Abstract: A spatial light modulator includes an upper optically transmissive substrate held above a lower substrate containing addressing circuitry. One or more electrostatically deflectable elements are suspended by hinges from the upper substrate. In operation, individual mirrors are selectively deflected and serve to spatially modulate light that is incident to, and then reflected back through, the upper substrate. Motion stops may be attached to the reflective deflectable elements so that the mirror does not snap to the bottom substrate. Instead, the motion stop rests against the upper substrate thus limiting the deflection angle of the reflective deflectable elements.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for forming a micromechanical device. The method includes fully or partially forming one or more micromechanical structures multiple times on a first substrate. A second substrate is bonded onto the first substrate so as to cover the multiple areas each having one or more micromechanical structures, so as to form a substrate assembly. The substrate assembly is then separated into individual dies, each die having the one or more micromechanical structures held on a portion of the first substrate, with a portion of the second substrate bonded to the first substrate portion. Finally, the second substrate portion is removed from each die to expose the one or more micromechanical structures on the first substrate portion.

Abstract: A projection system is disclosed that has a light source of multiple wavelengths, a spatial light modulator and projection optics for projecting an image to be viewed by a viewer or to be displayed on a target. Also provided are one or more color sequencing devices which filter the light multiple times. Whether a single or plural color sequencing elements are provided, a single light beam passes at least twice through a sequence of light filters. In one embodiment, two color wheels provide the ability to filter the light multiple times. By changing the physical position or phase of one series of filters relative to another, the brightness and color saturation of the image projected through the projection optics can be changed. The changes in brightness and color saturation can be performed manually by mechanically changing the phase (or position) of the color sequencing device(s) relative to the light beam. Such changes can be performed step-wise of gradually through a continuum of brightness vs.

Abstract: A color wheel is disclosed that has at least one segment that occupies, for a given radius, a percentage of the circumference of the wheel at that radius, which percentage varies continuously or in multiple steps from a radially inward point to a radially outer point on the wheel. In one embodiment, the color wheel has a plurality of filter segments adjacent each other around the circumference of the wheel, wherein at least one of the transitions from one filter segment to the next is curved or stepped.

Abstract: A spatial light modulator having one or more deflection limiting mechanisms and process for fabrication therefor. In one embodiment, the mirror support structure has rigid deflection stoppers that limit the tilt angle of the reflective plate. The mirror support structure may also include an attraction electrode that is attached to the back-side of the reflective plate such that the reflective plate may be selectively actuated by electrostatic force. Alternatively, a deflection stopping mechanism can be provided separate from the mirror support structure. The deflection stopping mechanism can be used in conjunction with one or more additional stopping mechanisms such as the abutment of a portion of the reflective plate against the substrate upon which it was constructed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for producing a pulse-width-modulated (PWM) grayscale or color image using a binary spatial light modulator. By staggering and re-quantizing the PWM intervals to a clock of a period based on the frame time divided by number of rows in the display, the system's peak bandwidth requirements are optimized for displays of arbitrary resolution and arbitrary choice of PWM waveform. Additionally, a gating circuit increases the optical efficiency of a spatial light modulator using this PWM method in a field-sequential color system by reducing the duration of the blanking period between color fields.

Abstract: A spatial light modulator includes an upper optically transmissive substrate held above a lower substrate containing addressing circuitry. One or more electrostatically deflectable elements are suspended by hinges from the upper substrate. In operation, individual mirrors are selectively deflected and serve to spatially modulate light that is incident to, and then reflected back through, the upper substrate. Motion stops may be attached to the reflective deflectable elements so that the mirror does not snap to the bottom substrate. Instead, the motion stop rests against the upper substrate thus limiting the deflection angle of the reflective deflectable elements.

Abstract: A light beam steering device includes a mirror plate that is mechanically coupled directly (or indirectly) to an optically transmissive substrate by flexures that permit the mirror plate to tilt around a plurality of axes when electrodes are controlled to cause the mirror plate tilting. The optically transmissive substrate is spaced apart from a device substrate so that the mirror plate is between the optically transmissive and device substrates. Electrically conductive electrodes are formed on the device substrate opposite the mirror plate. The direction towards a target of the reflected portion of a light beam that is incident on the mirror plate can be monitored and adjusted using a photodetector array. A plurality of optical (e.g. fiber optic) inputs can direct light to an array of such light beam steering devices, which in turn target a plurality of optical (e.g. fiber optic) outputs.

Abstract: The etching of a sacrificial silicon portion in a microstructure such as a microelectromechanical structure by the use of etchant gases that are noble gas fluorides or halogen fluorides is performed with greater selectivity toward the silicon portion relative to other portions of the microstructure by the addition of non-etchant gaseous additives to the etchant gas. An additional discovery is that non-etchant gaseous additives that have a molar averaged formula weight that is below that of molecular nitrogen offer significant advantages over gaseous additives of higher formula weights by causing completion of the etch in a shorter period of time while still achieving the same improvement in selectivity.

Abstract: A spatial light modulator includes an upper optically transmissive substrate held above a lower substrate containing addressing circuitry. One or more electrostatically deflectable elements are suspended by hinges from the upper substrate. In operation, individual mirrors are selectively deflected and serve to spatially modulate light that is incident to, and then reflected back through, the upper substrate. Motion stops may be attached to the reflective deflectable elements so that the mirror does not snap to the bottom substrate. Instead, the motion stop rests against the upper substrate thus limiting the deflection angle of the reflective deflectable elements.

Abstract: A spatial light modulator includes an upper optically transmissive substrate held above a lower substrate containing addressing circuitry. One or more electrostatically deflectable elements are suspended by hinges from the upper substrate. In operation, individual mirrors are selectively deflected and serve to spatially modulate light that is incident to, and then reflected back through, the upper substrate. Motion stops may be attached to the reflective deflectable elements so that the mirror does not snap to the bottom substrate. Instead, the motion stop rests against the upper substrate thus limiting the deflection angle of the reflective deflectable elements.

Abstract: A spatial light modulator, comprised of an upper and a lower substrate. One or more electrostatically deflectable mirrors are suspended by torsion hinges from an optically transmissive upper substrate. The upper substrate is held above the lower substrate containing electronic circuitry. In operation, individual mirrors are selectively deflected and serve to spatially modulate light that is incident to, and then reflected back through, the upper substrate. An aperture layer is built into the upper substrate to enable light to reach only the flat mirror surfaces.