside of the package.

A mirror unit includes a light scanning device and a package. The package has a main body portion provided with a light incident opening that opens on one side in a predetermined direction, a protrusion provided on a top surface of the main body portion, and a flat plate-shaped window member disposed on the top surface on an inward side of the protrusion and covering the light incident opening. An end surface of the protrusion on the one side is positioned more to the one side than the window member. A thickness of the protrusion is smaller than a height of the protrusion from the top surface. When viewed in any direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction, a length of a part covered by the protrusion in the window member is longer than a length of a part exposed from the protrusion in the window member.

A light deflector includes: a conductor layer formed as an integral layer on an SOI oxide film layer; a piezoelectric element having an upper electrode, a piezoelectric film, and a conductor layer serving as a lower electrode; an interlayer insulating film covering the conductor layer and the piezoelectric element from the surface side; a plurality of wirings formed on the surface of the interlayer insulating film in such a manner as to extend in the region of the surface of the interlayer insulating film under which the conductor layer exists; and a ground electrode connected to the conductor layer.

The invention relates to a MEMS mirror assembly for detecting a large angular range up to 180°, preferably up to 160°, and to a method for producing a MEMS mirror assembly. The mirror assembly comprises a carrier substrate (1), on which a mirror (2) vibrating about at least one axis is mounted, a transparent cover (4), which is connected in a hermetically sealed manner to the carrier substrate (1) and which comprises an ellipsoidal dome (6) having a substantially round base area, and a compensation optical system (8), which is arranged in a predefined beam path for an incident beam outside the dome (6). The middle of the mirror (2) lies in the centre point of the dome, and the compensation optical system (8) collimates the incident beam in such a way that a divergence or convergence of the beam caused by the boundary surfaces of the dome once said beam has exited from the dome (6) is substantially compensated. The MEMS mirror assemblies are produced by joining a cover wafer and a mirror wafer, which each comprise a plurality of hemispherical domes and mirrors mounted on the carrier substrate. The mirror assemblies are then separated from the joined wafers. The domes of the cover wafer are produced by a glass flow process.

The disclosed subject matter relates to a method of projecting an image by means of a light source emitting light pulses and an oscillating micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) mirror deflecting the emitted light pulses, comprising: providing a matrix of durations for each pixel, and incrementing or decrementing a pixel index whenever a respective duration indexed by the respective pixel indices in the playout matrix has lapsed; for each light pulse: retrieving the respective intensity and durations indexed by the current pixel indices, calculating an interval from at least one of said durations, emitting said light pulse with said retrieved intensity, and waiting said calculated interval before emitting the next light pulse. The disclosed subject matter further relates to a projector carrying out said method.