Patent ID: 6572974
Filing Date: 2003-06-03
Classification: G02F,H01L,Y10T

Abstract:
A method for varying the infrared spectrum of a reflected beam of light, said method comprisinga) supplying a reflecting device comprising a)i) a first conductive electrode which at least partially reflects infrared light, a)ii) an insulative layer comprising a silicon dioxide thin film derived from a hydrogen silsesquioxane resin, an alkyl silsesquioxane resin, or an aryl silsesquioxane resin; and a)iii) a second conductive electrode at least partially transparent to infrared light, wherein said insulative layer a)ii) is positioned between said first conductive electrode a)i and said second conductive electrode a)iii); b) irradiating said reflecting device with infrared light impinging on said second conductive electrode a)iii) and being reflected by said first conductive electrode a)i) as reflected infrared light; c) altering the intensity of reflected infrared light exiting the metal-insulator-metal device through said second conductive electrode a)iii) by establishing an electrical potential between said first conductive electrode a)i) and said second conductive electrode a)iii); and d) optionally monitoring the relative intensity of said infrared light reflected at minimally two different electrical potentials across conductive electrodes a)i) and a)iii).