US 6,661,555 B2 · Light shutter device

Abstract

A light shutter device including a group of light shutter elements 31a, 31b 31c and 31d formed on a light shutter chip 30 made of PLZT has a construction in which an electrode gap is set wider in a element in which an electric field acts more strongly to equalize half wavelength voltages of elements almost to the same level since electric fields acting on the elements are different in strength from each other even under a prescribed voltage applied between a common electrode 32 and each of individual electrodes 33. An electrode gap of an element 31c having a weaker electric field is comparatively set narrower, whereas an electrode gap of an element 31d having a stronger electric field is set comparatively wider. Moreover, a shape of electrodes of each element are altered so as to make half wavelength voltages of elements almost equal.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A light shutter apparatus comprising:

a substrate made of a material having an electro-optical effect, and
a plurality of electrodes in an opposite structure provided on the substrate,
wherein a region between electrodes of each pair on the substrate becomes a light modulation region and thereby the region serves as a light shutter, and a spacing between and/or a shape of electrodes in an opposite structure is made different according to an environment in which the light modulation region is placed, thereby almost equalizing half wavelength voltages of light modulation regions.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Light shutter device

Life of this patent

Light shutter device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20