SBIR-STTR Award

The Phase I goal is to explore novel membrane materials and develop a design for a multi-waveband (visible-RGB and mid-wave infrared) flickerless scene projector that can operate at temperatures ranging from -35C to +50C. The anticipated design will most likely be based on membrane-mirror-on-VLSI spatial light modulator technology. Thus low-power VLSI circuits that both run at low temperature and that can be actively cooled are also planned for investigation. The plan is to culminate the Phase I by demonstrating IR and visible light modulation between -35C and 50 C in a device that employs a new membrane-mirror material The Phase I research will be done in the context of the Phase II program goals which include: (1) develop modifications to our existing high-voltage VLSI circuit substrates, (2) re-engineer the modified membrane-mirror-on-VLSI modulator for low-voltage (~ 40V) operation at visible and mid-mid-infrared wavelengths, (3) develops the scene-generation software and hardware interfaces needed to project simultaneous dual-band scenes, and (4) begins exploratory work on the development of a Phase II projector whose performance goals include: 2,000:1 contrast ratio, 1000x1000 pixels, 120 Hz framing rate and flickerless operation with at least a 6° field of view.

Keywords:
Low Temperature, Infrared Projection, Deformable Mirror, Spatial Light Modulator, Hardware-In-The-Loop, Vlsi.

The Phase II goal of the Low-temperature multi-spectral MEMS projector project is to demonstrate a working prototype of a 4-channel (MWIR and visible RGB) flickerless scene projector operating between -35C and 50C. This multi-spectral projector is based the VLSI-membrane-mirror light modulator (VLSI-MMLM) technology which uses a membrane mirror to spatially modulate an off-chip light source. The Phase II program will continue the membrane materials research with the aim of advancing the mostly-metal nitrocellulose membrane which showed promise in the Phase I. The 4-channel architecture that was designed in the Phase I will be implemented using a TMA-optics design to better control stray light. This Phase II will also focus on integrating the VLSI-MMLM into a Santa Barbara Infrared designed dewar. The electronic interface to the VLSI-MMLM will also be updated to support 4-channel operation and to be fully compatible with the second-generation chip. The overall technical goals of this program will be to develop a low-temperature multi-spectral scene projector with a a 2,000:1 contrast ratio, 500 x 500 pixels (1280 x 960 in a future commercial product), 120 Hz framing rate and flickerless operation with at least a 6° field of view. BENEFIT

Keywords:
Low Temperature, Infrared Projection, Deformable Mirror, Spatial Light Modulator, Hardware-In-The-Loop, Vlsi, Scene Projection.