Importance

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Abstract

Provided is a movable micromirror assembly wherein a mirror is mounted on, e.g. four flexible support arms, which are mounted in turn on a center support post. The post and arms resiliently support such mirror over, e.g. four address electrodes. The micromirror device is actuated like a parallel-plate capacitor by applying an address potential to the electrodes, which draw a part or all of the mirror toward same, countered by the spring force of the proximate support arms. Motion of the micromirror can be achieved along two axes since the device can be tilted and retracted according to the varying potentials applied to each of the four electrodes and the attractive force applied in turn to various portions of the micromirror in spaced proximity therewith. The support system of the micromirror is positioned beneath the mirror so that no reflective service area is lost to these features. Accordingly individual micromirror assemblies can be placed close to each other, in side by side array, to maximize the active surface area of such array. Thus each such micromirror can be tilted on two axes to scan one or more fields of regard and also can simultaneously be retracted or elevated to a desired depth to remove phase aberrations in the incident image by discreetly lengthening or shortening the optical path of the image reflected therefrom.

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First Claim