What is claimed is:
1. An apparatus operable in a wet environment for controlling the brightness and color of a solid state light emitting diode, lamp assembly which is adapted to be coupled to an AC source for supplying an AC signal, comprising:
a solid state lamp assembly comprising a grouping of light emitting diodes;
a plurality of switching devices connected in series with the lamp assembly, light emitting diodes, the switching devices being operative in either a first state wherein significant current flow through the lamp assembly is prevented or a second state wherein current flow through the lamp assembly is substantially undisturbed;
user controls for providing lamp assembly brightness and color input signals;
controller means for receiving lamp assembly brightness and color input signals from the user controls, and for switching the switching devices between its first and second states in a predetermined sequence for inducing a pulse width modulation signal to the lamp assembly; and
isolation means for electrically isolating the user controls from the AC source, wherein the isolation means includes an impedance protected, step-down transformer.
2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the solid state lamp assembly comprises a plurality of Light emitting diodes (LED), consisting of a red LED coupled to first switching device, a green LED coupled to a second switching device and a blue LED coupled to a third switching device.
3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the solid state lamp assembly comprises a plurality of Light emitting diodes (LED), consisting of a plurality of red LEDs coupled to first switching device, a plurality of green LEDs coupled to a second switching device and a plurality of blue LEDs coupled to a third switching device.
4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the solid state lamp assembly comprises a single Light emitting diode (LED), emitting a plurality of colors being, red, green and blue, including a red color control coupled to a first switching device, a green color control coupled to a second switching device and a red color control coupled to a third switching device.
5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the switching device includes a transistor arrangement.
6. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the switching device includes a field effect transistor arrangement.
7. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the user controls comprise switches coupled to the controller means.
8. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the user controls comprise a radio receiver device coupled to the controller means.
9. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller means comprises a microcontroller and pulse width modulator.
10. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller means comprises a microcontroller with internally fabricated pulse width modulator.
11. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller means comprises a microcontroller operating in a predetermined sequence which mimics the operation of a pulse width modulator.
12. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the isolation means comprises a step-down transformer.
13. A method for controlling the brightness and color of a solid state light emitting diode, lamp assembly, in a wet environment, which is adapted to be coupled to an AC source for supplying an AC signal, comprising:
a solid state lamp assembly comprising a grouping of light emitting diodes;
a plurality of switching devices connected in series with the lamp assembly, light emitting diodes, the switching devices being operative in either first state wherein significant current flow through the lamp assembly is prevented or a second state wherein current flow through the lamp assembly is substantially undisturbed;
user controls for providing lamp assembly brightness and color input signals;
controller means for receiving lamp assembly brightness and color input signals from the user controls, and for switching the switching devices between its first and second states in a predetermined sequence for inducing a pulse width modulation signal to the lamp assembly; and
isolation means for electrically isolating the user controls from the AC source, wherein the isolation means includes an impedance protected, step-down transformer;
the method comprising the steps of:
(a) detecting a user input control signal comprising lamp color and brightness data generating a series of pulse width modulator control variables
(b) activating pulse width modulator with control variables, enabling current to flow through
(c) first, second and third switching device in turn enabling a grouping of red, green and blue light emitting diodes, which are series connected to their respective first, second and third switching devices.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of etching, comprising
directing a single plasma etch having at least first and second gasses at a substrate, wherein the substrate is at least partially covered with at least first and second layers, wherein the first gas at least includes tricholorborane (BCl3) and the second gas includes sulfur hexafluoride (SF6);
electrostatically attracting ions of the first gas towards the substrate, wherein the second gas selectively etches the first layer relative to the second layer at an etch rate, wherein the first layer comprises silicon and the second layer comprises an electrically conductive material; and
detecting a drop in the etch rate by optical-emission spectroscopy to stop the etching when the second layer is exposed.
2. The method of etching of claim 1, further comprising grounding the substrate.
3. The method of etching of claim 1, further comprising applying an electrical bias to the substrate.
4. The method of etching of claim 1, further comprising:
metallizing an aperture formed in the first layer by the etching to form a metal via that extends down to the second layer and wherein the silicon is a sacrificial silicon that is removed following the formation of the metal via that electrically contacts the metal layer.
5. The method of etching of claim 1, wherein the electrostatically attracting ions of the first gas towards the substrate provides for etch directionality.
6. A method of making a micro-mirror device, comprising:
directing a single plasma etch having at least first and second gasses at a substrate having at least a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first gas at least includes tricholorborane (BCl3) and the second gas is sulfur hexafluoride (SF6); and
etching the silicon layer by electrostatically attracting ions of the first gas into the first layer towards the substrate, wherein the second gas selectively etches the first layer relative to the second layer at an etch rate, wherein the second layer comprises an electrically conductive material, and wherein the first layer is a sacrificial layer of silicon that is removed following the formation of the metal via that electrically contacts the second layer;
detecting a drop in the etch rate by optical-emission spectroscopy to stop the etching when the second layer is exposed;
metallizing the first layer to form a metal via in an aperture formed during the etching that extends through the first layer and is connected to the second layer; and
forming a reflective plate that is physically attached to the metal via, wherein the metal via physically connects and electrically couples the second layer and the reflective plate.
7. The method of etching of claim 6, further comprising grounding the substrate.
8. The method of etching of claim 6, further comprising applying an electrical bias to the substrate.
9. The method of etching of claim 6, wherein the electrostatically attracting ions of the first gas towards the substrate provides for etch directionality.