EP0069226A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method of making a light valve mirror array and method of producing a light valve projection system
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1982-05-24
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2002-05-24
Abstract
Abstract A mirror array light valve comprises a plurality of closely adjacent mirror elements (23) each supported by an individual one of a plurality of post members (19p) disposed in a regular array on a transparent substrate (10). The post members (19p) support the mirror elements (23) under corresponding corners thereof so that all the mirror elements are deflectable in the same direction thereby causing light reflected by the mirror elements to be directed to a single quadrant. The post members are preferably hollow straight- sided cylindrical silicon dioxide structures produced by a self-limiting etching process.
Inventors
- 👤 Carl Altman
- 👤 Ernest Bassous
- 👤 Carlton M. Osburn
- 👤 Peter Pleshko
- 👤 Arnold Reisman
- 👤 Marvin B. Skolnik
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 22:03
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01J; H01J9/00; H01J9/20; G; G02; G02B; G02B26/00; G02B26/08; G02B26/0816; G02B26/0833; G02B26/0841
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
80 words
A mirror array light valve comprising a plurality of closely adjacent rectangular or hexagonal mirror elements (23) each supported by an individual one of a plurality of post members (19p) disposed in a regular array on a substrate (10), characterised in that the post members support the mirror elements under corresponding corners thereof so that all the mirror elements are deflectable in the same direction thereby causing light reflected by the mirror elements to be directed to a single quadrant.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
80 words
A mirror array light valve comprising a plurality of closely adjacent rectangular or hexagonal mirror elements (23) each supported by an individual one of a plurality of post members (19p) disposed in a regular array on a substrate (10), characterised in that the post members support the mirror elements under corresponding corners thereof so that all the mirror elements are deflectable in the same direction thereby causing light reflected by the mirror elements to be directed to a single quadrant.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
A mirror array light valve as claimed in claim 1, in which the mirror elements are square.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
50 words
A mirror array light valve as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the substrate is transparent and the post members are straight- sided cylindrical silicon dioxide structures, whereby the post members present minimum interference to light passed through the substrate to be reflected by the mirror elements.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
65 words
A mirror array light valve as claimed in claim 3, in which the posts are of hollow cylindrical form produced by a self-limiting etching process comprising forming a straight-sided hole in a silicon body, processing the interior surface of said hole to convert to material which is resistant to a silicon etch, and etching away the body of silicon not so converted by said processing.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
41 words
A mirror array light valve as claimed in claim 4, in which the mirror elements comprise portions of material produced by etching a thin layer of material formed on the silicon body prior to said etching away of the silicon body.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
51 words
A display system comprising a mirror array light valve as claimed in any preceding claim and a Schlieren optical system comprising a light stop having transparency in a single quadrant and being opaque throughout the other three quadrants, all the mirror elements being deflectable to direct light to said single quadrant.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
70 words
A method of making a mirror array light valve as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the post members are formed by a self-limiting etching process comprising the steps of forming straight-sided holes in a silicon body, processing the interior surface of the holes to convert it to material which is resistant to a silicon etch, and etching away the body of silicon not so converted by said processing.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method as claimed in claim 7, in which the mirror elements are formed from a thin layer of material on said silicon body prior to said body being etched away.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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