Double substrate reflective spatial light modulator with self-limiting micro-mechanical elements
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A spatial light modulator device, comprising:
- an array of deflectable reflective elements held on a first substrate for reflecting an incident light so as to produce an image, wherein the adjacent elements in the array have a distance of 0.5 micron or less;
wherein the deflectable reflective elements are microelectromechanical mirror plates with each mirror plate comprising a light reflection layer;
a second substrate; and
a gap between the first and second substrate, wherein the deflectable elements are enclosed in the gap.
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Abstract
A spatial light modulator including first and second substrate, and an array of deflectable elements disposed within a gap between the first and second substrates is disclosed herein. For electrostatically actuating the deflectable elements, an array of electrodes and circuitry is provided and positioned proximate to the deflectable elements.
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Citations
46 Claims
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1. A spatial light modulator device, comprising:
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an array of deflectable reflective elements held on a first substrate for reflecting an incident light so as to produce an image, wherein the adjacent elements in the array have a distance of 0.5 micron or less;
wherein the deflectable reflective elements are microelectromechanical mirror plates with each mirror plate comprising a light reflection layer;a second substrate; and a gap between the first and second substrate, wherein the deflectable elements are enclosed in the gap. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A spatial light modulator device, comprising:
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an array of deflectable reflective micromirrors fabricated on a light transmissive substrate; an array of electrode associated with the deflectable elements for deflecting the elements, wherein each deflectable element is associated with and deflected by one electrode; and wherein each micromirror is attached to a hinge that is in the same plane of the micromirror at a non-deflected state such that the micromirror is operable to rotate relative to the light transmissive substrate; and
wherein the hinge is a torsion hinge.
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18. A spatial light modulator device, comprising:
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an array of deflectable reflective micromirrors fabricated on a light transmissive substrate; an array of electrodes associated with the deflectable elements for deflecting the elements, wherein each deflectable element is associated with and deflected by one electrode; wherein each micromirror is attached to a hinge that is in the same plane of the micromirror at a non-deflected state such that the micromirror is operable to rotate relative to the light transmissive substrate; and wherein electrodes are on a silicon substrate that is coupled with the light transmissive substrate. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A spatial light modulator device, comprising:
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an array of deflectable reflective micromirrors held on a substrate, wherein each micromirror is attached to a deformable hinge that is disposed in a separate plane of the micromirror such that the micromirror is operable to be rotated to an ON state and an OFF state, wherein the OFF state is a state where the micromirror is parallel to the substrate; an array of electrodes and circuitry disposed proximate to the deflectable micromirrors for deflecting the micromirrors; wherein the substrate on which the micromirrors are held is a light transmissive substrate; and wherein the electrodes and circuitry are formed on a silicon substrate bonded to the light transmissive substrate. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of modulating an illumination light so as to produce a desired image, the method comprising:
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providing a deflectable reflective micromirror array having a set of array edges and a plurality of micromirrors on a substrate, wherein each micromirror is operable to be rotated to an ON and OFF state, and wherein each micromirror comprises a hinge such that the micromirror is operable to move, wherein the hinge is a torsion hinge, and wherein the micromirror comprises a mirror plate with first and second portions such that during the rotation of the mirror plate, the second portion moves towards the substrate and the first portion moves away from the substrate; and
wherein the hinge and the mirror plate are positioned in different planes, and wherein the micromirrors are operated in a digital manner, and wherein a SRAM type memory cell is located at each micromirror location;directing the illumination light to the micromirrors along a direction whose projection on the micromirror array is perpendicular to the edge of the micromirror array; individually deflecting the micromirrors of the micromirror array to the ON state and the OFF state; and projecting the reflected illumination light from the micromirror at the ON state to a display target; and
the reflected illumination light form from the micromirror at the OFF state away from the display target. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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28. A spatial light modulator device, comprising:
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an array of deflectable reflective micromirrors, each of which is attached to a deformable hinge; an array of electrodes and circuitry on a silicon substrate disposed proximate to the micromirrors for deflecting the micromirrors, wherein each micromirror is associated with and deflected by one electrode; and wherein the hinge is disposed between the micromirror and the electrode associated therewith. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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30. A method of making a micromirror device, the method comprising:
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depositing one or more sacrificial layers that are amorphous silicon layers on a substrate; forming a hinge and a micromirror on the deposited sacrificial layers such that after removal of the sacrificial layers, the micromirror is attached to the hinge; and removing the sacrificial layers using a vapor phase etchant comprising xenon difluoride. - View Dependent Claims (31)
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32. A spatial light modulator device, comprising:
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an array of deflectable reflective elements held on a first substrate for reflecting an incident light so as to produce an image, wherein the adjacent elements in the array have a distance of 0.5 micron or less; a second substrate; and a gap between the first and second substrate, wherein the deflectable elements are enclosed in the gap.
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33. A spatial light modulator device, comprising:
an array of deflectable reflective elements held on a first substrate for reflecting an incident light so as to produce an image, wherein the adjacent elements in the array have a distance of 0.5 micron or less;
wherein the first substrate further comprises;
a dielectric layer.
Specification