Spatial light modulator and method

Claim 2

A spatial light modulator, comprising: (a) a plurality of pixels, each of said pixels including a deflectable beam, an address electrode adjacent said beam, and a landing electrode adjacent said beam; (b) wherein voltage applied between said beam and said address electrode deflects said beam toward said address electrode, and said landing electrode is located to contact said beam deflected toward said address electrode and prevent said deflected beam from contacting said address electrode.

Claim 3

The spatial light modulator of claim 1, wherein: (a) said deflectable beams are formed in a reflecting layer supported away from said address electrode and landing electrodes, said deflectable beams connected to said reflecting layer by hinges formed in said reflecting layer.

Claim 4

The spatial light modulator of claim 2, wherein: (a) said reflecting layer is supported away from said address electrodes and landing electrodes by a spacer layer with wells between said deflectable beams in said electrodes.

Claim 5

The spatial light modulator of claim 3, wherein: (a) each of said deflectable beams is connected to said reflecting layer by two torsion hinges; and (b) each of said pixels has two address electrodes and two landing electrodes.

Claim 6

The spatial light modulator of claim 2, wherein: (a) said reflecting layer is supported away from said address electrodes and landing electrodes by a plurality of posts.

Claim 7

A spatial light modulator, comprising: (a) a plurality of pixels formed in a layered structure; (b) said layered structure including an insulated substrate, a spacer layer on said substrate, a conductive reflecting layer on said spacer layer, and a plurality of addressing and landing electrodes; (c) each of said pixels including i. a deflectable element formed in said reflecting layer and connected to the remainder of said reflecting layer by at least one hinge formed from said reflecting layer, ii. a well formed in said spacer layer and extending from said deflectable element to said substrate, iii. a first addressing electrode on said substrate at the bottom of said well and located to deflect said deflectable element by electrostatic attraction, and iv. a first landing electrode on said substrate at the bottom of said well, said first landing electrode located both to contact said deflectable element when said deflectable element is deflected by attraction by said first addressing electrode to said substrate and to prevent said deflectable element from contacting said addressing electrode.

Claim 8

A spatial light modulator, comprising: (a) a plurality of pixels formed in a layered structure; (b) said layered structure including an insulated substrate, a spacer layer on said substrate, a conductive reflecting layer on said spacer layer, and a plurality of addressing and landing electrodes; (c) each of said pixels including i. a deflectable element formed in said reflecting layer and connected to the remainder of said reflecting layer by at least one hinge formed from said reflecting layer, ii. a well formed in said spacer layer and extending from said deflectable element to said substrate, iii. a first addressing electrode on said substrate at the bottom of said well and located to deflect said deflectable element by electrostatic attraction, and iv. a first landing electrode on said substrate at the bottom of said well, said first landing electrode located both to contact said deflectable element when said deflectable element is deflected by attraction by said first addressing electrode to said substrate and to prevent said deflectable element from contacting said addressing electrode.

Claim 9

The spatial light modulator of claim 6, wherein: (a) said deflectable element is connected to the remainder of said reflecting layer by two hinges formed from said reflecting layer, said deflectable element deflectable by rotation about the axis defined by said two hinges.

Claim 10

The spatial light modulator of claim 7, wherein said pixel further includes: (a) a second addressing electrode on said substrate at the bottom of said well and located to deflect said element by electrostatic attraction in a direction of rotation opposite the direction of rotation due to attraction by said first addressing electrode; and (b) a second landing electrode on said substrate at the bottom of said well, said second landing electrode located to contact said deflectable element when said deflectable element is deflected by attraction by said second addressing electrode to said substrate.

Claim 11

The spatial light modulator of claim 6, wherein: (a) said reflecting layer is made of first and second sublayers, each of said sublayers a metal; and (b) said at least one hinge is formed from only said first sublayer.

Claim 12

A spatial light modulator, comprising: (a) a plurality of pixels formed in a layered structure; (b) said layered structure including a bottom layer, a middle layer on said bottom layer, and a conductive reflecting layer on said middle layer; (c) each of said pixels including: i. a deflectable element formed in said reflecting layer; ii. first and second addressing electrodes between said middle layer and said bottom layer and extending beneath said deflectable element; and iii. a well formed in said middle layer, said well extending from said deflectable element to said electrode.

Claim 13

A spatial light modulator, comprising: (a) a plurality of pixels formed in a layered structure; (b) said layered structure including a bottom layer, a middle layer on said bottom layer, and a conductive reflecting layer on said middle layer; (c) each of said pixels including: i. a deflectable element formed in said reflecting layer; ii. first and second addressing electrodes between said middle layer and said bottom layer and extending beneath said deflectable element; and iii. a well formed in said middle layer, said well extending from said deflectable element to said electrode.

Claim 14

The spatial light modulator of claim 10, wherein: (a) said deflectable element is a portion of said reflecting layer connected to the remainder of said reflecting layer by two hinges formed from said reflecting layer; and (b) said first and second addressing electrodes are located under said deflectable element on opposite sides of the axis defined by said two hinges.

Claim 15

The spatial light modulator of claim 11, wherein said each pixel further includes: (a) first and second landing electrodes between said middle layer and said bottom layer and extending under said deflectable element, said first and second landing electrodes located to contact said deflectable element when it is deflected to said bottom layer by said addressing electrodes.

Claim 16

The spatial light modulator of claim 10, wherein: (a) said well in said middle layer for said pixel joins with the corresponding well in an abutting pixel.

Claim 17

A spatial light modulator, comprising: (a) a plurality of pixels formed in a layered structure; (b) said layered structure including a bottom layer, a plurality of electrodes on said bottom layer, a planarizing spacer layer on said electrodes and bottom layer, and a conductive reflecting layer on said spacer layer; (c) each of said pixels including: i. a deflectable element formed in said reflecting layer; ii. first and second of said electrodes, said first and second electrodes both extending beneath said deflectable element, said first electrode an addressing electrode and said second electrode a landing electrode; and iii. a well formed in said spacer layer, said well extending from said deflectable element to said first and second electrodes and of width greater than the width of said deflectable element.

Claim 18

A spatial light modulator, comprising: (a) a plurality of pixels formed in a layered structure; (b) said layered structure including a bottom layer, a plurality of electrodes on said bottom layer, a planarizing spacer layer on said electrodes and bottom layer, and a conductive reflecting layer on said spacer layer; (c) each of said pixels including: i. a deflectable element formed in said reflecting layer; ii. first and second of said electrodes, said first and second electrodes both extending beneath said deflectable element, said first electrode an addressing electrode and said second electrode a landing electrode; and iii. a well formed in said spacer layer, said well extending from said deflectable element to said first and second electrodes and of width greater than the width of said deflectable element.

Claim 19

The spatial light modulator of claim 14, wherein: (a) said deflectable element is a portion of said reflecting layer connected to the remainder of said reflecting layer by two hinges formed from said reflecting layer.

Claim 20

The spatial light modulator of claim 14, wherein said each pixel further includes: (a) third and fourth of said electrodes extending beneath said deflectable element, said third electrode an addressing electrode and said fourth electrode a landing electrode.