A MEMS optical display system includes an illumination source for providing illumination light, a collimating lens for receiving the illumination light and forming from it collimated illumination light, and a converging microlens array having an array of lenslets that converge the collimated illumination light. The converging microlens array directs the illumination light to a microelectrical mechanical system (MEMS) optical modulator. The MEMS optical modulator includes, for example, a planar substrate through which multiple pixel apertures extend and multiple MEMS actuators that support and selectively position MEMS shutters over the apertures. A MEMS actuator and MEMS shutter, together with a corresponding aperture, correspond to pixel. The light from the converging microlens array is focused through the apertures and is selectively modulated according to the positioning of the MEMS shutters by the MEMS actuators, thereby to impart image information on the illumination light. The light is then passed to a diffused transmissive display screen by a projection microlens array.

Microelectrical mechanical structure (MEMS) optical modulator and optical display system

The invention is directed to a solid-state projection device incorporating a light source, modulator, and control circuitry on a single chip. For example, projection device may include several sets of VCSELs, each associated with a set of MEMs mirrors and coupled to a control circuitry. The device may also include various Pyrex layers for sealing and angling layers. The device may further include detectors associated with the light source. These detectors may be useful in determining the shape and location of the projection surface, building a gesture interface, and determining the operability of proxels. The invention is also directed to methods for using the device for manipulating the image, producing zoom, masking, reverse images, positioning, and keystone correction, among others. The invention may be used in projection display devices, portable display devices, heads-up displays, retinal displays, rear and front projection displays, and other display applications.

Apparatus for image projection

A MEMS oscillator, such as a MEMS scanner, has an improved and simplified drive scheme and structure. Drive impulses may be transmitted to an oscillating mass via torque through the support arms. For multi-axis oscillators drive signals for two or more axes may be superimposed by a driver circuit and transmitted to the MEMS oscillator. The oscillator responds in each axis according to its resonance frequency in that axis. The oscillator may be driven resonantly in some or all axes. Improved load distribution results in reduced deformation. A simplified structure offers multi-axis oscillation using a single moving body. Another structure directly drives a plurality of moving bodies. Another structure eliminates actuators from one or more moving bodies, those bodies being driven by their support arms.

MEMS device having simplified drive

An optical body includes a substrate and a cholesteric liquid crystal layer disposed on the substrate. The cholesteric liquid crystal layer has a non-uniform pitch along a thickness direction of the layer and comprises a crosslinked polymer material that substantially fixes the cholesteric liquid crystal layer. The crosslinking hinders diffusion of cholesteric liquid crystal material within the cholesteric liquid crystal layer. In other methods of making an optical body, a reservoir of chiral material is provided during the process over a first cholesteric liquid crystal layer to diffuse into the layer and provide a non-uniform pitch. Alternatively, two coating compositions can be disposed on a substrate where the material of the first coating composition is not substantially soluble in the second coating composition.

Optical bodies containing cholesteric liquid crystal material and methods of manufacture

The invention provides a micro-electro-mechanical-system (MEMS) mirror device, comprising: a mirror having a 2-dimensional rotational articulated hinge at a first end, and having a 1-dimensional rotational articulated hinge at a second end opposite the first end; a movable cantilever connected to the mirror through the 1-dimensional rotational articulated hinge; a support structure connected to the mirror through the 2-dimensional rotational articulated hinge and connected to the movable cantilever; whereby movement of said movable cantilever causes rotation of the mirror in a first axis of rotation, and the mirror is also rotatable about a second torsional axis of rotation perpendicular to said first axis of rotation.

Micro-electro-mechanical-system two dimensional mirror with articulated suspension structures for high fill factor arrays

A micro-mirror device includes a mirror forming substrate on which a mirror is disposed. A pair of torsion beams are disposed on opposing sides of the mirror forming substrate. An anchor projects from a supporting substrate, supporting the ends of the torsion beams. A driving frame surrounds at least one side of the torsion beams and is connected to the mirror forming substrate through a link beam. A drive force generator drives the driving frame.

Micro-mirror device

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To making the scanning angle of a mirror part large by low driving voltage by forming a driving frame by separating it from a mirror forming substrate having the mirror part and indirectly driving the mirror forming substrate through the driving frame without directly driving it. SOLUTION: This device is equipped with the mirror forming substrate 2 obtained by forming the mirror part 1 and provided with a torsion beam on a line orthogonally crossed to two opposed sides, an anchor part 4 projectingly arranged on a supporting substrate 6 so as to fix the substrate 2 on the substrate 6 by supporting the end part of the beam 3, the driving frame 7 arranged so as to surround at least the outside circumference of one side of the beam 3 of the substrate 2 and provided with a link beam 10 whose one end is connected to the substrate 2 in parallel with the shaft direction of the beam 3 and a driving force generation means (driving electrode, piezoelectric body, permanent magnet and electromagnet) giving driving force to the frame 7. COPYRIGHT: (C)2000,JPO

Micromirror device and manufacture thereof

Micro Optical Scanners of Photoresist Reflow Lens on MEMS XY-Stage

A micro-mirror device is described comprising a supporting
substrate (6), a mirror forming substrate (2), on which a
mirror portion (1) is formed, a pair of first torsion beams
(3) disposed on a pair of the opposing sides of the mirror
forming a substrate (2), which are perpendicular to those
sides and support the mirror forming substrate (2), a first
driving frame (7, 7A, 7B, 7D) surrounding at least one side
of the mirror forming substrate (2) and connected to the
mirror forming substrate (2) through a first link beam (10),
which is disposed in parallel to the longitudinal direction
of the first torsion beams (3), and a first driving force
generating means (12, 14) for driving the first driving frame
(7, 7A, 7B, 7D) to move so that the movement is transmitted
to the mirror forming substrate (2) through the first link
beam (10). There is also described a method for producing
such a device.

A micro-mirror device and a method for producing a micro-mirror device

A semiconductor substrate; a cantilever which is formed on the semiconductor substrate so as to face the semiconductor substrate with an air layer therebetween, the cantilever being made from an electrically conductive material or a semiconductor material, and the cantilever being mechanically movable; a photodiode which is formed so as to be connected in parallel to a capacitance that is constituted from the cantilever and the semiconductor substrate, and the photodiode being formed between an anchor portion which is a portion of the cantilever and the semiconductor substrate; and a power source which supplies voltage via a resistance on a side of the cantilever which is a connection point of a parallel circuit including both the capacitance and the photodiode so as to be backward bias to the photodiode, are included.

Hiroshi Toshiyoshi

Papers

Micro-mirror device

Micromirror device and manufacture thereof

Micro Optical Scanners of Photoresist Reflow Lens on MEMS XY-Stage

A micro-mirror device and a method for producing a micro-mirror device

Electrostatic micro actuator, electrostatic microactuator apparatus and driving method of electrostatic micro actuator