Patent ID: 6876494
Filing Date: 2005-04-05
Classification: G02B,G03F

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a spatial light-modulation element having a plurality of pixel portions which are two-dimensionally arranged, and individually modulate a plurality of portions of light applied to the spatial light-modulation element, according to control signals; a light source which applies the light to said spatial light-modulation element; a first image-forming optical system arranged so that the plurality of portions of the light modulated by said plurality of pixel portions pass through the first image-forming optical system; a microlens array being arranged in a vicinity of an image-forming plane of the first image-forming optical system, and having a plurality of microlenses arranged in correspondence with the plurality of pixel portions, respectively; and a second image-forming optical system being arranged so that the plurality of portions of the light which have passed through said plurality of microlenses pass through the second image-forming optical system, and forming on a predetermined surface an image represented by the plurality of portions of the light modulated by the spatial light-modulation element; wherein each of said first and second image-forming optical systems is a magnified-image-forming optical system which forms an image with a magnification power greater than one.