Electrically actuated magnetic micro-shutters
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsDavid R. Dowe, Edward P. Furlani, Svetlana Reznik
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Abstract
A spatial light modulation device is formed by creating forming an electromagnetic field within a substrate with at least one movable element, fixedly attached to the substrate at a first end, from a soft magnetic material with an anisotropic stress created within the movable element such that the element exists in a first position as a result of the anistropic stress and an actuating device comprising a magnetic layer placed within close correspondence with the soft magnetic material for placing the soft magnetic material into a second position.
Claims18
A spatial light modulation device comprising:
- a substrate material having a top surface with a series of conductive traces near the top surface;
- at lest one movable element comprising a soft magnetic material and formed with an anisotropic stress in a predetermined direction being formed on the top surface, the movable element being fixedly attached to the substrate at a first end such that the element exists in a first position as a result of the anisotropic stress;
- and
- a current source electrically connected to the conductive traces to induce a magnetic field which forces the soft magnetic material into a second position by magnetic attraction.
A method for creating a spatial light modulation device comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a substrate material with a top surface having at least one movable element comprising a soft magnetic material, the movable element being formed with an anisotropic stress in a predetermined direction, the movable element being fixedly attached to the substrate at a first end such that the element exists in a first position as a result of the anisotropic stress, and a series of conductive traces formed near the top surface of the substrate;
- and
- (b) providing a current source electrically connected to the conductive traces to induce a magnetic field which forces the soft magnetic material into a second position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.