The digital micromirror device, or DMD, is a micro-opto-electromechanical (MOEMS) system that is the core of Texas Instruments (TI) DLP technology. DMD was invented by the solid-state physicist and by Dr. Emmanuel Larry Hornbeck in 1987.
The DMD project started as the Deformable Mirror Device in 1977 using analogue micromechanical light modulators. The first DMD analog product was the TI DMD2000 airplane ticket printer that uses a DMD instead of a laser scanner.
A DMD chip has on its surface several hundred thousand microscopic mirrors arranged in a rectangular matrix corresponding to the pixels of the image to be displayed. The mirrors can be rotated individually ± 10-12 °, to a state of on or off. In the on state, the light from the projector light bulb is reflected in the lens, making the pixel appear bright on the screen. In the off state, the light is directed to another part (usually on a heat sink), making the pixel appear dark.
To produce grayscales, the mirror turns on and off very quickly, and the ratio of activation time to shutdown time determines the shadow produced (binary pulse width modulation). Contemporary DMD chips can produce up to 1024 shades of gray (10 bits). See Digital Light Processing to see how color images are produced on DMD-based systems.
The mirrors themselves are made of aluminum and measure around 16 micrometers. Each is mounted on a yoke which in turn is connected to two support posts by conforming twist hinges. In this type of hinge, the shaft is fixed at both ends and twisted in the center. Due to the small scale, hinge fatigue is not a problem [2] and tests have shown that even 1 trillion (1012) operations do not cause noticeable damage. Tests have also shown that hinges can not be damaged by normal shock and vibration as it is absorbed by the DMD superstructure.
Two pairs of electrodes control the position of the mirror by electrostatic attraction. Each pair has an electrode on each side of the hinge, with one of the pairs arranged to act on the yoke and the other acting directly on the mirror. Most of the time, equal bias loads are applied to both sides simultaneously. Instead of turning to a central position as one might expect, this actually keeps the mirror in its current position. This is because the pulling force on the side to which the mirror is already tilted is greater, since that side is closer to the electrodes.
To move the mirrors, the required state is first loaded into an SRAM cell located below each pixel, which is also connected to the electrodes. Once all SRAM cells have been charged, the polarization voltage is removed, allowing the SRAM cell loads to prevail, by moving the mirror. When the bias is restored, the mirror is once again held in position and the next required movement can be loaded into the memory cell.
The polarization system is used because it reduces the voltage levels required to direct the pixels in such a way that they can be driven directly from the SRAM cell, and also because the bias voltage can be eliminated at the same time for the entire chip, so That each mirror moves In the same instant. The advantages of the latter are a more precise synchronization and a more cinematic mobile image.
It can be understood in the following video: