Abstract
A novel type of light modulating micromirror device has been designed and fabricated. A unique hinge structure provides the device with the potential for modulating both the phase and amplitude of light signals, while its high thermal conductivity makes the device amenable to high power laser applications. An extremely high fill factor can be attained since the hinges lie entirely beneath the mirror surface. This hidden hinge structure is comprised of a single level and therefore involves a simple fabrication process. Micromirrors with dimensions ranging from 100 μm×100 μm to 300 μm×300 μm with maximum deflection angles from 2° to 4° were fabricated. The devices were characterized in terms of the reflecting surface optical quality, the operational modes attainable, the critical voltages (as low as 15 volts), and the response times (as short as 125 μs).
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 40-49 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering |
| Volume | 3513 |
| State | Published - 1998 |
| Externally published | Yes |
| Event | Proceedings of the 1998 Conference on Microelectronic Structures and MEMS for Optical Processing IV - Santa Clara, CA, USA Duration: Sep 21 1998 → Sep 22 1998 |