Electro-mechanical grating device

• US 6,233,087 B1
• Filed: 12/18/1998
• Issued: 05/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Kowarz, Marek W., Hawkins, Gilbert A., Lebens, John A., Anagnostopoulos, Constantine N., Kruschwitz, Brian E., Brazas, John C. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia
• Assistant Examiner(s): THOMPSON, TIMOTHY J
• Application Number:
  US09/216,374
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 359/290, 359/291, 359/295, 359/572, 359/573, 359/224
• US Class Current: 359/290
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0808 by means of one or more diffracting elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/1828 having means for producing variable diffraction controlling the direction of light by means of one or more diffracting elements G02B26/0808; acousto-optical elements G02F1/11, G02F1/33; electro- or magneto-optical diffraction G02F1/292, G02F1/2955

Abstract

An electro-mechanical grating device for diffracting an incident light beam has a base which defines a surface. A spacer layer is provided above the base, said spacer layer defining an upper surface of said spacer layer. A longitudinal channel is formed in said spacer layer. A plurality of spaced apart deformable ribbon elements are disposed parallel to each other and span the channel. The deformable ribbon elements define a ribbon structure which comprises at least one layer of a single material. The ribbon elements and the electro-mechanical grating device are formed so that charge build-up in layers of the electro-mechanical grating device can be avoided during operation of the device.

Claims

1. An electro-mechanical grating device comprising

a base having a surface;

a channel formed above said base;

a ribbon structure defining a plurality of spaced apart deformable ribbon elements spanning said channel, said deformable ribbon elements are tensile and reflective, define a reflective top ribbon surface and a bottom ribbon surface and being fabricated of at least one layer opposing the base wherein said layer is conductive; and

a layer of transparent material on the top ribbon surface for enhancing reflectivity.

2. The electro-mechanical grating device as recited in claim 1 wherein the layer of the ribbon elements opposing the base is conductive and tensile.

3. The electro-mechanical grating device as recited in claim 1 wherein the layer opposing the base is conductive and reflective and the layer of transparent material is tensile.

4. The electro-mechanical grating device as recited in claim 1 wherein the layer opposing the base is conductive and reflective and more than one transparent layers are added for enhancing the reflectivity and at least one of the transparent layers is tensile.

5. The electro-mechanical grating device as recited in claim 1 wherein the layer opposing the base is conductive, an intermediate layer on top of the layer opposing the base is tensile.

6. An electro-mechanical grating device comprising:

a base having a surface;

a channel formed above said base; and

a plurality of spaced apart deformable ribbon elements spanning the channel, said deformable ribbon elements are formed by a single material layer which is tensile, reflective, and conductive.

7. The electro-mechanical grating device as recited in claim 6 wherein the single material layer is selected from a group of materials that includes titanium aluminide, titanium, tantalum, and diamond-like carbon.

8. An electro-mechanical grating device comprising:

a base having a surface;

a channel formed above said base;

a ribbon structure defining a plurality of spaced apart deformable ribbon elements spanning the channel, said deformable ribbon elements are formed by a three layer structure defining a layer opposing the base, an intermediate layer, and a top layer, wherein the layer opposing the base is conductive, the intermediate layer is tensile, and the top layer is reflective; and

wherein the layer opposing the base is selected from a group of materials that includes indium tin oxide, tungsten, tungsten silicide, titanium nitride, and tantalum nitride, the intermediate layer is selected from a group of materials that includes silicon nitride, titanium dioxide, and magnesium fluoride and the top layer is selected from a group of materials that includes aluminum, chrome, gold, silver and other standard materials or alloys used for optical mirrors.

9. The electro-mechanical grating device as recited in claim 8 wherein a first optical coating is provided atop the top layer and has a lower refractive index than a second optical coating atop said first optical coating and wherein the thicknesses of the first and second optical coatings are optimized according to optical thin-film coating design rules as applied to an electro-mechanical grating device.

10. An electro-mechanical grating device comprising:

a base having a surface;

a channel formed above said base; and

a ribbon structure defining plurality of spaced apart deformable ribbon elements spanning the channel, said deformable ribbon elements are formed by a three layer structure defining a layer opposing the base, an intermediate layer on top of the layer opposing the base, and a top layer, wherein the layer opposing the base is conductive and reflective, the intermediate layer is transparent, and the top layer is transparent and tensile.

11. The electro-mechanical grating device as recited in claim 10 wherein the layer opposing the base is selected from a group of materials that includes aluminum, chrome, gold, silver and other standard materials or alloys used for optical mirrors.

12. The electro-mechanical grating device as recited in claim 11 wherein the refractive index of the top layer is greater than the refractive index of the intermediate layer.

13. The electro-mechanical grating device as recited in claim 12 wherein at least one optical coating for enhancing the reflectivity is provided on top of the top layer.

14. An electro-mechanical grating device comprising:

base having a surface;

a channel formed above said base; and

a ribbon structure defining plurality of spaced apart deformable ribbon elements spanning the channel, said deformable ribbon elements are a four layer structure defining a layer opposing the base, a first and a second intermediate layer, and a top layer, wherein the layer opposing the base is conductive and tensile, the first intermediate layer is reflective, and the second intermediate layer and the top layer are transparent.

15. The electro-mechanical grating device as recited in claim 14 wherein the layer opposing the base consists of a material that is selected from a group that includes titanium aluminide, titanium, tantalum, diamond-like carbon, tungsten silicide, titanium nitride, and tantalum nitride and the first intermediate layer is selected from a group of materials that includes aluminum, chrome, gold, silver and other standard materials or alloys used for optical mirrors.

16. The electro-mechanical grating device as recited in claim 14 wherein the refractive index of the top layer is greater than the refractive index of the second intermediate layer.

17. The electro-mechanical grating device as recited in claim 14 wherein at least one of the second intermediate layer and the top layer contribute significantly to the tension in the deformable ribbon elements.

18. The electro-mechanical grating device as recited in claim 14 wherein at least one optical coating for enhancing the reflectivity is provided on top of the top layer.

19. An electro-mechanical grating device comprising:

base having a surface;

a channel formed above said base; and

a ribbon structure defining plurality of spaced apart deformable ribbon elements spanning the channel, said deformable ribbon elements are tensile and reflective, define a top ribbon surface and a bottom ribbon surface and being fabricated of at least one layer opposing the base wherein said layer is conductive; and

a plurality of conductive standoffs patterned on said base and in relation to said deformable ribbon elements.

20. The electro-mechanical grating device as recited in claim 19 wherein the layer opposing the base is selected from a group of materials that includes titanium aluminide, titanium, tantalum, and diamond-like carbon.

21. The electro-mechanical grating device as recited in claim 19 wherein said ribbon elements are formed by a three layer structure defining a layer opposing the base, an intermediate layer, and a top layer, wherein the layer opposing the base is conductive, the intermediate layer is tensile, and the top layer is reflective.

22. The electro-mechanical grating device as recited in claim 21 wherein the layer opposing the base is selected from a group of materials that includes indium tin oxide, tungsten, tungsten silicide, titanium nitride, and tantalum nitride, the intermediate layer is selected from a group of materials that includes silicon nitride, titanium dioxide, and magnesuim flouride and the top layer is selected from a group of materials that includes aluminium, chrome, gold, silver and other standard materials of alloys used for optical mirrors.

23. The electro-mechanical grating device as recited in claim 19 wherein said ribbon elements are formed by a three layer structure defining a first layer opposing the base, an intermediate layer on top of the layer opposing the base, and a top layer, wherein the layer opposing the base is conductive and reflective, the intermediate layer is transparent, and the top layer is transparent and tensile, and wherein the layer opposing the base is selected from a group of materials that includes aluminum, chrome, gold, silver and other standard materials or alloys used for optical mirrors.

24. The electro-mechanical grating device as recited in claim 23 wherein the refractive index of the top layer is greater than the refractive index of the intermediate layer.

25. The electro-mechanical grating device as recited in claim 23 wherein at least one optical coating for enhancing the reflectivity is provided on top of the top layer.