IMOD DISPLAY: VISION & CHALLENGES

In todays world where displays are such an integral part of any computing
system and with the growth of the internet usage on computing devices, the
demand for an increasingly efficient display system has resulted in extensive
researches in this field .The end point to one of those research routes has led to
the development of a MEMS based technology known as Interferometric modulator
display (trademarked Mirasol). IMODS uses the process of light interference within thin
films the same technique that gives colour to butterfly wings and peacock to display
technology. In essence, IMODS are a bio mimetic display that uses thin-film optics and
MEMS structures to create an always-on bistable reflective display that consumes far less
power and has paper-like readability (even in direct sunlight) compared to organic-lightemitting-diode (OLED) or liquid-crystal displays (LCDs).In this paper we review the
display technology from the architectural to the production point of view. We
further move onto reviewing the advantages and the challenges in this set up
and where this technology stands in the market.
INTRODUCTION :
Interferometric Modulator (IMOD) technology is the revolutionary technology
mainly found in Qualcomms mirasol displays. Based upon micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), IMOD technology displays enables reflective, direct
view, flat panel displays. An IMOD- based reflective flat panel display includes
hundreds of thousands of individual IMOD elements each a micro
electromechanical systems (MEMS)-based device. The structure exploits
interference, providing a highly efficient reflective display which enables superior
viewabilty across a wide range of ambient viewing conditions. The electromechanical behavior of the MEMS device provides bistability, in turn providing
low power consumption. IMOD pixels are capable of switching speeds on the
order of microseconds, enabling video-rate-capable displays. Displays fabricated
using IMOD technology, have demonstrated reflectivitys of greater than 60
percent, contrast ratios greater than 15:1 and drive voltages below 5 volts.
Though simple in structure displays using IMOD elements provide the functions
of light modulation, colour selection and memory while replacing the
functionality provided by polarizers, liquid crystal, colour filters, and active
matrices found in Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD).
Basic Structure :
The basic elements of an IMOD- based display are microscopic devices that act
essentially as mirrors that can be switched on or off individually. The IMOD
element is a simple MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical system) device that is
composed of two conductive plates. One is a thin film stack on a glass substrate,
the other is a reflective membrane suspended over the substrate. There is a gap
between the two that is filled with air. The IMOD element has two stable states.
When no voltage is applied, the plates are separated, and light hitting the
substrate is reflected as shown above. When a small voltage is applied, the

plates are pulled together by electrostatic attraction and the light is absorbed,
turning the element black. Each of these elements reflects only one exact
wavelength of light (such as a specific hue of red, green or blue) when turned on,
and absorb light (appear black) when off. Elements are organised into a
rectangular array in order to produce a display screen.
Working Principle :
Interferometric modulator (IMOD) displays use interfering light waves to create
bright colours on demand. Each basic unit cell produces either a single colour or
black. At the most basic level, a IMOD based display is an optically resonant
cavity. The device consists of a self-supporting deformable reflective membrane
and a thin-film stack (each of which acts as one mirror of an optically resonant
cavity), both residing on a transparent substrate. When ambient light hits the
structure, it is reflected both off the top of the thin-film stack and off the
reflective membrane. Depending on the height of the optical cavity, light of
certain wavelengths reflecting off the membrane will be slightly out of phase
with the light reflecting off the thin-film structure. Based on the phase difference,
some wavelengths will constructively interfere, while others will destructively
interfere. The human eye will perceive a colour as certain wavelengths will be
amplified with respect to others. The image on a IMOD-based display can switch
between colour and black by changing the membrane state which is
accomplished by applying a voltage to the thin-film stack, which is electrically
conducting and is protected by an insulating layer. When a voltage is applied,
electrostatic forces cause the membrane to collapse. The change in the optical
cavity now results in constructive interference at ultraviolet wavelengths, which
are not visible to the human eye. Hence, the image on the screen appears black.
A full-colour display is assembled by spatially ordering IMOD elements reflecting
in the red, green and blue wavelengths. Multiple colour displays are created by
using sub pixels, each designed to reflect a specific different colour. Multiple
elements of each colour are generally used to both give more combinations of
displayable colour (by mixing the reflected colours) and to balance the overall
brightness of the pixel.
Key Features Of IMOD:
Bistability: This nature inspired MEMS-based innovation is bistable. This allows
near- zero power usage in situations where the display image is unchanged. This
bistability derived from the inherent hysteresis of the material causes
considerable power savings, especially compared to displays that continually
refresh, such as LCDs. [3, 4] .
Speed : Since visible light wavelengths lie in the nanometer scale (i.e. 380nm to
780nm), the deformable IMOD membrane only has to move a short distance
(~100nm) in order to switch between two colours. This switching happens
extremely fast, on the order of tens of microseconds. [2] This is 1000 times

faster than that of traditional displays. Higher switching speed directly translates
to a video rate-capable display with no motion-blur effects. [4]
Robustness: In addition to microsecond switching, IMOD-based displays maintain
their switching speed across a wide temperature range. In contrast, the
switching speeds of organic liquid- crystal-based displays decrease as
temperatures go into low environmental ranges. [1, 4]
Readability: An IMOD-based display offers a superior contrast ratio in brightly lit
environments. Qualcomm's IMOD-based displays offer reflectivity on the order of
60 percent and contrast ratios greater than 10:1. By comparison, the Wall Street
Journal newspaper offers a reflectivity of 60 percent and a contrast ratio of
around 4:1.Reflective technology based on bio-mimetic models hold much
promise for commercial use, reflective displays they need to be viewed in both
daylight and in the dark. The commercialization of this technology is thus
dependent on combining the benefits of backlit transmissive displays with the
outdoor readability of reflective technologies.
Fabrication -From its very inception, IMoD technology was architected so that it
could be fabricated on large area substrates typical of the LCD industry. It makes
use of a catalogue of materials common to LCDs, as well as mature LCD tools. In
addition, its display components are compatible with existing LCD module
integration techniques. Because of this compatibility, IMoD displays can be
procured directly from existing LCD-module vendors and those vendors can now
offer a high-quality feature-differentiated lower-cost technology to their existing
customer base.

Low power consumption-IMoD displays use just a fraction of the power needed by
conventional technologies.The displays need little or no power-draining illumination in most
viewing environments. And because the IMoD display does not demand continuous
refreshing, once an image has been written to the display, very little power is required to
sustain it.
Response time The fast response time of Imod displays reduces blurring when viewing fastmoving video and gaming animation applications. Imod displays response time is 10 to
1000 times faster than competitive LCD technologies.
Thinner and lighter and Scalable 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. Once Imod displays are perfected
for smaller screens, they will be scalable to larger applications such as TVs and outdoor
digital signs.
IMoD Manufacturing : The iMoD display fabrication process starts from bare Gen

2.5 or larger glass. Two of the more critical steps in this iMoD fabrication process
are the sacrificial layer etching and encapsulation. Because the iMoD element is
a MEMS device, it requires removal of a sacrificial layer to free mechanical
elements to move. Wet-etching techniques require the removal of the wet
etchant with other fluids and eventually sublimation to avoid irreversible collapse
of the MEMS structure during the release process. A gas-phase XeF2 etch is used
for release etching to reduce the complexity of the release process and to
address many process integration issues. After the sacrificial layer has been
etched, encapsulation can take place. During encapsulation, array plates and
large-area plates of recessed glass are joined together. The glass is processed
and assembled to create a biplane assembly, which is subsequently singulated
into encapsulated display panels. The encapsulation process is performed to
protect the moveable membranes of iMoD arrays from particles, abrasion, and
moisture. It is possible for MEMS devices to become non-functional due to
stiction of moving parts. Such stiction is often driven by water absorption to
surfaces of the MEMS devices, causing adjacent parts to stick together. It is
important to note that the highly robust iMoD array does not fail due to shortterm exposure to ambient oxygen or air. However, the iMoD array does require a
managed environment in order to maximize functionality and lifetime.
Encapsulation of the iMoD panel creates that environment via a glass back plate
with a recess to hold a desiccant. The back plate is sealed to the IMoD array
using an adhesive and it is sealed.

COMPETITION FROM EXISTING TECHNOLOGIES :

IMOD Technology vs. LCD

A mirasol displays relative simplicity, low power usage and outdoor viewing characteristics
make it a compelling replacement for LCDs. In the initial stages the mirasol display will
compete primarily with monochromatic (MSTN) and color super twisted nematic (CSTN)
displays, used in portable devices.
First brought to light in 1968, LCD technology has rapidly gained a foothold in the display
market. Continuous improvements to the chemical mixtures and display-drive electronics, as
well as optical films, have overcome the initial problems of the STN-based displays, namely
low contrast and low resolution. While scientists continue to work on reducing the power
requirements and improving the sunlight readability of the STN- and TFT- type LCDs,
limitations inherent in the technology are making it difficult to achieve meaningful
improvements.
Note the extensive use of optical films such as polarizers and color filters, as well as the
thin film transistor element which itself requires several process steps to fabricate. Since
LCDs work with polarized light, the necessity of using a polarizer limits the amount of
light that is reflected or transmitted from the displayat least 50% of light is discarded by
the polarizer. The additional layers, such as the color filter, reduce light even furthera
typical LCD will only transmit six percent of the light it has the potential to use.
Consequently, todays LCDs require brighter backlights in order to be readable, whether in

total darkness or in the bright sunlight. These brighter backlights lead to greater power
consumption. Since a mirasol display operates as a reflective display, powered
illumination is only needed when incident light falls below a level that would make
reading a newspaper difficult.
Currently, backlighting for LCDs is the single biggest power draw in portable displays.
This is especially true in bright environments where the backlight has to be switched to the
brightest mode. The fact that mirasol displays do not require extra illumination in these
environments gives them a big power-consumption advantage. If supplemental lighting
is required, in a dark room for example, mirasol displays would still require only onehalf to one-third the power needed by an LCD display.
Given how difficult it is to view a typical transmissive LCD in a sunlit environment, LCD
developers have been working diligently on reflective LCDs. Today, there are a number of
portable devices using transflective LCDs. The transflective display was invented to improve
the performance of the transmissive LCD outdoors, where bright ambient light quickly
overpowered the LCD backlight, making the display hard to read. It was also configured to
address the shortcomings of a purely reflective LCD in a dark environment. The transflective
display employs a reflector that lets some light through from a backlight. Using such an
element, the display can be used in the dark where the backlight provides illumination
through the partly transmissive reflecting element. In the bright outdoors, the backlight can
be switched off to conserve power and the mirrored portion of the reflector allows the LCD to
be viewed by making use of the ambient light. Theoretically, the transflective display
appears to fix the shortcomings of the purely reflective and transmissive displays. But in
reality, this approach is a compromise and offers a rather poor viewing experience.
Qualcomms mirasol displays are considerably less complex than LCDs. As described in the
previous section, the IMOD element in a mirasol display is bistable and the display can
therefore maintain a given image without the need for continuous power. Bistability also
leads to a significant amount of power savings when compared to an LCD, which has to be
continuously driven as many as 60 times a second in order to prevent the display from losing
the image. In addition to the power savings, the mirasol display provides a better viewing
experience when compared to the LCD.
Before we define a better viewing experience, we must look at the factors which affect it. A
humans visual perception is strongly related to two elements: luminance and contrast.
Luminance is simply the amount of light reaching the eye. This could include light being
emitted or reflected by the display. Contrast is the ratio of the luminance of the bright pixel in
a display to the dark pixel. If no light is being emitted from a display, one will not see an
image and the contrast ratio will be one. Similarly, if the display is reflecting a lot of light in
both the bright and dark state, the contrast ratio will again be poor and the image will again
be unreadable.
The problem with LCD displays in bright environments is that the amount of light being
transmitted is about the same as the ambient light around it. At the same time, the bright

ambient light overpowers the dark pixels, making them appear brighter and reducing the
contrast ratio to close to one, thereby making the display unreadable. But in the case of a
mirasol display, its pixel is reflective and will reflect all the ambient light when driven to
the bright state and in the dark state is able to significantly reduce the reflected light. This
provides a contrast ratio very similar to an easily readable black-and-white newspaperan
8:1 ratio with 60% reflectivity. A mirasol display typically exhibits a contrast ratio of 10:1
with reflectivity on the order of 50%. So while LCDs experience significant viewability
issues, a mirasol displays reflectivity provides an optimum viewing experience for the user.
An additional benefit of the mirasol display is switching speed. If the displayed image is
rapidly changing, it is important that the display pixel changes its state from black to
white or vice versa on the order of a few milliseconds or faster. If the pixel takes any
longer, the human eye will perceive the switch as an effect typically referred to as motion
blur. An IMOD pixel in a mirasol display is able to change its state in roughly 10
microseconds, as compared to a STN display pixel which takes roughly 10 milliseconds.
The IMOD pixel is approximately 1000 times faster. This translates directly to an improved,
sharper-looking image. Qualcomm believes that demand for video applications on portable
devices will increase significantly over the next few years. Fast display-response times will
be critical for optimum viewability. IMOD technology found in mirasol displays is expected
to handle 15 frames per second in the early products and 30 frames per second in the later
versions.
Portable devices are subject to environmental extremes that can affect LCDs, which
usually operate in the 10- to 30-degree Celsius range and which are limited by changes
in viscosity of the liquid-crystal material. Here again, a mirasol displays simplicity gives it
an advantage, because it can operate in extremes from minus 30 to plus 70 degrees Celsius.
Another advantage mirasol displays have over LCDs are that mirasol displays are impervious
to UV exposure.
Additional advantages of mirasol displays compared to current LCD displays include a wider,
more symmetric viewing angle, faster video response and a larger operational temperature
range.
IMOD Technology vs. OLED
Since IMOD components in mirasol displays can be built on a subset of FPD fab lines, the
mirasol displays manufacturing costs are expected to ramp quickly downward as volume
increases. OLEDs, on the other hand, require completely new fab facilities.
Perhaps the mirasol displays greatest advantage over OLEDs, especially in the batterypowered, small-screen arena is that in order to be visible, the OLED must be powered
continuously. OLEDs, then, typically consume around 200mW, compared to 10s of
microwatts for mirasol displays without supplemental lighting (display in hold state showing
static image).

OLEDs offer several advantages over LCDs. However, the technology has not gained a
major foothold for several reasons. The cons will be discussed on the next page while the
pros will be reviewed here. The basic OLED cell structure is comprised of a stack of thin
organic layers that are sandwiched between a transparent anode and a metallic cathode. When
a current passes between the cathode and anode, the organic compounds emit light (see
Figure 8.) The obvious advantage is that OLEDs are like tiny light bulbs, so they dont need a
backlight or any other external light source. Theyre less than one-third the bulk of a typical
color LCD and about half
the thickness of most black-and-white LCDs. The viewing angle is also wider, about 160
degrees. OLEDs also switch faster than LCD elements, producing a smoother animation.
Once initial investments in new facilities are recouped, OLEDs can potentially compete at an
equal or lower cost than incumbent LCDs.
Despite these advantages, OLEDs have experienced slow acceptance in the industry for a
variety of reasons. First, they have a relatively short lifespan and as power/brightness is
increased the life is reduced dramatically. This is especially true for the blues, which lose
their color balance over time. Low manufacturing yields have also been a problem, keeping
the cost of production relatively high. As OLEDs are susceptible to water and oxygen
contamination, during manufacturing they need to be encapsulated and sealed against the
elements adding significant cost and complexity. In addition, only low resolution OLED
displays can use passive matrix backplanes and higher resolutions require active matrices,
which need to be highly conductive since OLEDs are current driven. Typically, low
temperature poly silicon (LTPS) backplanes are used which adds cost and complexity. These
conductors are also highly reflective requiring the OLED designers to add a circular polarizer
on the front of the display reducing the efficiency of the display and increasing the cost.
Finally, as is the case with all emissive displays, OLED displays have poor readability in
environments such as the bright outdoors.
TABLE:

Imod displays manufacturing industry advantages:

 Little or no retooling to manufacture Imod displays can be made on existing FPD (flatpanel display) assembly lines using existing materials. For iMoD displays, upwards of
90% of the equipment set already exists within a TFT active-matrixLCD .

Low-risk adoption into standard mobile systems due to industry-standard interfaces. .

New market opportunities Now that Imod displays have brought instant access, lowpower consumption, an intuitive interface and a smaller form factor to the user experience.
DRAWBACKS :
1)
This technology is an alternative to LCD displays and works best under
natural light,but it is yet to prove its significance under non natural
lighting circumstances.
2)Its power efficiency is "a significant tradeoff" for color resolution, which
is notably poor in Mirasol screens
3)No yet great demand in the market . There's just no demand" for it, he
said. Apart from price and colour resolution, Mirasol isn't an industry
standard as it is available only from Qualcomm.

QUALCOMM STANDING

Having multiple sources of supply is critical for vendors .Qualcomm should

license its technology to other manufacturers, which will reduce
manufacturing costs and give vendors assurance of at least a second
source of Mirasol screens. During the long development of Mirasol, the

entrenched LCD contenders had become more competitive by reducing

semiconductor power consumption, making batteries lighter and
switching their backlighting from CCFL (cold cathode fluorescent
lamps) to LED. While the logic of the need for power saving was still
sound, it seemed to become less critical and less of a counterbalance
against some shortcomings of the Qualcomm product. Similarly, over
this development time span, the requirements for devices had
changed: converging capabilities, although foreseen by Qualcomm,
created a wider range of performance criteria and raised the bar on
metrics such as video refresh speed. Each technology contender had to

optimize its overall performance, and no one technology seemed to do

it all. This appeared to create a game in which performance below
adequacy in any criteria could mean the end of contention. Mirasol,
reputedly, could only run 60 Hz video, and that drained the battery that
the technique was supposed to be conserving.
Cost of production was critical to success and ultimately would be
weighed against value gained by any potential clients for a display
screen. For example, the EPD technology, described above, rules the
black and white world of e-readers, with 95 percent of the non-tablet
market.
Although likely to be replaced by multi-functional devices such as
tablets, e-readers have been successful because they appeal to the
user with a clear image, wide viewing angle, reflective character and
longer battery life. They are also very affordable. The main reason is
that they can be manufactured using a roll-to-roll printing technique, in
which a substrate can be spray-coated, micro-embossed, filled and
sealed and then cut to shape; all in one continuous production
sequence.
The production of Mirasol, by contrast, apparently has required much
more precise tolerances in the laying of the glass substrate, sandwich
pillars and wavelength gaps, evidenced by the need to build a $700
million dedicated fabrication plant.
The Mirasol IMOD technology as an idea continues to hold lessons for
bio-inspired designers and problem-solvers. It is a great example of
"surfing for free," taking advantage of natural environmental
phenomena to save energy -- in this case, harvesting free, ubiquitous
light for its color by a precise manipulation of form and space. It is an
excellent translation of this example from the Morpho butterfly,
because it mimics the principle of light diffraction without trying to
slavishly replicate the means. Finally, the technique's development
required the combining of several disparate ideas and processes into a
totally new combination: innovation at its best.

It appears, however, that that innovation has not produced the value
demanded by the wickedly mutable mobile display market. Assuredly,
that market will continue to change and with that change will come a
new set of parameters for success. Observing the processes of this
technology market, and how bio-inspired innovations might fit within its
dynamics, also will continue to be a fascinating subject.

CONCLUSION:
IMOD display technology is developing rapidly, and is expected to soon become
dominant in displays for low-power, portable applications like e-readers, remote
equipment for military applications. Though, LCDs are the technology of choice
for different computing applications recently. However, with the emergence of
iMoD technology, a new alternative is now available. Not only does this
promising technology offer the brightness and power consumption required to
satiate the demands of manufacturers and consumers alike but it also takes
advantage of existing LCD manufacturing processes and benefits from the
unique functionalities of MEMS structures. At the same time, iMoD technology
provides system designers the flexibility they require to differentiate their
products based on image quality, power consumption, and performance. Unlike
other display entrants, it has the potential to play a role in a more diverse array
of display market segments than its competitors as suggested by inventor Miles.
These new displays will mean faster response times, better colour reproduction,
and higher resolutions - a revolution in display technology.