Abstract: A method for manufacturing a planar reflective light valve backplane includes the steps of providing a substrate (e.g., a reflective backplane) including a plurality of surface projections (e.g., pixel mirrors) defining gaps therebetween, forming an etch-resistant layer on the substrate, forming a fill layer on the etch resistant layer, and etching the fill layer to expose portions of the etch resistant layer overlying the projections, leaving a portion of the fill layer in the gaps. A particular method includes an optional step of forming a protective layer over the exposed portions of the etch-resistant layer and the fill layer. In another particular method, the etch resistant layer includes an optical thin film layer and an etch-resistant cap layer.

Abstract: A planar wafer based device (e.g., a reflective light valve backplane) includes a substrate having a plurality of surface projections (e.g., pixel mirrors) defining gaps therebetween, an etch-resistant layer formed on the substrate, and a fill layer formed on a portion of the etch-resistant layer in the gaps. In a particular embodiment, the fill layer is a spin-on coating. An optional protective layer formed on the exposed portions of the etch-resistant layer and the fill layer protects the underlying layers during subsequent processing steps.

Abstract: A magnification-variation scanner modifies the resolution merely by changing the object distance and the image distance, with a constant focal distance. The scanner includes a light source, an object lens, an image detector, a holder for carrying the object lens, an optical path delay and a driver. The optical path delay can be located at the midway of the light path from the light source to the object lens, thereby modifying the optical path between the object surface and the object lens. In accompaniment with the movement of the object lens, the dimensions of the image projected over the image detector can be modified. The resolution can therefore be modified. The driver connects between the holder and the optical path delay.

Abstract: A reconfigurable neural network is disclosed. The neural network includes a plurality of switches each having at least two conductive leads, wherein data flow direction of the conductive leads of the switches is programmed to select one of the conductive leads as input switch lead and select another one of the conductive leads as an output switch lead. A plurality of processing elements each having a plurality of leads connected to the switches, wherein the processing elements and the switches are interconnected in one-dimension manner. Each of the processing elements comprising: (a) a serial-in-parallel-out accumulator having a first input coupled to one of the interconnected switches and generating a first output; (b) an activation function for transforming the first output of the serial-in-parallel-out accumulator and generating a second output; and (c) a parallel-in-serial-out shift register for shifting out the second output of the activation function serially to one of the interconnected switches.