Spatial light modulator using surface state photodiodes

Claim 1

A spatial light modulator, comprising: first and second parallel glass plates; corresponding transparent electrically conductive layers formed on the inner opposed surfaces of the glass plates; an electro-optic layer interposed spatially between the electrically conductive layers; a surface state photodiode layer positioned between the electro-optic layer and one of the electrically conductive layers, a high dark impedance region whereat substantially all electrons are removed being effected proximate to the surface of the photodiode layer facing the electro-optic layer by adsorption of nonindigenous atoms or molecules as surface states on the surface of the photodiode layer facing the electro-optic layer; wherein, when a read light and an imaging light are incident onto the surface state photodiode layer and a voltage is applied to the electrically conductive layers, an optical image of an object focused onto the spatial light modulator by the imaging light is outputted from the spatial light modulator by the read light, the intensity of the outputted read light being proportional to the amount of imaging light incident onto the surface state photodiode layer.

Claim 7

A method of manufacturing a spatial light modulator, comprising the steps of: positioning two glass plates in parallel; forming corresponding transparent electrically conductive layers on the opposed surfaces of the glass plates; interposing a liquid crystal layer between the electrically conductive layers; forming by adsorption of nonindigenous atoms or molecules surface states on a surface of a photoactive layer to effect a surface state photodiode layer having a high impedance region whereat substantially all electrons are removed; interposing the surface state photoactive layer between the liquid crystal layer and one of the electrically conductive layers, the surface of the surface state photoactive layer having the surface states being positioned adjacent to the liquid crystal layer.

Claim 8

A method of manufacturing a spatial light modulator, comprising the steps of: positioning two glass plates in parallel; forming corresponding transparent electrically conductive layers on the opposed surfaces of the glass plates; interposing a liquid crystal layer between the electrically conductive layers; forming by adsorption of nonindigenous atoms or molecules surface states on a surface of a photoactive layer to effect a surface state photodiode layer having a high impedance region whereat substantially all electrons are removed; interposing the surface state photoactive layer between the liquid crystal layer and one of the electrically conductive layers, the surface of the surface state photoactive layer having the surface states being positioned adjacent to the liquid crystal layer.