Reflective spatial light modulator array

A reflective spatial light modulator array for modulating light to form an image, said modulator array comprising a plurality of electrical circuits formed in a semiconductor substrate and a plurality of liquid crystal devices formed thereon, said liquid crystal devices being coupled to said electrical circuits for placing a voltage across its top and bottom electrodes, each of said liquid crystal devices comprising a mirror layer and a reflector/absorber layer arranged such that

• both are separated by a dielectric layer together forming a first capacitor wherein said mirror layer serves as upper electrode and said reflector/absorber layer as lower electrode,
• said reflector/absorber layer has an edge overlapping an edge of said mirror layer to ensure that light passing said mirror layer is attenuated by multiple reflections between said mirror layer and reflector/absorber layer thus decreasing the intensity of said light and shielding said electrical circuits underneath from ambient light, and
• said mirror layer serves as bottom electrode of said liquid crystal device,
• each of said liquid crystal devices further comprising
• a second capacitor situated underneath said first capacitor and being coupled to it to provide a pixel storage capacitance for holding said voltage across said top and bottom electrodes,
• said second capacitor being formed by an upper and a lower polysilicon layer embedding a dielectric layer.