Micromechanical modulator
US5654819A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 7, 1995 |
| Grant date | Aug 5, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 7, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B26/001
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method and apparatus for modulating an optical signal, and a method for fabricating such an apparatus, are disclosed. The modulator comprises a membrane, which consists of at least three layers, and a substrate, spaced to form an air gap. The layers of the membrane are characterized by a relationship between the refractive indices of the layers and the refractive index of the substrate. The membrane is suspended in a first position over the substrate by a flexible support arrangement. A biasing force is applied to the membrane and the substrate to create an electrostatic force to move the membrane towards the substrate to a second position. The reflectivity of the device to an optical signal changes as the membrane moves from the first position to the second position, thereby modulating the signal.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.