Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Christiane Maria Rosette De Witz

Dirk Jan Broer

Grietje Neeltje Mol

Roel Penterman

Grietje Neeltie Mol

A mechanical structure comprises an element which is moveable by nonmechanical means, such as heat or radiation, between a first state having a first shape and a second state having a second shape different. To this end, the element includes a layer of oriented polymerized liquid crystal which exhibits an anisotropic expansion when subjected to such means. In order to facilitate manufacture the element is positioned on a substrate which has a region of high adhesiveness and a region of low adhesiveness for polymerized liquid crystal. To manufacture such structures a layer of oriented polymerizable liquid crystal is formed on a substrate () which is provided with a patterned surface that provides adhesive regions () with high adhesiveness to polymerized liquid crystal and nonadhesive regions () with low adhesiveness to polymerized liquid crystal. After polymerization, for example a thermal shock is applied which causes the layer of polymerized liquid crystal to delaminate at the non-adhering region while remaining fixed to the adhesive regions. Thus, the method does not require time-consuming under-etching steps.

Mechanical structure including a layer of polymerised liquid crystal and method of manufacturing such

A foil moveable by non-mechanical means, such as light or heat, comprises an alternating array of first and second foil sections each resiliently and non-mechanically moveable between a flattened state and a bent state. The direction in which the first foil sections bend, when moved from the flattened to the bent state, is opposite to the direction in which the second foil sections bend when moved from the flattened to the bent state. When, in the flattened state, non-mechanically stimulating the first and second foil sections in unison, the first and second foil sections bend in opposite directions causing the foil to wrinkle, which results in a movement which is substantially linear. Using a different or removing the non-mechanical stimulus, the foil sections can be made to unbend resulting in a flattening and expansion of the foil to its original shape.

Flexible foil moveable by non-mechanical means

A flexible foil which is moveable by light includes a dye which is capable of changing shape when absorbing light of a predetermined wavelength. The dye is dispersed in the foil such that, near at least one major surface of the foil, the dye is anisotropically oriented. Transverse to the foil, the concentration and/or orientation of the dye changes in an asymmetric manner. The change in orientation and/or concentration is such that, when exposed to light of the predetermined wavelength, the flexible foil moves. When exposed the dye changes shape which change in shape causes a change in lateral dimension of the foil which change in lateral dimension is, due to the change in concentration and/or orientation of the dye, different at different locations with the foil. This causes the flexible foil to move or more particular bend.

Flexible foil moveable by means of light

The invention relates to a micro-mechanical thermal structure for modulating a light beam and a method for manufacturing such a structure. The micro-mechanical structure comprises two layers of material with different thermal expansion coefficients in a first direction and a second direction respectively, in which the first direction is transverse to the second direction and the two layers comprise an oriented polymer and the director of the molecules of the oriented polymer of the first layer is transverse to the director of the molecules of the oriented polymer of the second layer. An array of such micro-mechanical structures may form a thermo-optical modulator for modulating light. The method comprises a step of providing a mold with an orientation-inducing layer to obtain a molecular orientation in a mono-meric state of liquid crystalline monomers and a step of fixing the molecular orientation by photo-polymerization.

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Eindhoven, Netherlands

Christiane Maria Rosette De Witz