3817 results about "Spatial light modulator" patented technology

Methods are disclosed for measuring target structures formed by a lithographic process on a substrate. A grating structure within the target is smaller than an illumination spot and field of view of a measurement optical system. The optical system has a first branch leading to a pupil plane imaging sensor and a second branch leading to a substrate plane imaging sensor. A spatial light modulator is arranged in an intermediate pupil plane of the second branch of the optical system. The SLM imparts a programmable pattern of attenuation that may be used to correct for asymmetries between the first and second modes of illumination or imaging. By use of specific target designs and machine-learning processes, the attenuation patterns may also be programmed to act as filter functions, enhancing sensitivity to specific parameters of interest, such as focus.

The invention is a seamless projection lithography system that eliminates the need for masks through the use of a programmable Spatial Light Modulator (SLM) with high parallel processing power. Illuminating the SLM with a radiation source (1), which while preferably a pulsed laser may be a shuttered lamp or multiple lasers with alternating synchronization, provides a patterning image of many pixels via a projection system (4) onto a substrate (5). The preferred SLM is a Deformable Micromirror Device (3) for reflective pixel selection using a synchronized pulse laser. An alternative SLM is a Liquid Crystal Light Valve (LCLV) (45) for pass-through pixel selection. Electronic programming enables pixel selection control for error correction of faulty pixel elements. Pixel selection control also provides for negative and positive imaging and for complementary overlapping polygon development for seamless uniform dosage. The invention provides seamless scanning by complementary overlapping scans to equalize radiation dosage, to expose a pattern on a large area substrate (5). The invention is suitable for rapid prototyping, flexible manufacturing, and even mask making.

A projection display system. The projection system includes a light source, illumination optics that are capable of splitting the light from the source into individual color bands, and folding mirrors. The folding mirrors operate to direct the color bands to a reflective element that has a contoured surface. The contoured surface of the reflective element causes the light to form into scanning rasters that are recombined and sent to a spatial light modulator. The spatial light modulator is typically made up of a panel of individually addressable elements. If the spatial light modulator requires polarized light, a polarizing beam splitter and quarter-wave plate are included as part of the illumination optics.

A digital image projector for increasing brightness includes a first light source; a second light source that is spectrally adjacent to the first light source; a dichroic beamsplitter disposed to direct light of both the first and second light source; a spatial light modulator that receives light from both the first and second light sources; and projection optics for delivering imaging light from the spatial light modulator.

The invention relates to holographic head-up displays, to holographic optical sights, and also to 3D holographic image displays. We describe a holographic head-up display and a holographic optical sight, for displaying, in an eye box of the display/sight, a virtual image comprising one or more substantially two-dimensional images, the head-up display comprising: a laser light source; a spatial light modulator (SLM) to display a hologram of the two-dimensional images; illumination optics in an optical path between said laser light source and said SLM to illuminate said SLM; and imaging optics to image a plane of said SLM comprising said hologram into an SLM image plane in said eye box such that the lens of the eye of an observer of said head-up display performs a space-frequency transform of said hologram on said SLM to generate an image within said observer's eye corresponding to the two-dimensional images.

An apparatus and the method of its operation for rapid prototyping of a three-dimensional object which includes a radiant energy source of a wide beam of radiant energy of suitable intensity and wavelength for curing a layer of photo-curable resin contained in an open vat, a spatial light modulator (SLM) having an array of pixel elements which are individually digitally controllable by a computer, for modulating the radiant energy beam projected from the radiant energy source on a pixel by pixel basis, to form a series of time sequential images of the cross-sectional laminae of the object, an optical system for focusing each image formed by the SLM, one at a time, onto successive layers of photo-curable resin for predetermined exposure times to thereby form stacked laminae of cured resin, each lamina of cured resin being in the shape of a different one of the cross-sectional laminae, and a piston support for lowering each lamina of cured resin after it is formed by the SLM and for depositing a layer of resin corresponding to the thickness of one cross sectional lamina of the three-dimensional object before the step of projecting a new image by the SLM. The SLM, the piston support for lowering, and the optical system operate repeatedly and sequentially until a complete copy of the object is thereby produced.

An image projection system and method are presented to project an image on at least one of first and second projection planes. The system comprises a light source system including one or more light source assemblies operable to generate light of one or more predetermined wavelength range; a spatial light modulator (SLM) system including one or more SLM units operable to spatially modulate input light in accordance with an image to be directly projected or viewed; and two optical assemblies associated with two spatially separated light propagation channels, respectively, to direct light to, respectively, the first and second projection planes with desired image magnification. The system is configured to selectively direct the input light propagating towards the SLM system or light modulated by the SLM system to propagate along at least one of the two channels associated with the first and second projection planes, respectively.

A method for manufacturing reflective spatial light modulator mirror devices is disclosed. In the method, a portion of a mirror layer and a first sacrificial layer beneath the portion of the mirror layer are removed simultaneously to expose the substrate while defining a pattern of the mirror layer. Then, a second sacrificial layer is deposited conformally, and substrate contact openings and a mirror layer contact opening are defined in the second sacrificial layer at the same time. Subsequently, a support material layer is deposited conformally and etched back, so as to form supporting posts of the mirror layer in the substrate contact openings. Before the support material layer is etched back, the substrate contact openings can be filled with a photoresist material first, so as to maintain the support material layer in the substrate contact openings and increase the structural intensity of the supporting posts.

A 1 dimensional or 2 dimensional array of micromirror devices comprises a device substrate with a 1st surface and a 2nd surface, control circuitry disposed on said 1st surface and a plurality of micromirrors disposed on said 2nd surface. Each micromirror comprises a reflective surface that is substantially optically flat, with neither recesses nor protrusions. Such a 1 dimensional or 2 dimensional array of micromirror devices may be used as a spatial light modulator (SLM). Methods of fabricating arrays of micromirror devices are also disclosed. Such methods generally involve providing a device substrate with a 1st surface and a 2nd surface, fabricating control circuitry on the 1st surface, and fabricating micromirrors on the 2nd surface, such that the reflective surfaces of the micromirrors are substantially optically flat, with neither recesses nor protrusions.

A device for holographic reconstruction of three-dimensional scenes includes optical focusing means which directs sufficiently coherent light from light means to the eyes of at least one observer via a spatial light modulator that is encoded with holographic information. The device has a plurality of illumination units for illuminating the surface of the spatial light modulator (SLM); each unit comprises a focusing element (21/22/23 or 24), and a light means (LS₁/LS₂/LS₃ or LS₄) that emits sufficiently coherent light such that each of these illumination units illuminates one separate illuminated region (R1/R2/R3 or R4) of the surface, whereby the focusing element and the light means are arranged such that the light emitted by the light means (LS₁-LS₄) coincides close to or at the observer eyes.

A head up display system for a vehicle that includes a compact image source for projecting an image. The compact image source may be foldable up toward or into a cockpit ceiling of the vehicle, be positioned within a dashboard of the vehicle, or located at another suitable position. A combiner reflects the projected image with optical power toward an observer for observation. The combiner is positioned so that the observer, in a line of sight, may see a visual exterior view of an outside scene through the combiner and the projected image in the combiner. In a preferred embodiment, the image source includes an illumination system that includes a high power light emitting diode (LED) array assembly. A Fresnel lens array is operatively associated with the LED array assembly for receiving light produced by the LED and providing a nearly collimated light output. A spatial light modulator receives the nearly collimated light output. The preferred combiner is a meniscus combiner that includes a meniscus lens; a multi-layer dichroic coating formed on a first surface of the meniscus lens; and, an anti-reflection coating formed on a second, opposite surface of the meniscus lens. The meniscus combiner preferably utilizes a non-symmetric aspheric meniscus lens.

A spatially multiplexed autostereoscopic display is arranged to provide landscape and portrait operation. Multiple optical windows may be provided by spatial and temporal multiplexing techniques. A fast response lens array pair is aligned with a fast response spatial light modulator, and synchronized to provide first and second sets of images with first and second respective directionalities to provide first and second sets of respective optical windows. The first and second sets of optical windows may each comprise two or more optical windows in each viewing lobe. The optical windows may be arranged with an inclination to the vertical of 25 degrees to 65 degrees. An observer tracking system may be arranged to direct left and right eye image data to the left and right eyes of an observer, respectively, for landscape and portrait orientations of the display.

Certain embodiments include a head mounted display for displaying images that can be viewed by a wearer when the display is worn on the wearer's head. The display can include a spatial light modulator having an array of pixels selectively adjustable for producing spatial patterns. The array of pixels can define a substantially planar reflective surface on the spatial light modulator. The display can further include a light source. The display can also include illumination optics disposed to receive light from the light source and direct light onto the planar reflective surface of the spatial light modulator at an angle with respect to the surface normal of the planar reflective surface. The display can include imaging optics disposed with respect to the spatial light modulator to receive light from the spatial light modulator. The display can further include a curved reflector disposed to reflect light from the imaging optics so as to form a virtual image such that the image may be viewed by an eye of the wearer. The display can also include headgear for supporting the spatial light modulator, imaging optics, and reflector. In certain embodiments, only rays of light incident on the planar reflective surface of the spatial light modulator at an angle with respect to the surface normal of the planar reflective surface contribute to the virtual image viewable by the eye.

According to one aspect, a holographic storage system including micro-actuators is presented. In one example of one aspect of the invention, the device includes a spatial light modulator, a detector, a storage medium, and at least one micro-actuator configured to move at least one of the spatial light modulator, the detector, and the storage medium. The micro-actuators may include a servomechanism or the like to control the positioning of a component based on feedback associated with a misalignment of a detected image. According to another aspect of the invention, various methods for determining component misalignments of a holographic storage system are presented.

A directional display may include a waveguide. The waveguide may include light extraction features arranged to direct light from an array of light sources by total internal reflection to an array of viewing windows and a reflector arranged to direct light from the waveguide by transmission through extraction features of the waveguide to the same array of viewing windows. A further spatially multiplexed display device comprising a spatial light modulator and parallax element is arranged to cooperate with the illumination from the waveguide. An efficient and bright autostereoscopic display system with low cross talk and high resolution can be achieved.

A method and system as used to calibrate a reflective SLM. The system can include a reflective SLM having an array of pixels (e.g., moving, tilting, rotating, pivoting, etc. pixels) and a projection optical system resolving individual pixels and having an apodized pupil. During a calibration operation, the pixels of the SLM receive varying voltage values to either continuously or incrementally move them through various angles. Light reflecting from each of the pixels during these movements forms individual images for each pixel at each angle. The light passes through the apodized pupil and is received on one or more sections (e.g., pixels) of a detector (e.g., a CCD array). The pupil apodization pattern is selected so that individual pixels remain well resolved and their resolved images have strong sensitivity to the pixel mirror tilt. The light intensity received for each pixel at each angle is correlated to the voltage value received at the pixel to tilt the pixel to that angle. The correlation produces a result signal. The result signal is used by a control device before and during normal operation of the SLM to calibrate the SLM one or more times.