Lucent Technologies Inc.

Alcatel-lucent USA Inc.

Alcatel Lucent

Agere Systems Inc.

Omar Daniel Lopez

Vladimir Anatolyevich Aksyuk

Nagesh R Basavanhally

Flavio Pardo

Maria Elina Simon

Roland Ryf

Raymond A Cirelli

Wei Zhu

Peter Ledel Gammel

Randy Clinton Giles

Richard E Howard

Chien-Shing Pai

Robert Eugene Frahm

A method forms an image with a reconfigurable array of mirrors. The method includes configuring the array by translating some of the mirrors such that distances of the mirrors of the array from a reference plane have a non-uniform spatial distribution. The method includes illuminating the configured array with a coherent light beam such that part of the light beam is reflected off the array and is projected on a planar viewing screen.

Holographic MEMS operated optical projectors

An apparatus includes a mechanical switch. The mechanical switch includes a bilayer with first and second stable curved states. A transformation of the bilayer from the first state to the second state closes the switch.

Mechanical switch with a curved bilayer background

Mechanical switch with a curved bilayer

A representative embodiment of the invention provides a projection system having a laser source that incorporates a tunable liquid lens and a spatial light modulator adapted to modulate light generated by the laser source to project an image on a viewing screen. The tunable liquid lens is adapted to vary focal length, alignment or position with respect to an optical element that is external to the lens, ability to diffuse light, and/or polarization rotation angle.

Speckle reduction using a tunable liquid lens

A method of making a microelectromechanical microwave vacuum tube device is disclosed. The device is formed by defining structural regions and sacrificial regions in a substrate. The structural regions have flexural members. The substrate is treated to remove the sacrificial regions and release the structural regions such that the structural regions are moveable by the flexural members. The structural regions include a device cathode, a device grid or both a device cathode and a device grid. The cathode comprises electron emitters. The device further includes an output structure where amplified microwave power is removed from the device. In the method, the cathode surface and the grid surface are moved to a position where they are substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the substrate. The device further comprises an anode that is substantially parallel to the cathode surface and the grid surface.

Process for making an on-chip vacuum tube device

The present invention provides an apparatus. The apparatus, in one embodiment, includes an actuator located over a substrate, a movable feature located over and coupled to the actuator, and a layer of material located above the actuator and movable feature and not constituting part of a beam/spring associated with the movable feature, the layer of material configured as a reservoir having an interior capable of holding a liquid, the movable feature being exposed to the interior.

Apparatus having a layer of material configured as a reservoir having an interior capable of holding a liquid

The present invention provides an interconnect. The interconnect comprises a pliable surface having a plurality of nanostructures disposed thereon, the pliable surface configured to allow the plurality of nanostructures to at least partially conform to a surface when the nanostructures come into contact therewith.

Interconnect including a pliable surface and use thereof

A laser projector having a configurable spatial light modulator (SLM) adapted to display various spatial modulation patterns and redirect illumination from a laser to form an image on the viewing screen. The laser projector drives the SLM to change spatial modulation patterns at a rate that causes the corresponding sequence of projected images to fuse to mitigate appearance of speckle in the resulting fused image. The SLM can be designed to redirect the illumination using either diffraction or specular reflection of light from the displayed spatial modulation pattern. In one embodiment, the SLM is a MEMS device having an array of individually addressable mirrors supported over a substrate and adapted to move (e.g., translate and/or rotate) with respect to the substrate.

Speckle reduction in laser-projector images

The present invention provides a process for manufacturing an apparatus. The process, in one embodiment, includes providing a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) device, the micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) device including an actuator coupled to a movable feature, sacrificial material fixing the actuator and movable feature with respect to one another, and a layer of material located over the actuator, movable feature and sacrificial material. The process may further include removing only a portion of the layer of material to expose the sacrificial material, and subjecting the exposed sacrificial material to an etchant to release the movable feature.

Process for manufacturing an apparatus that protects features during the removal of sacrificial materials

An apparatus includes a reconfigurable spatial light modulator, a light source, and a transmission filter. The reconfigurable spatial light modulator is capable of producing spatially varying amplitude and/or phase modulations of an incident light wavefront. The light source is configured to direct an illumination light beam towards the reconfigurable spatial light modulator such that the modulator produces a modulated outgoing light beam there from. The transmission filter is configured to spatially filter a light pattern formed by the outgoing light beam and to selectively transmit light from substantially only one diffractive order of the light pattern.

Direct optical image projectors

A method and apparatus for forming an electrically and/or thermally conducting interconnection is disclosed wherein a first surface and a second surface are contacted with each other via a plurality of nanostructures disposed on at least one of the surfaces. In one embodiment, a first plurality of areas of nanostructures is disposed on a component in an electronics package such as, illustratively, a microprocessor. The first plurality of areas is then brought into contact with a corresponding second plurality of areas of nanostructures on a substrate, thus creating a strong friction bond. In another illustrative embodiment, a plurality of nanostructures is disposed on a component, such as a microprocessor, which is then brought into contact with a substrate. Intermolecular forces result in an attraction between the molecules of the nanostructures and the molecules of the substrate, thus creating a bond between the nanostructures and the substrate.

High density nanostructured interconnection

A microelectromechanical microwave vacuum tube device is disclosed. The device consists of a cathode formed on a substrate, the cathode comprising electron emitters. A cathode emission control grid is also attached to the device substrate. The device further includes an output structure where amplified microwave power is removed from the device. In the device, the cathode surface and the grid surface are substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the substrate. One of either the cathode, the grid, or both the cathode and the grid, are attached to the device substrate by one or more flexural members. The device further comprises an anode that is substantially parallel to the cathode surface and the grid surface.

On-chip vacuum tube device and process for making device

A MEMS device having a deformable mirror. In a representative embodiment, the MEMS device includes a deformable membrane supporting a plurality of light-reflecting segments that form the deformable mirror. One or more actuators, at least one of which is configured to apply torque to a side of the membrane, are used to deform the membrane. Membrane deformation causes the segments to change orientation and thereby change the shape of the minor. A representative MEMS device of the invention enables segment displacements in two directions and thereby realizes effective mirror curvature values in the range from about &#x2212;2 mmto about +2 mm.

Deformable MEMS mirror with membrane actuated by application of torque

A MEMS device having a movable mirror and a movable actuator plate mechanically coupled together such that a relatively small displacement of the plate results in mirror rotation by a relatively large angle. In a representative embodiment, the mirror and actuator plate are supported on a substrate. The actuator plate moves in response to a voltage difference applied between the plate and an electrode located on the substrate beneath that plate. One or more springs attached to the plate provide a counteracting restoring force when they are stretched from their rest positions by the plate motion. A spring attached between the actuator plate and the mirror transfers the motion of the actuator plate to the mirror such that, when the actuator plate moves toward the substrate, the mirror moves away from the substrate. A representative MEMS device of the invention configured with a mirror that is about 100 &mgr;m in length is capable of producing the mirror rotation angle of about 15 degrees using an actuator voltage of only about 50 V.

Growing community of inventors

Summit, NJ, United States of America

Omar Daniel Lopez