Spatial light modulator with metal layers

• US 8,228,594 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2009
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ignite USA (Ignite), Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation, Silicon Quest Kabushiki-Kaisha
• Inventors: Shirai, Akira, Maeda, Yoshihiro, Ishii, Fusao
• Primary Examiner(s): PINKNEY, DAWAYNE
• Application Number:
  US12/587,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20100027101A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 359290-292, 359/295, 359223-225, 359/245, 359260-263, 359/298, 359/198, 359301-303, 359317-318, 359/237, 359/242
• US Class Current: 359/290
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0841 the reflecting element being moved or deformed by electrostatic means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/101 with both horizontal and vertical deflecting means, e.g. raster or XY scanners colour television using laser beams scanning a display screen H04N9/3129

Abstract

The present invention provides image projection system implemented with a spatial light modulator, for modulating an illumination light projected from a light source wherein said spatial light modulator comprising an image projection system implemented with a spatial light modulator for modulating an illumination light projected from a light source wherein said spatial light modulator comprising: at least two electrically conductive layers functioning as two different electrical wirings and said conductive layers having respectively a first and a second longitudinal directions overlapping and crossing each other; and a fixed electric potential layer electrically connected to a fixed electric potential, wherein the two different conductive layers and fixed electric potential layer overlapping one another and disposed at a location along a light path of the illumination light emitted from the light source to block said illumination light.

Claims

1. An image projection system implemented with a spatial light modulator for modulating an illumination light projected from a light source wherein said spatial light modulator having a plurality of modulating elements wherein each modulating element further comprising:

at least two electrically conductive layers functioning as two different electrical wirings and said conductive layers having respectively a first and a second longitudinal directions overlapping and crossing each other; and

a fixed electric potential layer electrically connected to a fixed electric potential, wherein the two different conductive layers and the fixed electric potential layer constituting multiple overlapping layers of flat plates each having irregular non-rectangular shapes for complimentarily to one another for covering an entire horizontal surface of the modulating element to totally block the illumination light emitted from the light source to enter into areas below a modulating surface of each of the modulating elements.

2. The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein:

the electrically conductive layers and the fixed electric potential layer constituting said non-rectangular shapes having extended necks and plate areas with expanded width for complimentarily to one another for covering the entire horizontal surface of the modulating element.

3. The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein:

the electrically conductive layers and the fixed electric potential layer constituting said non-rectangular shapes having extended necks and saw-tooth shaped plate areas for complimentarily to one another.

4. The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein:

one of the electrically conductive layers constituting one of said electrical wiring as the flat surface plate extending along the first longitudinal direction to function as a word line.

5. The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein:

one of the electrically conductive layers constituting one of said electrical wirings as the flat surface plate extending along the second longitudinal direction to function as a bit line.

6. The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein:

the spatial light modulator is located at a position to receive the illumination light projected from the light source with an incidence angle larger than zero (0) degrees relative to the modulating surface.

7. The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein:

the spatial light modulator is located at a position to receive the illumination light projected from the light source with an incidence angle smaller than thirty (30) degrees relative to the modulating surface.

8. The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein:

one of the electrically conductive layers constituting one of the flat surface plates functioning as a conductive plate of a capacitor.

9. The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the electrically conductive layers is electrically connected to a fixed electric potential.

10. The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein:

the fixed electric potential layer is electrically connected to a device ground potential.

11. The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein:

the spatial light modulator further comprises a mirror device wherein each of the modulating elements comprising a deflectable mirror supported by a hinge to function as the modulating surface to reflect the illumination light emitted from the light source.

12. The image projection system according to claim 11, wherein:

the light source projecting the illumination light to said spatial light modulator with an incidence angle approximately two times of a maximum deflectable angle of the mirror relative to a top surface across the mirrors in the plurality of modulating elements.

13. An image projection system implemented with a spatial light modulator for modulating an illumination light projected from a light source wherein said spatial light modulator having a plurality of modulating elements wherein each modulating element further comprising:

at least two electrically conductive layers functioning as two different electrical wirings and said conductive layers constituting overlapping layers of flat plates each having irregular non-rectangular shapes for complimentarily to one another for covering an entire horizontal surface of the modulating element and extending respectively along a first and a second longitudinal directions overlapping and crossing each other; and

one of the two different electrically conductive layers functioning as a conductive plate of a capacitor and the two different electrically conductive layers further totally block the illumination light emitted from the light source to enter into areas below a modulating surface of each of the modulating elements.

14. The image projection system according to claim 13, wherein:

one of the two different electrically conductive layers constituting one of said electrical wiring as the flat surface plate extending along the first longitudinal direction to function as a word line.

15. The image projection system according to claim 13, wherein:

one of the two different electrically conductive layers constituting one of said electrical wiring as the flat surface plate extending along the second longitudinal direction to function as a bit line.

16. The image projection system according to claim 13, wherein:

at least one of the electrically conductive layers is electrically connected to a fixed electric potential.

17. The image projection system according to claim 13, wherein:

at least one of the two conductively layers is electrically connected to a device ground potential.

18. The image projection system according to claim 13, wherein:

the capacitor is a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor further includes an insulation film disposed immediately next to one of the two electrically conductive layers.

19. The spatial light modulator according to claim 13, wherein:

one of the two different electrically conductive layers functioning as said conductive plate of the capacitor disposed at a lower portion of the capacitor.

20. The spatial light modulator according to claim 13, wherein:

one of the two different electrically conductive layers functioning as said conductive plate of the capacitor disposed at a upper portion of the capacitor.

21. The spatial light modulator according to claim 18, wherein:

the insulation film of the capacitor is composed of a tantalum pentoxide (Ta₂O₅).

22. The spatial light modulator according to claim 18, wherein:

the insulation film of the capacitor is composed of a zirconium dioxide (ZrO₂).

23. An image projection system implemented with a spatial light modulator for modulating an illumination light projected from a light source wherein said spatial light modulator comprising:

at least two electrically conductive layers functioning as two different electrical wirings and said conductive layers having respectively a first and a second longitudinal directions overlapping and crossing each other; and

one of the two different electrically conductive layers functioning as a conductive plate of a capacitor and the two different electrically conductive layers are overlapped with one another; and

the capacitor has a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structure further includes an insulation film disposed immediately next to one of the two electrically conductive layers wherein the insulation film of the capacitor further comprises a layered film of a first layer of a tantalum pentoxide (Ta₂O₅) and a second layer of a niobium pentoxide (Nb₂O₅).