Patent ID: 7539371
Filing Date: 2009-05-26
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
1. A micromirror for use in an optical apparatus, comprising: a reflective portion, configured to be rotatable about a switching axis and an attenuation axis, wherein the attenuation axis is different from the switching axis, wherein the reflective portion includes an edge that is substantially parallel to the attenuation axis, wherein the edge includes one or more edge features that protrude above a plane of the micromirror surface and/or are submerged below the plane of the micromirror surface and/or have an edge shape that deviates from a straight line in a way that reduces an increase in signal intensity of a spectral channel near side edges of a passband for a spectral channel reflected from the micromirror relative to a central portion of the passband due to diffraction of that spectral channel from the edge when the spectral channel is attenuated by rotating the channel micromirror about the attenuation axis.