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:
Oct. 14, 2014
Filed:
Nov. 08, 2010
Tobias P. Lamprecht, Berneck, CH;
Thomas E. Morf, Gross, CH;
Jonas R. Weiss, Hirzel, CH;
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
The invention is directed to a device (-) comprising: a set of on-chip circuits (-), each of the circuits configured to generate a magnetic field () perpendicular to a planar surface of the set when energized; a ferrofluidic layer () interfaced to the planar surface; and a logic circuit () configured to selectively energize () one ore more circuits of the set such as to generate a magnetic field at the energized circuits and a deformation () of the ferrofluidic layer in response thereto and to modulate optical beams (IR, IR) directed to the ferrofluid layer. Preferably, an additional liquid layer () is interfaced to the ferrofluid layer, opposite to the on-chip circuits, which is not miscible with the ferrofluid layer. The invention can be applied to micro-display/projection devices, programmable optical reflecting lenses, or to micro-molding applications for surface replication.