Measuring 1.3 x 1.5 mm with a thickness of 0.2 mm, these tiny mirrors are precision-processed from silicon wafers. X-shaped integrally molded torsional beams above and below the mirror act as supports, enabling stable operation. Unlike conventional polygon mirrors, micromirrors do not rotate, but oscillate back and forth to scan a laser beam. These mirrors hold much promise for applications in next-generation laserscanning displays and optical switches.

Micromirror structure

Canon is actively working on creating next-generation optical elements, focusing in particular on the development of 3-dimensional photonic crystals that feature excellent control of the propagation of light and electromagnetic waves. These crystals are made from silicon wafers that are precision-processed into simple cubic lattice structures with a 120 µm cycle, and are capable of controlling the propagation of 1-terahertz band electromagnetic waves. This technology is expected to be applied toward small-sized, high-performance terahertz functional optical elements.

Terahertz band 3-dimensional photonic crystal