The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 27, 1990
Filed:
Jan. 10, 1990
Paul O Braatz, Canoga Park, CA (US);
Hughes Aircraft Company, Los Angeles, CA (US);
Abstract
A reflective matrix mirror visible to infrared converter light valve (5) includes a liquid crystal medium (60) for spatially modulating an incident infrared beam by polarization rotation, a photosubstrate (30) for receiving an incident visible wavelength image (115) and for controlling the polarization rotation of the liquid crystal medium (60) responsively to the visible image (115), and a reflective matrix mirror (40). The reflective matrix mirror (40) is positioned between the liquid crystal medium (60) and the photosubstrate (30) and reflects the incident infrared beam (125) back through the liquid crystal medium (60) such that the infrared beam (125) passes through the liquid crystal medium twice and is polarization rotated responsively to the visible wavelength image (115). A polarizer (90) positioned exteriorly of the liquid crystal medium (60) converts the polarization rotation of the infrared beam (125) into output intensity modulation to produce an infrared image (130). The reflective matrix mirror (40) comprises an M.times.N array of infrared reflective islands comprising metallic or semiconductor/metallic compounds. The reflective matrix mirror (40) can be formed by depositing reflective material on a layer of silicon dioxide in a grid pattern using a masking technique. Alternatively, the silicon dioxide may be etched to provide an M.times.N array of depressions which are then used as deposition sites for the reflective material. In this later embodiment, the reflective material may be in contact with photosubstrate (30) so as to form Schottky Barrier contacts.