Back to results
US 5,594,567 AGranted
Spatial light modulator with a photoconductor having uneven conductivity in a lateral direction and a method for fabricating the same
AssigneeMatsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
InventorsKoji Akiyama, Akio Takimoto, Hisahito Ogawa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spatial light modulator having a photoconductor, a matrix of reflectors and a modulating layer is disclosed. The portions of the photoconductor in between the reflectors have a smaller photoconductivity than those portions under the reflectors. The reduced photoconductivity can be made, for example, by doping the photoconductor while using the reflectors as a mask or by illuminating the photoconductor with a light of 360 joules/cm.sup.2. The photoconductor in between the reflectors may be grooved, The photoconductor can be a superlattice photoconductor.
Claims17
A spatial light modulator, comprising:
- a modulating layer having optical properties changeable depending on the strength of an applied electric field;
- a pair of transparent electrode layers sandwiching said modulating layer for generating the electric field;
- a photoconductor layer disposed between one of said pair of transparent electrode layers and said modulating layer for generating a photocurrent corresponding to the illumination by light;
- and
- a plurality of reflecting layers arranged in a matrix between said modulating layer and said photoconductor layer,
- wherein said plurality of reflecting layers respectively reflect part of light incident to said modulating layer from outside of said spatial light modulator, and
- wherein the photoconductivity of uncovered portions of said photoconductor layer into which said light is transmitted without being reflected from said plurality of reflecting layers is smaller than that of the other portions of said photoconductor layer.
4 more elements
A spatial light modulator, comprising:
- a modulating layer having optical properties changeable depending on the strength of an applied electric field;
- a pair of transparent electrode layers sandwiching said modulating layer for generating the electric field;
- a photoconductor layer disposed between one of said pair of transparent electrode layers and said modulating layer for generating a photocurrent corresponding to the illumination by light;
- and
- a plurality of reflecting layers arranged in a matrix between said modulating layer and said photoconductor layer,
- wherein said plurality of reflecting layers respectively reflect part of light incident to said modulating layer from outside of said spatial light modulator, and
- wherein element impurities are distributed unevenly along the depth of said photoconductor layer in portions of said photoconductor layer into which said light is transmitted without being reflected from said plurality of reflecting layers, and a concentration of the element impurities in said portions of said photoconductor layer is higher than that in the other portions of said photoconductor layer covered with said plurality of reflecting layers.
4 more elements
A method for fabricating a spatial light modulator comprising;
- a modulating layer having optical properties changeable depending on the strength of an applied electric field;
- a pair of transparent electrode layers sandwiching said modulating layer for generating the electric field;
- a photoconductor layer disposed between one of said pair of transparent electrode layers and said modulating layer for generating a photocurrent corresponding to the illumination by light;
- and
- a plurality of reflecting layers arranged in a matrix between said modulating layer and said photoconductor layer.
- said method comprising steps of:
- illuminating portions of said photoconductor layer uncovered with said plurality of reflecting layers with light after the formation of said plurality of reflecting layers using said plurality of reflecting layers as a mask:
- and
- forming light absorption layers on said photoconductor layer uncovered with the reflecting layers after the step of illuminating portions of said photoconductor layer.
6 more elements
A method for fabricating a spatial light modulator comprising:
- a modulating layer having optical properties changeable depending on the strength of an applied electric field;
- a pair of transparent electrode layers sandwiching said modulating layer for generating the electric field;
- a photoconductor layer disposed between one of said pair of transparent electrode layers and said modulating layer for generating a photocurrent corresponding to the illumination by light;
- and
- a plurality of reflecting layers arranged in a matrix between said modulating layer and said photoconductor layer,
- said method comprising a step of:
- implanting impurities to said photoconductor layer after the formation of said plurality of reflecting layers using said plurality of reflecting layers as a mask.
4 more elements
A spatial light modulator, comprising:
- a liquid crystal layer;
- a pair of transparent electrode layers sandwiching said liquid crystal layer for generating an electric field;
- a photoconductor layer disposed between one of said pair of transparent electrode layers and said liquid crystal layer for generating a photocurrent corresponding to illumination by light;
- a plurality of reflecting layers arranged in a matrix between said liquid crystal layer and said photoconductor layer, each of said plurality of reflecting layers reflecting part of light incident on said liquid crystal layer from outside of said spatial light modulator;
- and
- means for lowering photoconductivity of portions of said photoconductor layer which are exposed by gaps between said plurality of reflecting layers.
3 more elements
A spatial light modulator comprising:
- a modulating layer having optical properties changeable depending on the strength of an applied electric field,
- a pair of transparent electrode layers sandwiching said modulating layer for generating the electric field,
- a photoconductor layer disposed between one of said pair of transparent electrode layers and said modulating layer for generating a photocurrent corresponding to the illumination by light;
- and
- a plurality of reflecting layers arranged in a matrix between said modulating layer and said photoconductor layer,
- wherein said plurality of reflecting layers respectively reflect part of light incident to said modulating layer from outside of said spatial light modulator, and
- wherein element impurities are distributed unevenly along the depth of said photoconductor layer in portions of said photoconductor layer into which said light is transmitted without being reflected from said plurality of reflecting layers, and the element impurities are at least distributed unevenly in a lateral direction within the photoconductor layer.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.