LIGHT VALVE TARGET COMPRISING ELECTROSTATICALLY-REPELLED MICRO-MIRRORS

摘要

A micro-mirror light valve target (10) utilizes electrostatic repulsion to outwardly deflect and pivot the micro-mirror elements (24) away from their underlying electrodes (26) thereby modulating a light beam (32). Outward deflection both increases the range of deflection, which increases the range of possible gray-level gradations of the modulated light beam (34), and eliminates "sticking" problems, which improves the reliability and expected lifetime of the target.