US 12,253,667 B2
High contrast spatial light modulator
Olav Solgaard, Stanford, CA (US); Alexander Payne, Ben Lommond, CA (US); James Hunter, Campbell, CA (US); and Stephen Hamann, Mountain View, CA (US)
Assigned to SILICON LIGHT MACHINES CORPORATION, San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by SILICON LIGHT MACHINES CORPORATION, San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Mar. 8, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/689,868.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/158,789, filed on Mar. 9, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0291500 A1, Sep. 15, 2022
Int. Cl. G02B 26/08 (2006.01)
CPC G02B 26/0808 (2013.01) 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A spatial light modulator (SLM) comprising:
a linear array of a number of active-ribbons suspended over a surface of a substrate, each active-ribbon having a split-ribbon portion, the split-ribbon portion including a plurality of diffractors, each diffractor including an active light reflective surface on a linear segment of the split-ribbon portion and at least one opening adjacent to the linear segment through which a static light reflective surface below the ribbon is exposed, the static light reflective surface vertically offset from the active reflective surface by a quiescent optical-gap,
wherein the active light reflective surface and the static light reflective surface have an equal area, and
wherein the SLM is operable to, when one or more of the active-ribbons are deflected towards the surface of the substrate by an electrostatic force generated between a substrate-electrode and a ribbon-electrode, bring a coherent light reflected from the active light reflective surface into interference with coherent light reflected from the static light reflective surface.