Spatial light modulator with integrated optical compensation structure
First Claim
1. A display device comprising:
- a substrate;
an array of display pixels configured to form an image, each display pixel comprising at least one individually addressable light-modulating element arranged over the substrate and configured to interferometrically modulate incident visible light, said at least one individually addressable light-modulating element comprising;
an optical stack including a reflective layer disposed over the substrate;
a movable element; and
an air gap between the reflective layer and the movable element forming an optical cavity that changes size with movement of said movable element thereby interferometrically modulating incident visible light that forms part of the image; and
an optical compensation structure;
wherein the array of display pixels is arranged between the substrate and the optical compensation structure, andwherein for said at least one individually addressable light-modulating element said optical stack is closer to the substrate and said moveable element is closer to said optical compensation structure and an optical path extending from the optical stack to the optical compensation structure passes through only one air gap that changes size with movement of said moveable element thereby interferometrically modulating incident visible light that forms part of the image.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A spatial light modulator comprises an integrated optical compensation structure, e.g., an optical compensation structure arranged between a substrate and a plurality of individually addressable light-modulating elements, or an optical compensation structure located on the opposite side of the light-modulating elements from the substrate. The individually addressable light-modulating elements are configured to modulate light transmitted through or reflected from the transparent substrate. Methods for making such spatial light modulators involve fabricating an optical compensation structure over a substrate and fabricating a plurality of individually addressable light-modulating elements over the optical compensation structure. The optical compensation structure may be a passive optical compensation structure. The optical compensation structure may include one or more of a supplemental frontlighting source, a diffuser, a black mask, a diffractive optical element, a color filter, an anti-reflective layer, a structure that scatters light, a microlens array, and a holographic film.
603 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A display device comprising:
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a substrate; an array of display pixels configured to form an image, each display pixel comprising at least one individually addressable light-modulating element arranged over the substrate and configured to interferometrically modulate incident visible light, said at least one individually addressable light-modulating element comprising; an optical stack including a reflective layer disposed over the substrate; a movable element; and an air gap between the reflective layer and the movable element forming an optical cavity that changes size with movement of said movable element thereby interferometrically modulating incident visible light that forms part of the image; and an optical compensation structure; wherein the array of display pixels is arranged between the substrate and the optical compensation structure, and wherein for said at least one individually addressable light-modulating element said optical stack is closer to the substrate and said moveable element is closer to said optical compensation structure and an optical path extending from the optical stack to the optical compensation structure passes through only one air gap that changes size with movement of said moveable element thereby interferometrically modulating incident visible light that forms part of the image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A spatial light modulator comprising:
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a substrate; a plurality of individually addressable interferometric light-modulating elements arranged over the substrate and configured to modulate incident visible light, each of the interferometric light-modulating elements comprising an optical stack including a reflective layer disposed over the substrate, a cavity comprising an air gap and disposed between the optical stack and a movable wall, said cavity configured to change size with the movement of the movable wall thereby interferometrically modulating incident visible light to form at least part of an image; and at least one optical compensation structure, the plurality of individually addressable interferometric light-modulating elements being arranged between the substrate and the optical compensation structure, the optical compensation structure comprising a structure selected from the group consisting of an anti-reflective layer, a diffractive optical element, a structure that scatters light, a diffuser, a microlens array, and a holographic film, wherein for each of said plurality of individually addressable light-modulating elements, said optical stack is closer to the substrate and said moveable wall is closer to said optical compensation structure and an optical path extending from the optical stack to the optical compensation structure passes through only one cavity configured to change size with the movement of the movable wall thereby interferometrically modulating incident visible light to form said at least part of the image. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A display device comprising:
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a substrate; an array of display pixels configured to form an image, each display pixel comprising a means for interferometrically modulating light, said interferometrically light-modulating means comprising; an optical stack including a reflective layer disposed over the substrate; a movable element; and an optical cavity disposed between the optical stack and the movable element, said optical cavity comprising an air gap that changes size with movement of said movable element thereby interferometrically modulating incident visible light to form part of the image; and a means for compensating light; wherein the array of display pixels is operatively arranged between the substrate and the means for compensating light, and wherein for said means for interferometrically modulating light, said optical stack is closer to the substrate and said moveable element is closer to said means for compensating light and an optical path extending from the optical stack to the means for compensating light passes through only one cavity configured to change size with the movement of the movable element thereby interferometrically modulating incident visible light to form part of the image. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification