Patent ID: 8665506

Claim:
A micro-mirror device comprising: a substrate defining a lower level; a first spacer extending upwardly from the substrate forming an upper level; an anchor post extending upwardly from the substrate or the spacer; a tilting platform, having a longitudinal central axis, and pivotally connected to the anchor post above the substrate via a hinge defining a lateral tilting axis, perpendicular to and shorter than the longitudinal central axis, the tilting platform including a first thin section adjacent to the tilting axis above the upper level of the substrate, and a stiffer section at each outer free end of the longitudinal central axis including stiffening ribs in a lower surface thereof above the lower level of the substrate beyond the first spacer for decreasing curvature of the outer free ends of the tilting platform defining a swing space therebetween; and a first hot electrode on the first spacer below the first thin section only, the first hot electrode and the thin section of the tilting platform defining an electrode gap, separated from the swing space, for pivoting the tilting platform about the tilting axis, whereby tolerance variations in hinge thickness are at least partially compensated for by a corresponding variation in electrode gap; and whereby the swing space is wider than and independent of the electrode gap.