Fabrication of a high fill ratio reflective spatial light modulator with hidden hinge
First Claim
1. A method of fabricating a spatial light modulator, comprising:
- forming a first substrate defining a cavity;
fabricating an electrode on a second substrate;
bonding the first substrate to the second substrate; and
forming a hinge and mirror plate on the first substrate; and
applying a reflective surface on a mirror plate and above a portion of the hinge, the reflective surface having an area greater than an area of the upper surface of the mirror plate.
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Abstract
Fabrication of a micro mirror array having a hidden hinge that is useful, for example, in a reflective spatial light modulator. In one embodiment, the micro mirror array is fabricated from a substrate that is a first substrate of a single crystal material. Cavities are formed in a first side of the first substrate. Separately, electrodes and addressing and control circuitry are fabricated on a first side of a second substrate. The first side of the first substrate is bonded to the first side of the second substrate. The sides are aligned so the electrodes on the second substrate are in proper relation with the mirror plates that will be formed on the first substrate and that the electrodes will control. The first substrate is thinned to a pre-determined, desired thickness, a hinge is etched, a sacrificial material is deposited, the upper surface of the first substrate is planarized, a reflective surface is deposited to cover the hinge, a mirror is released by etching and the sacrificial layer around the hinge is removed to release the hinge so the hinge can rotate about an axis in line with the hinge.
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Citations
51 Claims
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1. A method of fabricating a spatial light modulator, comprising:
- forming a first substrate defining a cavity;
fabricating an electrode on a second substrate;
bonding the first substrate to the second substrate; and
forming a hinge and mirror plate on the first substrate; and
applying a reflective surface on a mirror plate and above a portion of the hinge, the reflective surface having an area greater than an area of the upper surface of the mirror plate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
- forming a first substrate defining a cavity;
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27. A method of fabricating a plurality of mirrors for a spatial light modulator, comprising:
- forming a cavity in a first side of a first substrate;
thinning a top layer on a second side of the first substrate to a predetermined thickness;
etching a hinge on the second side of the first substrate substantially beneath an upper surface of the thinned first substrate;
depositing a sacrificial layer on the second side of the first substrate;
planarizing the second side of the first substrate;
depositing a reflective surface on the second side of the first substrate;
releasing a mirror by etching;
removing the sacrificial layer on and around the hinge so the mirror can rotate about an axis defined by the hinge. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
- forming a cavity in a first side of a first substrate;
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39. A method of fabricating a spatial light modulator including an array of a plurality of mirrors, comprising:
- generating a mask defining areas to be etched from a first side of a first substrate;
etching the areas on the first side of the first substrate defined by the mask to form a plurality of cavities in the first side of the first substrate;
fabricating electrodes on a first side of a second substrate;
bonding the first side of the first substrate to the first side of the second substrate;
thinning a top layer on the second side of the first substrate to a predetermined thickness;
etching a hinge in the first substrate;
depositing a sacrificial layer on the first substrate;
planarizing the first substrate to remove the sacrificial layer from an upper surface on the second side of the first substrate, leaving sacrificial material on and around the hinge;
depositing a reflective surface on the upper surface and above a portion of the hinge;
releasing a mirror by etching;
removing the remaining sacrificial layer from the first substrate so the mirror can rotate about an axis defined by the hinge. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
- generating a mask defining areas to be etched from a first side of a first substrate;
Specification