High angular deflection micro-mirror system

• US 20060012851A1
• Filed: 07/15/2004
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Optron Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Optron Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Wu, Xingtao, Warde, Cardinal
• Granted Patent: US 7,116,463 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/291
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0841 the reflecting element being moved or deformed by electrostatic means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1026 for use with reflective spatial light modulators
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/145 having sequential partially reflecting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/32 Holograms used as optical elements

Abstract

A high angular deflection micro-mirror system including a substrate, a spacer structure extending from the substrate, a deformable membrane supported by the spacer structure, one or more supports located off center on the deformable membrane, and one or more mirrors on the support cantilevered therefrom to achieve a high angular deflection of the mirrors as the deformable membranes deform.

Claims

1. A high angular deflection micro-mirror system comprising:

a substrate;

a spacer structure extending from the substrate;

a deformable membrane having a center point and being supported by the spacer structure;

a support having a first and a second end and where the first end is disposed away from the center point on the deformable membrane; and

a mirror disposed on the second end of the support.

2. The system of claim 1 in which the support is a post upstanding on the deformable membrane.

3. The system of claim 1 in which the mirror is a rigid mirror.

4. The system of claim 1 in which the substrate includes an electrically conductive layer.

5. The system of claim 4 in which the substrate further includes a layer over the electrically conductive layer.

6. The system of claim 5 in which the said layer is electrically insulating.

7. The system of claim 5 in which the said layer is an anti-stiction layer.

8. The system of claim 1 in which the spacer structure is made of an insulating material.

9. The system of claim 1 in which the spacer structure includes a plurality of spaced members upstanding on the substrate.

10. The system of claim 4 in which the deformable membrane includes an electrode layer.

11. The system of claim 10 in which the deformable membrane further includes an insulating layer.

12. The system of claim 1 in which the mirror includes a support layer and, on top thereof, a reflective surface.

13. The system of claim 10 further including a voltage source interconnected with the electrically conductive layer of the substrate and the electrode layer of the deformable membrane.

14. The system of claim 1 in which the support and the deformable membrane are integral in construction.

15. The system of claim 1 in which the mirror and the support are integral in construction.

16. The system of claim 1 in which the support, the deformable membrane, and the mirror are integral in construction.

17. The system of claim 1 in which the mirror extends away from the center point of the deformable membrane.

18. The system of claim 1 further comprising a second mirror and a second support, the second support having a first and a second end, the first end is disposed away from the center point on the deformable membrane, the second mirror disposed on the second end of the support.

19. The system of claim 18 where the first mirror is configured to reflect and direct a first optical beam and the second mirror is configured to reflect and direct a second optical beam, the first and the second optical beams directed by the first and second mirror to overlap after reflecting off of the first and second mirrors.

20. An array of high angular deflection micro-mirrors comprising:

a substrate;

a first plurality of spacer structures extending from the substrate;

a second plurality of deformable membranes each having a center point and each supported by at least one associated spacer structure;

a third plurality of supports each having a first and second end and each disposed away from the center point of an associated one of the second plurality of deformable membranes; and

a fourth plurality of mirrors, each mirror is disposed on an associated one of the third plurality of supports and cantilevered therefrom.

21. The array of high angular deflection micro-mirrors of claim 20 where the substrate is a layer of a very large scale integrated (VLSI) chip of the active matrix addressed type.

22. The array of high angular deflection micro-mirrors of claim 20 where the array is configured to direct light within a sequential color display application.

23. The array of high angular deflection micro-mirrors of claim 20 where the array is configured to direct light within a parallel color display application.

24. A high angular deflection micro-mirror system comprising:

a substrate;

a spacer structure extending from the substrate;

a deformable membrane supported by the spacer structure;

a rigid mirror having a first and a second end, the mirror supported on the first end above the deformable membrane and having a second end which rotates upward when the deformable membrane deflects downwards towards the substrate.