Patent ID: 7405860

Claim:
A spatial light modulator comprising: a semiconductor substrate having circuitry and electrodes and a dark or black material thereon; a light transmissive substrate; one or more intermediate substrates having an open area, wherein the semiconductor substrate, the one or more intermediate substrates and the light transmissive substrate are bonded together as a substrate assembly so as to define a cavity in the open area between the semiconductor substrate and the light transmissive substrate; wherein the semiconductor substrate and the light transmissive substrate are bonded in an offset relationship so as to leave I/O pads exposed on the semiconductor substrate; a group of pulse-width-modulated micromirrors for modulating a light beam incident thereon and disposed so as to be movable within said cavity; and a dark or black mask formed as a frame around the group of micromirrors, the mask comprising chromium, titanium, tantalum, tungsten, nickel or carbon.