US 11,933,962 B2
MEMS based spatial light modulators and applications
Stephen Hamann, Mountain View, CA (US); Alexander Payne, Ben Lommond, CA (US); Lars Eng, Los Altos, CA (US); James Hunter, Campbell, CA (US); Tianbo Liu, San Jose, CA (US); and Gregory Jacob, Santa Clara, CA (US)
Assigned to SILICON LIGHT MACHINES CORPORATION
Filed by SILICON LIGHT MACHINES CORPORATION, San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Feb. 3, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/591,898.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/146,488, filed on Feb. 5, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0252862 A1, Aug. 11, 2022
Int. Cl. G02B 26/00 (2006.01); G02B 26/02 (2006.01); G02B 26/08 (2006.01); G03F 7/00 (2006.01)
CPC G02B 26/001 (2013.01) [G02B 26/023 (2013.01); G02B 26/0808 (2013.01); G02B 26/0841 (2013.01); G03F 7/70191 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A manufacturing system comprising:
a laser;
a work area in which a fixture holding a workpiece to be processed using the laser is positioned;
a spatial light modulator (SLM) including a multi-pixel linear array each pixel comprising one or more microelectromechanical system (MEMS) based diffractors, and each MEMS based diffractor comprising an electrostatically deflectable member coupled to a first light reflective surface and operable to bring light reflected from the first light reflective surface into interference with light reflected from a second light reflective surface in the SLM when the electrostatically deflectable member is deflected by an electrostatic force generated by a driver coupled thereto;
illumination optics operable to illuminate the SLM with light from the laser;
imaging optics operable to focus modulated light from the SLM onto a surface of the workpiece; and
a controller operable to control the laser, the SLM, imaging optics and the fixture to scan the modulated light across the surface of the workpiece,
wherein the controller is further operable to provide analog gray-scale control of an intensity of modulated light reflected from each MEMS based diffractor to provide a precise dosage of light from each pixel onto the surface of the workpiece to compensate for non-uniformities in light illuminating the SLM or in modulated light transmitted therefrom through the imaging optics by controlling an amplitude of a drive signal to the driver coupled thereto, wherein the drive signal is a digital signal and the amplitude resolution of the drive signal is limited only by a bit-depth of the drive signal.