Micromirror actuator
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorsHae-seok Park, Jun-hyub Park
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A micromirror actuator is provided. The micromirror actuator includes a substrate, posts formed to a predetermined height on the substrate and spaced a predetermined distance apart, a torsion bar fixed to the posts, a mirror coupled to the torsion bar, and a groove including an inclined contact surface and formed in the substrate. Here, the inclined contact surface contacts the lower bottom surface of the mirror when the mirror is rotated. The micromirror actuator can be applied to a structure in which a plurality of micromirror actuators are arrayed side-by-side and is capable of precisely and stably maintaining the rotation angle of a mirror, particularly, stably maintaining the inclination angle of the mirror irrespective of an increase in the strength of a magnetic field.
Claims8
A micromirror actuator comprising:
- a substrate;
- posts formed to a predetermined height on the substrate and spaced a predetermined distance apart;
- a torsion bar fixed to the posts;
- a mirror coupled to the torsion bar;
- a groove including an inclined contact surface and formed in the substrate, the inclined contact surface contacting a lower, bottom surface of the mirror when the mirror is rotated;
- and
- a magnet for generating forces to drive the mirror taking advantage of an external magnetic field, the magnet formed at one end of the mirror relative to said torsion bar corresponding to the inclined contact surface and a reflective surface on the other end of the mirror, such that when said mirror contacts said inclined contact surface at said one end, said reflective surface reflects light traveling parallel to a plane of said substrate of said other end.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.