Light Modulator Device

• US 20060203325A1
• Filed: 05/31/2006
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Arthur R. Piehl, Eric L. Nikkel, James R. Przybyia, Kenneth J. Faase, Michael G. Monroe
• Original Assignee: Arthur R. Piehl, Eric L. Nikkel, James R. Przybyia, Kenneth J. Faase, Michael G. Monroe
• Inventors: Przybyia, James R., Faase, Kenneth J, Nikkel, Eric L., Monroe, Michael G., Piehl, Arthur R.
• Application Number:
  US11/421,383
• Publication Number:
  US 20060203325A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/290
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/001 based on interference in an adjustable optical cavity interference filters G02B5/28; devices or arrangements using multiple reflections in spectrometry or monochromators G01J3/26

Abstract

A light modulator device includes a bottom charge plate; a pixel plate supported by at least one flexure, wherein the flexure is located substantially below said pixel plate, and a top charge plate.

Claims

1-23. -23. (canceled)

24. A light modulator device, comprising:

a pixel plate; and

a pixel extension member coupled to said pixel plate and extending beyond at least one edge of said pixel plate for increasing an aperture ratio of said light modulator device with respect to said pixel plate.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein said pixel extension member comprises a metallic material.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein said metallic material comprises aluminum.

27. The device of claim 25, wherein said metallic material comprises silver.

28. The device of claim 25, wherein said pixel extension member further comprises an oxide layer.

29. The device of claim 25, wherein said pixel extension member further comprises a nitride layer.

30. The device of claim 24, wherein said pixel plate comprises aluminum oxide.

31. The device of claim 30, wherein said pixel plate comprises a nitride layer.

32. The device of claim 30, wherein said pixel plate comprises an oxide layer.

33-42. -42. (canceled)

43. A method of forming a light modulator device, comprising:

Forming a pixel plate including a pixel plate and a pixel extension member.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein forming said pixel plate includes forming a pixel plate of aluminum alloy.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein forming said pixel extension layer comprises forming a metallic pixel extension member.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein forming said pixel extension layer further comprises forming a multi-layer pixel extension layer.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein said multi-layer pixel extension member includes a pixel plate formed of at least one of aluminum or silver.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein said multi-layer pixel extension member includes at least one film formed of at least one of an oxide or a nitride.

49. A display system, comprising:

a spatial light modulator having a plurality of light modulator devices, wherein at least one of said light modulator devices includes a bottom charge plate, a pixel plate supported by at least one flexure, wherein said flexure is located substantially below said pixel plate; and

a top charge plate.

50. The display system of claim 49, wherein said spatial light modulator and further comprising an image processing unit coupled to said spatial light modulator.

51. The display system of claim 49, wherein an optical gap is defined between said top charge plate and said pixel plate.

52. The display system of claim 49, wherein at least one of said light modulator devices has an aperture ration of greater than 0.75.

53. The display system of claim 49, wherein at least one of said light modulator devices has an aperture ratio of greater than 0.85.

54. The display system of claim 49, wherein at least one of said light modulator devices includes a pixel extension member coupled to said pixel plate.