Method of metallizing silica-containing gel and solid state light modulator incorporating the metallized gel

• US 4,900,136 A
• Filed: 10/28/1988
• Issued: 02/13/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: North American Philips Corp. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: North American Philips Corp. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Bronnes, Robert L., McKinlay, James K., Hemmer, Richard E., Goldburt, Efim S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Laroche, Eugene R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): McCutcheon, Nathan W.
• Application Number:
  US07/292,632
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 350/355, 350/356, 350/353, 350/359
• US Class Current: 359/291
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2383/04 Polysiloxanes
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 7/043 Improving the adhesiveness of the coatings per se, e.g. forming primers adhesives in the form of films or foils characterised by the primer layers between the polymer carriers and the adhesives C09J7/50
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 7/044 Forming conductive coatings; Forming coatings having anti-static properties
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 7/06 with compositions not containing macromolecular substances
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/205 by cathodic sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/00 Optical devices or arrangements for the control of light using movable or deformable optical elements control of light by modification of the optical properties of the media of the elements involved therein G02F1/00

Abstract

A solid state light modulator structure useful in a video display system includes a deformable silica containing gel layer on an array of charge storage elements, and an adherent, highly light reflective metal (e.g., Ag) electrode layer formed directly on the surface of the gel layer by sputtering in a non-reactive atmosphere.

Claims

1. A solid state light modulator structure comprising:

(a) a solid state charge storage device comprising an array of charge storage elements formed in a semiconductor substrate, each element associated with at least one display electrode on the surface of the substrate,

(b) a deformable elastomer layer disposed on the solid state device, the layer covering the electrode array, and

(c) a flexible, adherent and light reflective conductive layer disposed over the elastomer layer,

characterized in that the elastomer layer is polydimethyl siloxane gel, the conductive layer consists of a single sputtered metal layer, and the metal layer is bonded directly to the gel layer.

2. The solid state light modulator of claim 1 in which the metal in the conductive metal layer is selected from the group consisting of silver, aluminum and indium.

3. The solid state light modulator of claim 2 in which the metal is silver.

4. The solid state light modulator of claim 3 in which the specular reflectance of the silver layer is at least 90 percent.