Patent ID: 7116465

Claim:
A micromirror device, comprising: a mirror layer including a mirror surface which is supported to be rotatable around a first axis passing through a center of the mirror surface, the mirror layer being formed from a Silicon On Insulator wafer; a transparent upper substrate having a first upper electrode and a second upper electrode arranged on a surface of the upper substrate facing the mirror layer, the first and second upper electrodes comprising sectors of an upper generally circular electrode pattern, the first upper electrode being symmetrically arranged with respect to the second upper electrode across a first upper boundary passing through a center of the upper substrate surface parallel to the first axis, the upper substrate being stacked on one side of the mirror layer while securing a first space between the center of the mirror surface and the first and second upper electrodes; and a lower substrate having a first lower electrode and a second lower electrode arranged on a surface of the lower substrate facing the mirror layer, the first and second lower electrodes comprising sectors of a lower generally circular electrode pattern, the first lower electrode being symmetrically arranged with respect to the second lower electrode across a first lower boundary passing through a center of the surface parallel to the first axis, the lower substrate being stacked on the other side of the mirror layer while securing a second space between the center of the mirror surface and the first and second lower electrodes, wherein the mirror surface is rotated around the first axis by applying voltage to a pair of electrodes, of the first and second upper electrodes and the first and second lower electrodes, placed diagonally with respect to the first axis.