# US 10,503,043 B2 · Beam steering device and system including the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,503,043 B2 - Document ID: US10503043B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/355,710 - Filed: 2016-11-18 - Published: 2017-06-01 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2015-11-27 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Sunil Kim; Changgyun Shin; Jungwoo Kim; Duhyun Lee - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10503043B2 ## CPC - G02F 1/29: for the control of the position or the direction of light beams, i.e. deflection - G02F 1/133602: {Direct backlight} - G02F 1/292: {by controlled diffraction or phased-array beam steering (controlled diffraction for optical switching G02F1/31)} - B82Y 20/00: Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals - G02F 1/133614: {using photoluminescence, e.g. phosphors illuminated by UV or blue light} - G02F 2201/34: reflector - G02F 2202/10: semiconductor - G02F 2202/36: Micro- or nanomaterials - G02F 2203/24: beam steering - Y10S 977/932: for electronic or optoelectronic application - G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS - B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract Provided are a beam steering device and a system including the same. The beam steering device includes a conversion layer having a refractive index which is variable via electrical control and a plurality of nanoantenna pattern layers stacked on the conversion layer. The refractive index of the conversion layer is electrically changed by a driver. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A beam steering device comprising: a conversion layer comprising a material with a refractive index which is variable via electrical control; a driver configured to electrically change the refractive index of the conversion layer; a plurality of nanoantenna pattern layers comprising an upper nanoantenna pattern layer and a lower nanoantenna pattern layer vertically stacked on the conversion layer, such that the lower nanoantenna pattern layer is disposed between the conversion layer and the upper nanoantenna pattern layer, wherein each of the plurality of nanoantenna pattern layers comprises an array of a plurality of nanoantenna elements, and an insulating layer disposed between the upper nanoantenna pattern layer and the lower nanoantenna pattern layer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The beam steering device of claim 1, further comprising a reflective mirror layer disposed between the conversion layer and the driver. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The beam steering device of claim 2, wherein the conversion layer is disposed between the reflective mirror layer and the plurality of nanoantenna pattern layers. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The beam steering device of claim 2, further comprising an insulating material layer disposed between the conversion layer and the reflective mirror layer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The beam steering device of claim 2, wherein the reflective mirror layer comprises a metal pattern comprising an array of metal portions. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The beam steering device of claim 5, wherein an insulating material is disposed between adjacent metal portions in the reflective mirror layer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The beam steering device of claim 2, wherein the reflective mirror layer comprises a substantially uniform metal material. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The beam steering device of claim 2, wherein the reflective mirror layer and the plurality of nanoantenna elements each comprise a same metal material. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The beam steering device of claim 1, further comprising an insulating layer disposed between the lower nanoantenna pattern layer and the conversion layer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The beam steering device of claim 1, wherein the lower nanoantenna pattern layer comprises an insulating material disposed between adjacent ones of the plurality of nanoantenna elements. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The beam steering device of claim 1, comprising a plurality of unit cells, wherein in each of the plurality of unit cells, each of the plurality of nanoantenna pattern layers comprises a plurality of nanoantenna elements. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The beam steering device of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of unit cells comprises a plurality of nanoantenna elements of a same size. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The beam steering device of claim 11, wherein a size of the plurality of nanoantenna elements of a first one of the plurality of unit cells is different from a size of the plurality of nanoantenna elements of a second one of the plurality of unit cells. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The beam steering device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of nanoantenna pattern layers comprises at least one material selected from a group consisting of gold (Au), silver (Ag), titanium nitride (TiN), tantalum nitride (TaN), platinum (Pt), aluminum (Al), and an alloy of one of gold (Au), silver (Ag), titanium nitride (TiN), tantalum nitride (TaN), platinum (Pt), and aluminum (Al). ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The beam steering device of claim 1, wherein the conversion layer comprises an oxide semiconductor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The beam steering device of claim 1, wherein the conversion layer comprises at least one material selected form a group consisting of indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), gallium indium zinc oxide (GIZO), zinc oxide (ZnO), aluminum zinc oxide (AZO), and gallium zinc oxide (GZO). ### Claim 17 A system comprising: a beam steering device comprising: a conversion layer comprising a material with a refractive index which is variable via electrical control, a driver configured to electrically change the refractive index of the conversion layer, a plurality of nanoantenna pattern layers comprising an upper nanoantenna pattern layer and a lower nanoantenna pattern layer vertically stacked on the conversion layer, such that the lower nanoantenna pattern layer is disposed between the conversion layer and the upper nanoantenna pattern layer, wherein each of the plurality of nanoantenna pattern layers comprises an array of a plurality of nanoantenna elements, and wherein the plurality of nanoantenna pattern layers are configured to steer an incident beam such that the incident beam is reflected at a desired angle, and an insulating layer disposed between the upper nanoantenna pattern layer and the lower nanoantenna pattern layer; a driving circuit, electrically connected to the driver, the driving circuit configured to electrically change the refractive index of the conversion layer of the beam steering device via the driver; and a light source configured to emit the incident beam to the beam steering device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, further comprising a reflective mirror layer disposed between the conversion layer and the driver. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein a size of each of the plurality of nanoantenna pattern elements and a spacing between adjacent ones of the plurality of nanoantenna pattern elements is smaller than a wavelength of the incident beam. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, further comprising an insulating layer disposed between each adjacent pair of the plurality of nanoantenna pattern layers, such that the plurality of nanoantenna pattern layers are spaced apart from each other.