What is claimed is:
1. A boosted voltage generating circuit comprising:
a first voltage output circuit supplied with first voltage, for outputting second voltage obtained by boosting the first voltage;
a second voltage output circuit coupled with said first voltage output circuit, for generating third voltage whose voltage value is smaller than the value of the second voltage and which is variably set to at least two values based on the second voltage; and
a equalizer circuit coupled with said first and second voltage output circuits, for short-circuiting an output node of the second voltage and an output node of the third voltage in response to a first control signal.
2. The boosted voltage generating circuit according to claim 1, wherein an operation period of said second voltage output circuit and a short-circuiting operation period of said equalizer circuit do not overlap each other.
3. The boosted voltage generating circuit according to claim 1, wherein said equalizer circuit starts an operation for short-circuiting the output node of the second voltage and the output node of the third voltage when the boosting operation is started by said first voltage output circuit, and terminates the short-circuiting operation after a predetermined period of time has elapsed after the boosting operation was started.
4. The boosted voltage generating circuit according to claim 1, wherein said equalizer circuit starts an operation for short-circuiting the output node of the second voltage and the output node of the third voltage when the boosting operation is started by said first voltage output circuit, and terminates the short-circuiting operation after the boosting operation was started and the second voltage reached a predetermined value.
5. The boosted voltage generating circuit according to claim 1, further comprising a third voltage output circuit for generating fourth voltage whose value is smaller than the second voltage, said third voltage output circuit being operated when said second voltage output circuit is not operated, and outputting the fourth voltage to the output node of the second voltage.
6. The boosted voltage generating circuit according to claim 1, wherein said first voltage output circuit includes a charge pump circuit supplied with a clock signal, for boosting the first voltage in synchronism with the clock signal and outputting the second voltage; a fourth voltage output circuit coupled with said charge pump circuit, for outputting fifth voltage which varies in proportion to the second voltage and has a value smaller than the second voltage; a first voltage comparing circuit coupled with said fourth voltage output circuit, for comparing the fifth voltage with sixth voltage used as a reference voltage, and outputting a second control signal based on the result of comparison; and a clock signal generating circuit coupled with said first voltage comparing circuit, for outputting the clock signal, the clock signal outputting operation of said clock signal generating circuit being controlled based on the second control signal.
7. The boosted voltage generating circuit according to claim 1, wherein said equalizer circuit includes a transistor having first and second terminals and a gate electrode, the first terminal being coupled with the output node of the second voltage and the second terminal being coupled with the output node of the third voltage; and a level shift circuit supplied with the first control signal, for shifting one of voltage levels of the first control signal to the second voltage and then outputting the thus obtained first control signal to the gate electrode of said transistor.
8. The boosted voltage generating circuit according to claim 1, wherein said second voltage output circuit includes a transistor having third and fourth terminals and a gate electrode, the third terminal being coupled with the output node of the second voltage and the fourth terminal being coupled with the output node of the third voltage; a series circuit having a plurality of resistors serially connected between the output node of the third voltage and a node of ground voltage, for outputting seventh voltage obtained by dividing the third voltage; a circuit coupled with said series circuit, for changing the voltage division ratio of said series circuit; a second voltage comparing circuit for comparing the seventh voltage with eighth voltage used as a reference voltage, and outputting a third control signal based on the result of comparison; and a control circuit coupled with said second voltage comparing circuit, for controlling the gate electrode of said transistor according to the third control signal.
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. An apparatus comprising:
a substrate having a micromachined optical device disposed thereon;
a cover coupled to the substrate so as to cover the optical device; and
an optically transparent conductive coating disposed directly or indirectly on an inside surface of the cover facing toward the micromachined optical device, wherein an electrical connection is made to the optically transparent conductive coating for static dissipation.
2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optically transparent conductive coating comprises an ionomer that is at least partially ionized.
3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the ionomer comprises one of:
a sulfonic acid based ionomer such as perfluorosulfonic acid copolymerized with tetrafluoroethylene; and
a carboxylic acid based ionomer such as methacrylic acid copolymerized with ethylene.
4. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the optically transparent conductive coating further comprises an ionizing medium for ionizing the ionomer.
5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the ionizing medium comprises one of:
water;
an alcohol such as glycerol, 1,2,3,4-butanetetrol, polyvinyl alcohol, or polyethylene oxide; and
an ionic liquid.
6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optically transparent conductive coating comprises a Teflon AF film having dispersed therein a sufficient quantity of electrically conductive particles for making the Teflon AF film electrically conductive while maintaining sufficient optical transparency.
7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the electrically conductive particles comprise single wall carbon nanotubes.
8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the single wall carbon nanotubes are dispersed throughout the Teflon AF film in a sufficient volume percentage to provide electrical continuity across the film.
9. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the single wall carbon nanotubes are substantially aligned in a plane perpendicular to an optical axis so as to maintain sufficient optical transparency.
10. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optically transparent conductive coating comprises conductive particles held in a percolation network through surface forces without the use of a matrix film.
11. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optically transparent conductive coating comprises an ionically conductive fluid applied at a thickness that is optically insignificant.
12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the ionically conductive fluid comprises an ionic liquid.
13. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optically transparent conductive coating is at least partially organic.
14. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optically transparent conductive coating is deposited on the cover material in a manner sufficient to provide anti-reflection in addition to static dissipation.
15. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the optically transparent conductive coating for anti-reflection and static dissipation is deposited to a thickness substantially equal to an odd multiple of one fourth of a predetermined optical wavelength in the film.
16. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
an optically transparent conductive coating disposed directly or indirectly on an outside surface of the cover facing away from the micromachined optical device.
17. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate includes a cavity and the micromachined optical device includes a mirror structure bonded to the substrate within the cavity, and wherein the cover material with optically transparent conductive coating is coupled to the substrate across the cavity.
18. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cover material comprises a metallized film for bonding to a metal frame, and wherein the optically transparent conductive coating contacts at least a portion of the metallized film.
19. An apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising the metal frame bonded to the metallized film.
20. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optical device comprises integrated electronic circuitry.