Double substrate reflective spatial light modulator with self-limiting micro-mechanical elements
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A spatial light modulator comprising:
- an array of deflectable and reflective mirror plates disposed on the light transmissive substrate, wherein each mirror plate comprises;
a reflective layer;
a plurality of light transmissive layers of different refraction indices to visible light for enhancing reflectivity of the mirror plate, wherein the plurality of light transmissive layers are contiguous;
a first portion; and
a second portion such that during deflection of each mirror plate, the second portion moves towards a light transmissive substrate as the first portion moves away from the light transmissive substrate.
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Abstract
A spatial light modulator has an array of reflective surfaces of deflectable mirror plates. For improving the reflectivity of the mirror plates, layers that are preferably transmissive to visible light are provided on the reflective surfaces of the mirror plates. The layers may have different thicknesses and/or refractive indices to the visible light to optimize the reflectivity of the mirror plates.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A spatial light modulator comprising:
an array of deflectable and reflective mirror plates disposed on the light transmissive substrate, wherein each mirror plate comprises; a reflective layer; a plurality of light transmissive layers of different refraction indices to visible light for enhancing reflectivity of the mirror plate, wherein the plurality of light transmissive layers are contiguous; a first portion; and a second portion such that during deflection of each mirror plate, the second portion moves towards a light transmissive substrate as the first portion moves away from the light transmissive substrate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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7. A spatial light modulator comprising:
an array of deflectable and reflective mirror plates, wherein; each mirror plate is a member of one of an array of micromirrors; each micromirror is operated in a binary mode; a distance separating neighboring micromirrors is 0.5 microns or less; and each mirror plate comprises a reflective layer and a plurality of light transmissive layers of different refraction indices to visible light for enhancina reflectivity of the mirror plate, wherein the plurality of light transmissive layers are contiguous.
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8. A spatial light modulator comprising:
an array of deflectable and reflective mirror plates, wherein; each mirror plate is a member of one of an array of micromirrors; each micromirror is operated in a binary mode; the array of micromirrors are electrically connected together; and each mirror plate comprises a reflective layer and a plurality of light transmissive layers of different refraction indices to visible light for enhancing reflectivity of the mirror plate, wherein the plurality of light transmissive layers are contiguous. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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12. A spatial light modulator comprising:
an array of deflectable and reflective mirror plates, wherein; each mirror plate is attached to a deformable hinge with a gap therebetween in a direction perpendicular to the mirror plate; each mirror plate is a member of one of an array of micromirrors; each micromirror is operated in a binary mode; and each mirror plate comprises a reflective layer and a plurality of light transmissive layers of different refraction indices to visible light for enhancing reflectivity of the mirror plate, wherein the plurality of light transmissive layers are contiguous.
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15. A spatial light modulator comprising:
an array of deflectable and reflective mirror plates, wherein; each mirror plate is a member of one of an array of micromirrors; each micromirror is operated in a binary mode; the mirror plates are electrically connected in rows; each mirror plate is associated with one of an array of electrodes of the micromirrors; the electrodes are electrically connected in columns that cross the rows at an array of pixel locations whereby the pixels may be turned on and off by selectively applying appropriate row and column biases and creating electrostatic attraction and; each mirror plate comprises a reflective layer and a plurality of light transmissive layers of different refraction indices to visible light for enhancing reflectivity of the mirror plate, wherein the plurality of light transmissive layers are contiguous.
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24. A spatial light modulator comprising:
an array of deflectable and reflective mirror plates, wherein each mirror plate comprises a reflective layer and has a plurality of layers disposed on an incident-light side of the reflective layer, wherein all of the plurality of layers are light transmissive layers of different refraction indices to visible light for enhancing reflectivity of the mirror plate, wherein one of the light transmissive layers is silicon dioxide and another one of the light transmissive layers is silicon nitride.
Specification