Patent EP0614101A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0614101A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Optical deflector and method of manufacturing the same
Assignee: Canon Inc
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Filing: 1994-02-02
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2014-02-02
Abstract
Abstract In an optical deflector, a substrate (1) has an upper surface with a stationary electrode. A mechanically movable portion (11) is formed on the substrate through a space. The mechanically movable portion consists of an electric conductor and has an optical deflecting plate. A voltage is applied to the stationary electrode. A groove for receiving a free end of the optical deflecting plate upon displacement of the mechanically movable portion is formed in the substrate. The mechanically movable portion has beams (11b) for supporting the optical deflecting plate.
Inventors
- 👤 Takayuki C/O Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Yagi
- 👤 Shigeyuki C/O Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Suda
- 👤 Hiroshi C/O Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Takagi
- 👤 Hideaki C/O Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Mitsutake
- 👤 Tomoko C/O Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Yamamoto
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 05:18
CPC Classifications
B; B81; B81B; B81B3/00; B81B3/0018; B81B3/0021; G; G02; G02B; G02B26/00; G02B26/08; G02B26/0816; G02B26/0833; G02B26/0841; B81B2203/00; B81B2203/05; B81B2203/058
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
74 words
An optical deflector comprising: a substrate having an upper surface with a stationary electrode; a mechanically movable portion formed on said substrate through a space, said mechanically movable portion consisting of an electric conductor and having an-optical deflecting plate; and means for applying a voltage to the stationary electrode, wherein a groove for receiving a free end of the optical deflecting plate upon displacement of said mechanically movable portion is formed in said substrate.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
22 words
A deflector according to claim 1, wherein said mechanically movable portion has beams, distorted to rotate, for supporting the optical deflecting plate.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
12 words
A deflector according to claim 1, wherein the groove is a V-groove.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
A deflector according to claim 3, wherein the stationary electrode is formed at one side of said V-groove.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
A deflector according to claim 1, wherein the stationary electrode is formed at a portion of said substrate other than a groove.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
A deflector according to claim 1, wherein a dielectric thin film is formed on the stationary electrode.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
A deflector according to claim 6, wherein the optical deflecting plate is brought into surface contact with a surface of the dielectric thin film when the optical deflecting plate is displaced.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
42 words
A deflector according to claim 1, wherein said mechanically movable portion has a support portion and a cantilevered plate through a contact portion at a portion of said substrate other than a groove, the cantilevered plate serving as the optical deflecting plate.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
48 words
A deflector according to claim 1, wherein said mechanically movable portion comprises a flexible plate, an optical deflecting plate formed on one end face serving as a free end of the flexible plate, and a contact portion fixed on a portion of said substrate other than a groove.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
12 words
A deflector according to claim 9, wherein the space comprises the groove.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
15 words
A deflector according to claim 1, wherein the electric conductor comprises a metal thin film.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
45 words
A deflector according to claim 1, using a plurality of optical deflectors each constituted by said optical deflector and comprising displacing means for displacing each of the plurality of optical deflectors independently of remaining ones of the plurality of optical deflectors to display an image.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
67 words
A method of manufacturing an optical deflector on a substrate using a thin film forming method, comprising the steps of: forming a groove in the substrate; forming a stationary electrode on the substrate having the groove; burying the groove with a burying material and flattening the resultant surface; forming a mechanically movable portion having the optical deflecting plate on the flattened substrate; and removing the burying material.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
111 words
An optical deflector comprising: a flat stationary electrode; a dielectric layer formed to flatly cover one surface of said stationary electrode; a mirror member made of a thin metal plate having elasticity; a support member for supporting one end of said mirror member so as to oppose said mirror member at a predetermined spatial distance from said stationary electrode covered with said dielectric layer; and a voltage application control unit for applying a predetermined voltage between said stationary electrode and said mirror member to attract said mirror member toward said stationary electrode, bringing said mirror member into tight contact with said dielectric layer from a free end of said mirror member.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
131 words
An optical deflector comprising: a flat stationary electrode; a mirror member made of a thin metal plate having elasticity; a dielectric layer formed to flatly cover one surface of said mirror member; a support member for directing said one surface of said mirror member which is covered with said dielectric layer toward said stationary electrode and supporting one end of said mirror member so as to oppose said mirror member at a predetermined spatial distance from said stationary electrode; and a voltage application control unit for applying a predetermined voltage between said stationary electrode and said mirror member to attract said mirror member toward said stationary electrode, bringing said mirror member covered with said dielectric layer into tight contact with said stationary electrode from a free end of said mirror member.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
27 words
A mirror member according to claim 14 or 15, wherein part of mirror member constitutes beams, and said support portion supports said mirror member through the beam.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
60 words
A deflector according to claim 16, wherein a width of the beam of said mirror member has a size so as to allow easy distortion of said beam and not to apply an undesirable a deformation force to the main part of said mirror member when said mirror member is attracted to said stationary electrode upon application of a voltage.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
105 words
A deflector according to claim 16, wherein said stationary electrode is a metal layer formed on an insulating layer on a semiconductor substrate, said dielectric layer is a dielectric thin layer formed on the insulating layer so as to cover said stationary electrode, said support member comprise a spacer layer formed around said stationary electrode and a metal layer formed on an upper surface of the spacer layer and connected to a terminal end portion of the beam of said mirror member, and said mirror member is a metal layer formed in the same process as that of the metal layer of said support member.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
38 words
A deflector according to claim 18, wherein said support member is bent at a right angle at a portion to which the beam extends by a predetermined distance, and is fixed on said substrate or said dielectric layer.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
63 words
A deflector according to claim 14, wherein a shape of said stationary electrode is a rectangular, a shape of a main part of said mirror member is also rectangular, and one side of a rectangular shape of said mirror member is bent at a right angle and extends, and has a terminal end fixed on said dielectric layer, thereby constituting said support member.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
18 words
A deflector according to claim 14 or 15, wherein said dielectric layer essentially consists of a ferroelectric material.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
18 words
A deflector according to claim 14 or 15, wherein said dielectric layer comprises an organic polymer thin film.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
17 words
A deflector according to claim 14 or 15, wherein said mirror member comprises an aluminum thin film.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
64 words
A deflector according to claim 14, wherein the electrostatic voltage applied between said stationary electrode and said mirror member by the voltage application control unit comprises a bias voltage required for bringing the free end of said mirror member into contact with said dielectric layer and a drive voltage required for bringing part of said mirror member into tight contact with said dielectric layer.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
73 words
A deflector according to claim 15, wherein the voltage applied between said stationary electrode and said mirror member by said voltage application control unit comprises a bias voltage required for bringing the free end of said mirror member covered with said dielectric layer into contact with said stationary electrode and a drive voltage required for bringing part of said mirror member covered with said dielectric layer into tight contact with said stationary electrode.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
49 words
An image display device wherein a plurality of optical deflectors comprise said optical deflectors defined in claim 14 and are arranged on a single plane, and the voltage application control unit drives the plurality of optical deflectors independently, thereby displaying an image from reflected light from each optical deflector.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
49 words
An image display device wherein a plurality of optical deflectors comprise said optical deflectors defined in claim 15 and are arranged on a single plane, and the voltage application control unit drives the plurality of optical deflectors independently, thereby displaying an image from reflected light from each optical deflector.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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