Mirror device

• US 7,643,195 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2008
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ignite USA (Ignite)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation, Silicon Quest Kabushiki-Kaisha
• Inventors: Maeda, Yoshihiro, Sugimoto, Naoya, Ichikawa, Hirotoshi, Ishii, Fusao
• Primary Examiner(s): Choi; William C
• Application Number:
  US12/220,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20080291524A1
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: 359212-214, 359/224, 359/290
• US Class Current: 359/224.1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0841 the reflecting element being moved or deformed by electrostatic means

Abstract

A mirror device comprises: an electrode placed on a substrate; a hinge which is connected to the electrode and which has a flat part at an end part on a side opposite to the electrode; and a mirror placed on the flat part, wherein a protrusion part formed on the flat part is placed between the flat part and the mirror.

Claims

1. A mirror device, comprising:

an electrode placed on a substrate;

a hinge connected to the electrode having a flat part at an end part of said hinge opposite to the electrode; and

a mirror supported by the hinge and placed on the flat part, wherein said flat part of said hinge further includes a protrusion extended from said flat part for placing the mirror thereon.

2. The mirror device according to claim 1, wherein:

the protrusion is deposited on a layer on the flat part.

3. The mirror device according to claim 1, wherein:

the protrusion part is made by etching the surrounding of the protrusion part of the flat part.

4. The mirror device according to claim 1, wherein:

a plurality of the protrusion part is formed on the flat part.

5. The mirror device according to claim 1, wherein:

the protrusion part is connected to the mirror in the inside thereof.

6. The mirror device according to claim 1, wherein:

each of all sides, in a plain view, of the protrusion part is not perpendicular to the deflection direction of the mirror.

7. The mirror device according to claim 1, wherein:

the protrusion part is a circle or oval in a plain view.

8. The mirror device according to claim 1, wherein:

the height of the protrusion part from the hinge is no more than 0.1 μ

m.

9. The mirror device according to claim 1, wherein:

the connection part is deposited by applying chemical vapor deposition (CVD).

10. The mirror device according to claim 1, wherein:

the connection part is placed at a position offset from the center of a mirror.