Patent US4592628A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4592628A
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US
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Mirror array light valve
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1981-07-01
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Granted: 1986-06-03
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Expires: 2001-07-01
Abstract
Abstract A mirror array light valve is described comprising a transparent substrate, a plurality of post members arranged in a regular array on said substrate, and a plurality of deflectable square, rectangular, hexagonal or the like light-reflecting elements arranged in a regular array on said post members such that a post member is positioned under a corresponding corner of each element; methods for making the mirror array light valve are also described.
Inventors
- 👤 Carl Altman
- 👤 Ernest Bassous
- 👤 Carlton M. Osburn
- 👤 Peter Pleshko
- 👤 Arnold Reisman
- 👤 Marvin B. Skolnik
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 12:25
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01J; H01J9/00; H01J9/20; G; G02; G02B; G02B26/00; G02B26/08; G02B26/0816; G02B26/0833; G02B26/0841
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 3
Claim 1
Independent Claim
109 words
A mirror array light valve comprising an array of deformable light reflected elements, each of said elements being supported by a post member extending from a base member, said post member being straight-sided, the joint between said post and said element being at the edge of the element and being confined to a small portion of said edge, said posts comprising hollow cylinders formed by a self-limiting etching process comprising forming a straight-sided hole in a silicon body, processing the interior surface of said hole to convert to material which is resistant to a silicon etch, and etching away the body of silicon not so converted by said processing.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
109 words
A mirror array light valve comprising an array of deformable light reflected elements, each of said elements being supported by a post member extending from a base member, said post member being straight-sided, the joint between said post and said element being at the edge of the element and being confined to a small portion of said edge, said posts comprising hollow cylinders formed by a self-limiting etching process comprising forming a straight-sided hole in a silicon body, processing the interior surface of said hole to convert to material which is resistant to a silicon etch, and etching away the body of silicon not so converted by said processing.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
A mirror array light valve according to claim 1 wherein said elements comprise portions etched from a thin layer formed on said silicon body prior to said etching away of said body.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1989-06-02 | 1989-12-02 | 1990-06-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1993-06-02 | 1993-12-02 | 1994-06-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1997-06-02 | 1997-12-02 | 1998-06-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |