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EP0040302A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

An optical ray deflection apparatus

Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
•
Filing: 1981-03-12
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2001-03-12
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Abstract

Abstract Torsional type optical ray deflection apparatus comprises a pair of etched plates (10, 20), one ofthe plates (20) is made of single crystal semiconductor material such as silicon, and the other plate (10) is of a suitable-insulating material such as glass. The semiconductor plate (20) is etched to form an elongated bar (22, 30,24) of the material having a wider central portion (30) which forms a reflecting surface armature of suitable area suspended internally of the rectangular frame formed by the remainder of the semiconductor plate. The insulating plate (10) is etched to leave an annuloidal depression (12) centrally ofthe plate. An elongated land in the centre of the insulating plate underlies the reflecting surface area (30) to support the torsion bar-reflector structure in the direction normal to the longitudinal axis while allowing rotation about that axis. Planar electrodes (14,16) are laid down in the bottom of the depression in the insulating plate for exerting an electrostatic force between one of the electrodes and the semiconductor armature, thereby causing angular displacement about the longitudinal axis of the torsion bar which will deflect rays of light incident to the reflecting surface portion.

Inventors

  • 👤 Kurt Edward Petersen

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-31 18:41
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03F; G03F7/00; G03F7/70; G03F7/70216; G03F7/70283; G03F7/70291; G02; G02B; G02B26/00; G02B26/08; G02B26/10; G09; G09F; G09F9/00; G09F9/30; G09F9/37; G09F9/372

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim 73 words
An optical ray deflection apparatus, characterised in that the apparatus includes a base member (10), a torsion bar (22, 30, 24) arranged on said base member (10) for oscillatory movement with respect thereto and having a portion defining an optically reflective surface area (30), and electrodes (14, 16) arranged on said base member (16) for producing an electrostatic field adjacent said torsion bar thereby producing oscillatory movement of said reflective surface area (30).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 73 words
An optical ray deflection apparatus, characterised in that the apparatus includes a base member (10), a torsion bar (22, 30, 24) arranged on said base member (10) for oscillatory movement with respect thereto and having a portion defining an optically reflective surface area (30), and electrodes (14, 16) arranged on said base member (16) for producing an electrostatic field adjacent said torsion bar thereby producing oscillatory movement of said reflective surface area (30).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 20 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said torsion bar is an integral part of a torsion bar plate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 26 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said torsion bar plate is made of single crystal silicon and is formed by an anisotropic etching process.
Claim 5
Independent Claim 34 words
An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said base member is an insulating plate having a centrally located recess etched therein over which said torsion bar is arranged.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 24 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein a supporting land is located centrally of said recess over which said torsion bar is arranged.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 28 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said electrodes are planar electrodes arranged in said central recess of said insulating plate on either side of said land.
Claim 8
Independent Claim 26 words
An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, including an optically reflective medium arranged on said reflective surface area of said torsion bar.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 20 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said reflective medium is a metal evaporated over said reflective surface area.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 18 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein said electrodes are metal evaporated into the centrally located recess.
Claim 11
Independent Claim 29 words
An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said torsion bar is maintained at a neutral potential with respect to potential applied to said electrodes.

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