Gimbaled scanning mirror array

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9435638-B2
Application number	US-201313798251-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2013
Priority date	Mar 22, 2012
Publication date	Sep 6, 2016
Grant date	Sep 6, 2016

Abstract

An optical scanning device includes a substrate, which is etched to define an array of two or more parallel micromirrors and a support surrounding the micromirrors. Respective spindles connect the micromirrors to the support, thereby defining respective parallel axes of rotation of the micromirrors relative to the support. One or more flexible coupling members are connected to the micromirrors so as to synchronize an oscillation of the micromirrors about the respective axes.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An optical scanning device, comprising a substrate, which is etched to define:
an array of two or more parallel micromirrors, comprising at least first and second micromirrors;
a gimbal, closely surrounding the entire array of micromirrors;
respective first spindles connecting the micromirrors to the support, thereby defining respective first parallel axes of rotation of the micromirrors relative to the gimbal, and second spindles connecting the gimbal to the substrate and defining a second axis of rotation, perpendicular to the first axes, such that the second spindles are parallel to the second axis; and
one or more flexible belts, which comprise thin strips separated by grooves etched through the substrate from the gimbal on one side of the strips and from the micromirrors on the other side of the strips, and which have a first end attached to a first edge of the first micromirror and a second end attached to a second edge of the second micromirror and are anchored to the gimbal at a point between the first and second ends so as to mechanically synchronize an angular orientation of oscillation of the micromirrors about the respective first axes, while the gimbal rotates about the second axis relative to the substrate in order to maintain phase locking.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the belt is thinned relative to the substrate.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more flexible coupling members are coupled so as to cause the micromirrors to oscillate in phase, so that the micromirrors have the same angular orientation during oscillation.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more flexible coupling members are coupled so as to cause the micromirrors to oscillate in anti-phase.

5. The device according to claim 1 , andcomprising a reflective coating applied to the substrate on the micromirrors.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a part of a silicon wafer.

7. The device according to claim 1 , andcomprising an electromagnetic drive, which is coupled to drive the micromirrors to oscillate about the respective parallel axes.

8. Scanning apparatus, comprising:
a substrate, which is etched to define an array of two or more parallel micromirrors and a support closely surrounding the array, wherein the micromirrors are coupled to rotate on respective first spindles in mutual synchronization of angular orientation about respective parallel first axes of rotation relative to the support while the support rotates about a second axis relative to the substrate on second spindles that are connected to the support along the second axis;
an electromagnetic drive, which is coupled to cause the micromirrors and the support to rotate respectively about the first and second axes; and
one or more flexible belts, which comprise thin strips separated by grooves etched through the substrate from the support on one side of the strips and from the micromirrors on the other side of the strips, and
which are connected to the micromirrors so as to synchronize an oscillation of the micromirrors about the respective first axes.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the electromagnetic drive comprises:
a stator assembly, comprising at least one magnetic core having an air gap and at least one coil wound on the magnetic core; and
at least one rotor, on which the support is mounted and which is suspended in the air gap so as to move withinthe air gap in response to a current driven through the at least one coil.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the support has a pair of wings, each connected to the substrate by a respective spindle, and wherein the at least one rotor comprises a pair of permanent magnets, each connected to a respective one of the wings.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the electromagnetic drive and the current are configured to cause the micromirrors to rotate about the first axes at a first frequency, which is a resonant frequency of rotation, while causing the support to rotate about the second axis at a second frequency, which is lower than the first frequency.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8 , and comprising:
a transmitter, which is configured to emit a beam comprising pulses of light toward the micromirror array while the micromirrors and the support rotate, so as to cause the micromirrors to scan the beam over a scene; a receiver, which is configured to receive, by reflection from the micromirror array, the light reflected from the scene and to generate an output indicative of a time of flight of the pulses to and from points in the scene; and
a controller, which is coupled to process the output of the receiver during a scan of the beam so as to generate a three-dimensional map of the scene.

13. A method for producing an optical scanning device, the method comprising etching a substrate so as to define:
an array of two or more parallel micromirrors, comprising at least first and second micromirrors;
a gimbal, closely surrounding the entire array of micromirrors;
respective first spindles connecting the micromirrors to the support, thereby defining respective first parallel axes of rotation of the micromirrors relative to the gimbal, and second spindles connecting the gimbal to the substrate and defining a second axis of rotation, perpendicular to the first axes, such that the second spindles are parallel to the second axis; and one or more flexible belts, which comprise thin strips separated by grooves etched through the substrate from the gimbal on one side of the strips and from the micromirrors on the other side of the strips, and which have a first end attached to a first edge of the first micromirror and a second end attached to a second edge of the second micromirror and are anchored to the gimbal at a point between the first and second ends so as to mechanically synchronize an angular orientation of oscillation of the micromirrors about the respective first axes, while the gimbal rotates about the second axis relative to the substrate in order to maintain phase locking.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the substrate is a part of a silicon wafer.

15. A method for scanning, comprising:
providing a substrate, which is etched to define an array of two or more parallel micromirrors, a support closely surrounding the array, respective first spindles connecting the micromirrors to the support along respective, parallel first axes, second spindles connecting the support to the substrate along a second axis, perpendicular to the first axes;
driving the micromirrors to rotate in mutual synchronization of angular orientation about the respective parallel first axes of rotation relative to the support while driving the support to rotate about the second axis relative to the substrate; and directing a beam of light toward the micromirror array while the micromirrors and the support rotate, so as to cause the micromirrors to scan the beam over a scene; and
connecting one or more flexible belts, which comprise thin strips separated by grooves etched through the substrate from the support on one side of the strips and from the micromirrors on the other side of the strips, to the micromirrors so as to synchronize an oscillation of the micromirrors about the respective first axes.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein directing the beam comprises directing pulses of the light toward the micromirror array, and wherein the method comprises:
receiving, by reflection from the micromirror array, the light reflected from the scene;
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Assignees

• Primesense Ltd
• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Chayat Naftali
• Gerson Yuval

Classifications

• H10W95/00

  Packaging processes not covered by the other groups of this subclass · CPC title

• G01S17/89 Primary

  for mapping or imaging · CPC title

• G02B26/085

  the reflecting means being moved or deformed by electromagnetic means · CPC title

• G01B11/24 Primary

  for measuring contours or curvatures · CPC title

• G02B26/101

  with both horizontal and vertical deflecting means, e.g. raster or XY scanners (colour television using laser beams scanning a display screen H04N9/3129) · CPC title