Patent ID: 7297471

Claim:
A method for manufacturing an array of interferometric modulators, each interferometric modulator comprising first and second optical layers which when the interferometric modulator is in an undriven state are spaced by a gap of one size, and when the interferometric modulator is in a driven state are spaced by a gap of another size, the size of the gap determining an optical response of the interferometric modulator, the method comprising: fabricating an interferometric modulator of a first type characterized by a first gap size between its first and second optical layers when in the undriven state; fabricating an interferometric modulator of a second type characterized by a second gap size between its first and second optical layers when in the undriven state; fabricating an interferometric modulator of a third type characterized by a third gap size between its first and second optical layers when in the undriven state, wherein fabricating the interferometric modulators of the first, second, and third types comprises: depositing a first sacrificial layer, the first sacrificial layer having a first thickness; depositing a second sacrificial layer over the first sacrificial layer, the second sacrificial layer having a second thickness; depositing a third sacrificial layer over the second sacrificial layer, the third sacrificial layer having a third thickness; patterning at least two of the first, second, and third sacrificial layers; wherein the first gap size is equal to or greater than a sum of the first, second, and third thicknesses; wherein the second gap size is equal to or greater than a sum of two of the first, second, and third thicknesses; and wherein the third gap size is equal to or greater than one of the first, second, and third thicknesses.