MICROMIRRORS AND OFF-DIAGONAL HINGE STRUCTURES FOR MICROMIRROR ARRAYS IN PROJECTION DISPLAYS

摘要

A spatial light modulator (200) is disclosed, along with methods for making such a modulator, that comprises an array of micromirrors (201) each having a hinge (240) and a micromirror plate (210) held via the hinge on a substrate (202), the micromirror plate being disposed in a plane separate from the hinge and having a diagonal (211) extending across the micromirror plate, the micromirror plate being attached to the hinge such that the micromirror plate can rotate along a rotation axis (214) that is parallel to, but off-set from the diagonal of the micromirror plate. Also disclosed is a projection system that comprises such a spatial light modulator, as well as a light source, condensing optics, wherein light from the light source is focused onto the array of micromirrors, projection optics for projecting light selectively reflected from the array of micromirrors onto a target, and a controller for selectively actuating the micromirrors in the array.