Spatial Light Modulator Pixel Isolation for Thermal Cross-Talk
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Solution Overview
Problem
Spatial light modulators using active meta-devices experience thermal cross-talk and heat interference between adjacent driving pixels, which affect the accuracy and efficiency of optical scanning.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a heat blocking member between the pixels, such as a trench or low thermal conductivity layer, to physically separate and thermally isolate driving and non-driving pixels, thereby minimizing heat transfer and enhancing thermal blocking efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If pixels are closely arranged to increase scanning coverage, then productivity is improved, but thermal cross-talk between adjacent pixels increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces heat blocking members (trenches or low thermal conductivity layers) that segment the continuous pixel array into thermally isolated units. These segmentation structures physically divide the pixel array while maintaining optical functionality, allowing closely spaced pixels without thermal interference.
Solution Approach 2:
Heat blocking members serve as intermediary structures between adjacent pixels. These intermediaries (trenches filled with low thermal conductivity material or dedicated low thermal conductivity layers) block heat transfer pathways while preserving the optical performance and scanning coverage of the pixel array.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If heat blocking members are introduced to reduce thermal cross-talk, then thermal isolation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly modifying the entire pixel array structure, heat blocking members are selectively introduced only in regions where thermal isolation is needed (between adjacent pixels). This local quality approach maintains simple structures in active pixel regions while adding complexity only where necessary for thermal management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes trenches (porous structures) filled with low thermal conductivity materials to create heat blocking members. This approach leverages the thermal insulation properties of porous or low-density materials to achieve effective thermal isolation with minimal structural complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design reduces thermal cross-talk, increases the accuracy and efficiency of optical scanning by focusing emitted light at desired locations and reducing higher order beam intensity, improving the overall performance of the spatial light modulator.
Implementation Method 1
a heat blocking member between the plurality of pixels to block heat transfer between the plurality of pixels
Implementation Method 2
a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) layer stacked on one side of the substrate... Because both the HCG and DBR have a high reflectivity with respect to incident light, vertical incident light may be amplified in the cavity and vertically emitted
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are spatial light modulators, methods of driving and manufacturing the same, and apparatuses including the spatial light modulators. The spatial light modulator according to an example embodiment includes a substrate, a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) layer stacked on one surface of the substrate, a cavity layer on the DBR layer, a pixel layer on the cavity layer and including a plurality of pixels, and a heat blocking member between the plurality of pixels to block heat transfer between the plurality of pixels, wherein a material layer having a lower thermal conductivity than the lowermost layer of the DBR layer is provided between the substrate and the DBR layer, and each of the plurality of pixels includes a plurality of active meta-patterns. In one example, the material layer, the DBR layer, and the cavity layer are each divided corresponding to the plurality of pixels, and the heat blocking member is provided between the divided material layers, between the divided DBR layers, and between the divided cavity layers.