JP2009003165A - Micro scanner and optical scanning apparatus with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical scanner in which the deflection angle of a variable part is made large and the break of a supporting part due to reaction force is prevented by suppressing the reduction in the displacement amount of a movable frame due to the reaction force applied on the supporting part of the movable frame when driving the variable part, and to provide an optical scanning apparatus with the optical scanner. <P>SOLUTION: The optical scanner 1 has: a fixed frame 2, a mirror part 3; main axis parts 4a and 4b; and the movable frame 5. The movable frame 5 has a substantially rectangular annular structure, two parallel sides in the longitudinal direction are a pair of driving pieces 51a and 51b which can be bent in front and back direction (Z direction), and unimorph driving parts 6a and 6b are laminated, respectively. The substantially central parts of the driving pieces 51a and 51b are connected to supporting parts 2a and 2b projected from the inner edge of the fixed frame 2, respectively. The two other sides of the movable frame 5 are connecting pieces 52a and 52b connecting both ends of the driving pieces 51a and 51b, the main axis parts 4a and 4b passes through a rotation axis (X axis) to support the mirror part 3, and the ends of the respective main axis parts 4a and 4b are connected to the substantially central parts of the connecting pieces 52a and 52b, respectively. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a microscanner that scans light from a light source used in a projector, a laser beam printer, or the like, and more particularly to a small microscanner that can perform one-dimensional light scanning at high speed. The present invention also relates to an optical scanning device that can scan light in a one-dimensional direction at high speed by including such a microscanner.

  Conventionally, various compact optical scanners (micro scanners) using MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) technology have been developed. For example, an optical scanner 101 of Patent Document 1 as shown in FIG. 11 includes a scanning mirror unit 103, a torsion bar TB that supports the mirror unit 103, and a driving piece 105 connected to the mirror unit 103. A piezo-electric element is disposed on the top, and a unimorph drive unit 106 for deflecting the mirror unit 103 is formed.

  The optical scanner 101 includes a driving frequency of the unimorph driving unit 106 disposed on the driving piece 105 and a mechanical resonance frequency of the mirror unit 103 including the torsion bar TB in order to deflect the mirror unit 103 as much as possible. Are matched. This is because, even if the unimorph drive unit 106 is driven at a low voltage, the mirror unit 103 resonates and deflects relatively large.

  However, the tip portion 110 of the drive piece 105 connected to the mirror portion 103 is difficult to twist. Therefore, the force generated in the drive piece 105 is unlikely to act on the mirror unit 103 as rotational torque. Therefore, it cannot be said that the mirror unit 103 is sufficiently deflected.

  Here, an optical scanner 101 in which the distal end portion 110 and the mirror portion 103 are not connected is also conceivable. For example, an optical scanner 101 as shown in FIG. The optical scanner 101 includes a fixed frame 102, a mirror part 103, a driving piece 105 deformed by unimorph driving parts 106a to 106d, and a main shaft part 104 connecting the mirror part 103 and the driving piece 105.

  Then, the optical scanner 101 rotates the mirror unit 103 forward and backward based on the X direction (rotating in the P direction or rotating in the R direction) according to the bending deformation of the driving piece 105. FIGS. 13A and 13B show the driving piece 105 that is bent and deformed by the deflection operation of the mirror unit 103. These figures are cross-sectional views taken along the line AA ′ of FIG. 12, and FIG. 13A shows a case of forward rotation (rotation in the P direction), and FIG. 13B shows a case of reverse rotation (rotation in the R direction). Indicates.

  For the sake of explanation, the axial direction of the main shaft portion 104 is the X direction (may be referred to as the X axis), and the extending direction of the drive piece 105 orthogonal to the X direction is the Y direction, the X direction, and the orthogonal direction to the Y direction. Is the Z direction. Also, the upper side of the paper surface in FIG. 12 is the Y direction plus {Y (+)}, the opposite direction to the + direction is the Y direction minus {Y (−)}, and the front side of the paper surface in FIG. Plus {Z (+)}, and the opposite direction to the + direction is the minus Z in the Z direction {Z (-)}.

  Hereinafter, only the driving piece 105a of the two driving pieces 105 (driving pieces 105a and 105b) will be described. However, when the driving piece 105a attempts to rotate the mirror unit 103 forward or backward, Similarly, the driving piece 105b rotates the mirror 103 forward or backward.

  When the mirror unit 103 rotates in the forward direction, as shown in FIG. 13A, the piezoelectric element 108 of the Y (+) side unimorph driving unit 106a extends, so that the main shaft unit 104 side of the Y (+) side driving piece 105a is It hangs down to Z (-). On the other hand, when the piezoelectric element 108 of the Y (−) side unimorph drive unit 106b contracts, the main shaft 104 side of the Y (−) side drive piece 105a jumps up to Z (+). Then, the drive piece 105a bends like a wave, and the main shaft portion 104 also rotates forward and tilts following the bend.

When the mirror unit 103 rotates in the reverse direction, as shown in FIG. 13B, the piezoelectric element 108 of the Y (+) side unimorph drive unit 106a contracts, so that the main shaft unit 104 in the Y (+) side drive piece 105a. The side jumps up to Z (+). On the other hand, when the piezoelectric element 108 of the Y (−) side unimorph drive unit 106b extends, the main shaft 104 side of the Y (−) side drive piece 105a hangs down to Z (−). Then, the driving piece 105a undulates and bends in the direction opposite to that shown in FIG. 13A, and the main shaft portion 104 also rotates backward and tilts following the bending.
JP 2005-128147 A

  When the optical scanner 101 as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 is used in a scanning projection apparatus such as a projector, the deflection angle of the mirror unit 103 is a major factor in determining the screen size that can be projected. Therefore, it is desirable to obtain a larger deflection angle with a slight displacement of the unimorph drive units 106a to 106d when deflecting the mirror unit 103. However, in the case of the structure as shown in FIG. 12, the fixed ends of the drive pieces 105a and 105b (indicated by broken line circles in FIG. 12) receive reaction force from the fixed frame 2 due to the curvature of the drive pieces 105a and 105b. The edge is deformed. As a result, there is a problem in that the amount of displacement of the drive portions of the drive pieces 105a and 105b to which the main shaft portions 104a and 104b are coupled is reduced and the deflection angle of the mirror portion 103 is reduced.

  In order to prevent this deformation, conventionally, the driving pieces 105a and 105b are firmly fixed to the fixed frame 102 and the rigidity of the fixed frame 102 is increased. However, it is difficult to completely prevent deformation, and the phenomenon that the mirror deflection angle is reduced to some extent is inevitable. Further, in the case where the fixed frame 102 and the driving pieces 105a and 105b are integrally formed using a silicon substrate, if the thickness and width of the substrate are increased in order to increase the rigidity of the fixed frame 102, the optical scanner 101 is increased in size. In addition, the amount of silicon that is an expensive material increases. Furthermore, since the drive pieces 105a and 105b and the mirror part 103 which are drive parts need to be formed thin, the etching amount increases, and the processing time and processing cost also increase.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and by suppressing a decrease in the displacement amount of the movable frame due to a reaction force acting on the support portion of the movable frame when driving the variable portion, It is an object of the present invention to provide a micro scanner capable of increasing the deflection angle of a variable portion and an optical scanning device including the micro scanner.

  In order to achieve the above object, a microscanner of the present invention includes a variable portion, a main shaft portion that supports the variable portion so as to be swingable, a deformable movable frame that holds the main shaft portion, and the movable frame. A microscanner including a driving means for bending and inclining the variable portion; and a fixed frame that supports the movable frame in a bendable manner. The movable frame includes a pair of substantially parallel driving pieces that are curved by the driving means; It has a substantially rectangular annular structure composed of a pair of coupling pieces that connect both ends of the driving piece, and the main shaft portion is coupled to the substantially central portion of the longitudinal direction of each coupling piece, and the longitudinal direction of the driving piece Is substantially fixed to the fixed frame.

  According to this configuration, when the driving piece is curved, both end portions having the largest displacement amount are flexed freely, and the support portion only holds the change in the position of the substantially central portion having the smallest displacement amount. Therefore, compared to the conventional configuration in which one end of the drive piece is fixed to the fixed frame, the reaction force received from the fixed frame when the drive piece is curved is reduced, and the displacement of the drive piece due to the deformation of the fixed frame is lost. It is suppressed.

  Moreover, it is preferable to provide the bending part with small bending rigidity compared with another part on both sides of the part to which the main shaft part of the coupling piece is connected. As a result, the coupling portion is deformed by a relatively weak force at the bent portion, and the amount of rotation of the main shaft portion is also increased. And the fluctuation | variation part rock | fluctuates comparatively largely due to this increased rotation amount. As a result, the microscanner can easily increase the deflection angle of the variable portion.

  Each member constituting the micro scanner is provided by, for example, etching the front and back surfaces of one substrate, and the micro scanner itself is formed on one substrate. In addition, when the variable part is a mirror part that reflects light by including a metal film, the microscanner can also be referred to as an optical scanner.

  Further, as the driving means, a unimorph driving unit including a piezoelectric element, electrodes sandwiching the piezoelectric element, and a structure in which these are attached to a substrate is preferably used. Conventionally, at least four unimorph drive units are required for rotationally driving the mirror unit, whereas the optical scanner of the present invention can be configured with two unimorph drive units. As a result, the reliability of the driving performance of the unimorph driving unit due to variations in the characteristics of the piezoelectric elements can be increased, and the wiring for applying a voltage to the electrodes constituting the unimorph driving unit can be simplified.

  Further, an optical scanning device equipped with the above micro scanner can also be said to be the present invention.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to easily increase the deflection angle of the variable portion of the micro scanner, and it is possible to prevent the support portion from being deformed or damaged by a reaction force. Also, without requiring high processing accuracy, assembly accuracy, and uniformity of piezoelectric element characteristics, it is possible to minimize the displacement and inclination of the rotating shaft during deflection, and to reduce the manufacturing cost of the micro scanner. It becomes.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In order to facilitate understanding, even plan views are hatched. In addition, for convenience of explanation, member symbols and hatching may be omitted, but in such a case, other drawings are referred to. Moreover, the black circle on the drawing means a direction perpendicular to the paper surface. In the following embodiments, a mirror part is taken as an example of a member (fluctuating part) that fluctuates in a micro scanner, and an optical scanner that performs a scanning operation by reflecting light by changing the mirror part is taken as an example.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an image projection apparatus including a micro scanner and an optical scanning device according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, an image projection apparatus 100 receives an image signal output from, for example, a personal computer or a television, and scans light by receiving a light control unit 20 that performs processing and a signal output from the light control unit 20. For example, the optical scanning device 40 that projects image light onto the screen 30 is included.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the optical scanning device 40 includes three light sources 21 to 23 corresponding to red, green, and blue (hereinafter abbreviated as RGB), a color synthesis prism 24, a collimator lens 25, and light. The scanner (microscanner) 1, a projection optical system 26, a mirror position detection light source 27, a mirror position detection means 28, and an optical scanning control unit 29 are configured.

  Then, light emitted from the three light sources 21 to 23 corresponding to RGB passes through the color synthesis prism 24 and the collimator lens 25 in this order, and after optical scanning with the optical scanner 1, passes through the projection optical system 27. For example, the image is formed on the screen 30.

  Next, details of the optical scanning device 40 will be described. For example, the light source 21 corresponds to a red semiconductor laser diode, the light source 22 corresponds to a green semiconductor laser diode, and the light source 23 corresponds to a blue semiconductor laser diode. The wavelengths of the respective semiconductor laser diodes are set to, for example, 660 nm for red, 532 nm for green, and 450 nm for blue.

  In this embodiment, the semiconductor laser diode is used as the light source. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be changed without departing from the object of the present invention. In particular, since a green semiconductor laser diode is difficult to obtain, a DPSS (Diode Pomping Solid State) laser that excites a crystal with a semiconductor laser only in green may be modulated with an external modulator. Further, for all colors of red, green, and blue, a light emitting diode (LED), a solid state laser, or the like may be used as a light source instead of the semiconductor laser diode. However, the size of the light source is preferably small, and a semiconductor laser diode is preferable in that respect.

  The color synthesizing prism 24 plays a role of synthesizing the laser beams emitted from the light sources 21 to 23, and the laser beams emitted from the light sources 21 to 23 are synthesized here, and the synthesized color is displayed on the screen 30. In the present embodiment, a color synthesis prism is used, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, two dichroic mirrors 31a and 31b are used to synthesize laser beams emitted from red and green light sources 21 and 22 with a dichroic mirror 31a that reflects red light and transmits green light. Then, using the dichroic mirror 31b that reflects blue light and transmits red light and green light, the laser light emitted from the blue light source 23 is combined with the previously synthesized laser light. I do not care. However, it is preferable to use the color synthesizing prism 24 in terms of reducing the number of parts of the apparatus and reducing the size of the entire apparatus.

  The collimator lens 25 is a lens that converts divergent light emitted from the light sources 21 to 23 and passing through the color synthesis prism 24 into parallel light. The collimator lens 25 is adjusted in focus so as to correct chromatic aberration generated in the projection optical system 27. The optical scanner 1 can scan the laser light transmitted through the collimator lens 25, and in this embodiment, the horizontal direction (left-right direction in FIG. 1) and the vertical direction (paper surface direction in FIG. 1) with respect to the screen 30. ) Is scanned with a laser beam.

  3 is a plan view showing the optical scanner according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B ′ of FIG. 3. The optical scanner 1 of this embodiment is a one-dimensional scanning type optical scanner that performs only scanning around the X axis (vertical rotation in FIG. 3), and includes a fixed frame 2, a mirror unit 3, main shaft units 4a and 4b, and a movable frame. 5, unimorph drive parts 6a and 6b are included. Note that these members are integrally formed by etching a deformable silicon substrate or the like.

  The mirror unit 3 is a member that reflects light from a light source or the like. Such a mirror unit 3 is formed by arranging openings H (first opening H1 and second opening H2) side by side on a rectangular substrate in plan view so that the fixed frame 2 as shown in FIG. The resulting island-shaped portion (the remaining portion located between the first opening H1 and the second opening H2) is formed, and a reflective film such as gold or aluminum is attached to the island-shaped portion.

  The direction in which the first opening H1 and the second opening H2 are arranged is referred to as the Y direction, the Y direction on the first opening H1 side is the Y direction plus {Y (+)}, and the direction opposite to the + direction. Is negative {Y (−)} in the Y direction. Further, a direction extending in the Y direction from the center of the mirror unit 3 is referred to as a Y axis.

  The main shaft portions 4 a and 4 b are members that support the mirror portion 3 by sandwiching the mirror portion 3 by extending outward from one end and the other end facing each other at the outer edge of the mirror portion 3. The main shaft portions 4a and 4b are formed by bringing the first opening H1 and the second opening H2 in contact with the mirror portion 3 close to each other so that a part of the substrate is formed into a rod shape.

  The main shaft portions 4a and 4b extend in a direction intersecting the Y direction (for example, an orthogonal direction). Therefore, this direction is referred to as the X direction, the X direction on the main shaft portion 4a side is defined as a positive X direction {X (+)}, and the opposite direction to the + direction is defined as a negative X direction {X (-)}. Furthermore, a direction extending in the X direction so as to overlap the main shaft portions 4a and 4b is referred to as an X axis (main axis direction / X axis direction).

  The movable frame 5 is a member that holds the mirror portion 3 by holding the main shaft portions 4a and 4b (connected to the main shaft portions 4a and 4b). The movable frame 5 has a frame between the U-shaped opening H (the third opening H3 and the fourth opening H4) with the Y axis as the axis of symmetry and the first opening H1 and the second opening H2. The remaining portion of the substrate remaining in the shape is formed.

  The two parallel sides in the longitudinal direction of the movable frame 5 are a pair of drive pieces 51a and 51b that can be bent in the front and back direction (Z-axis direction in FIG. 4), and piezoelectric elements are laminated to form unimorph drive units 6a and 6b. Has been. The substantially central portions of the drive pieces 51 a and 51 b are connected to the support portions 2 a and 2 b that protrude from the inner edge of the fixed frame 2.

  The other two sides of the movable frame 5 are a pair of coupling pieces 52a and 52b that connect both ends of the drive pieces 51a and 51b, and the main shaft portions 4a and 4b pass the mirror portion 3 so as to pass through the rotation axis (X axis). While supporting, the edge part of each main-shaft part 4a, 4b is connected with the approximate center part of coupling piece 52a, 52b, respectively. That is, the movable frame 5 has a substantially rectangular annular structure composed of the drive pieces 51a and 51b and the coupling pieces 52a and 52b.

  The unimorph drive units 6a and 6b function as actuators that convert voltage into force. As shown in FIG. 4, for example, a piezoelectric element 61 such as PZT, ZnO, or BST that has been subjected to a polarization process, and the piezoelectric element 61 The electrode 62 is sandwiched between the driving pieces 51a and 51b. Then, a ± voltage (alternating voltage) is applied between the two electrodes 62 within a range that does not cause polarization inversion at a predetermined frequency, so that the piezoelectric element 61 expands and contracts at that frequency, and the expansion and contraction occurs according to the expansion and contraction. Unimorph drive part 6a, 6b bends.

  The drive pieces 51a and 51b are also deformed (flexible deformation / bending deformation) in accordance with the expansion and contraction of the unimorph drive units 6a and 6b, and the coupling pieces 52a and 52b connected to both ends of the drive pieces 51a and 51b are inclined. In the optical scanner 1 of the present invention, by utilizing the deformation of the movable frame 5, the mirror portion 3 is tilted (can be swung) in the forward and reverse rotation directions with respect to the main shaft portions 4 a and 4 b (main shaft direction). Details will be described later.

  Next, an example of a method for manufacturing the optical scanner 1 will be described. The optical scanner 1 is manufactured using, for example, a silicon substrate having a thickness of about 100 μm. First, the silicon substrate is processed by photoresist and etching to form openings H1 to H4, thereby integrally forming the fixed frame 2, the mirror portion 3, the main shaft portions 4a and 4b, and the movable frame 5 shown in FIG. Next, the electrode 62, the piezoelectric element 61, and the electrode 62 are attached in this order on the surface side of the silicon substrate to form the unimorph drive units 6a and 6b. Then, the optical scanner 1 is manufactured by attaching a metal film serving as a reflective film to the mirror unit 3.

  Note that the piezoelectric element 61, the electrode 62, and the metal film of the mirror unit 3 can be directly formed on the silicon substrate as a thin film. Examples of the thin film forming method include a sputtering method, a chemical vapor deposition method (CVD method), a sol-gel method, and an aerosol deposition method (AD method). The aerosol deposition method is preferable. According to this, compared with sputtering method, CVD method, sol-gel method, an etching process etc. can be omitted, and the film-forming speed can be improved and the process can be shortened. The aerosol deposition method is a technology that forms fine particles and ultrafine particles prepared in advance by other methods in advance by mixing them with gas to form an aerosol, which is then sprayed onto a substrate through a nozzle under a reduced pressure atmosphere to form a film. Show.

  Next, the deflection operation of the mirror unit 3 in the optical scanner 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 5A is a perspective view of the optical scanner according to the first embodiment, FIG. 5B is a perspective view of the optical scanner showing a state in which the mirror portion is deflected in the forward direction, and FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB ′ in FIG. 6B is a sectional view taken along line CC ′ in FIG. 3, FIG. 7A is a sectional view taken along line DD ′ in FIG. 3, and FIG. 7B is a sectional view taken along line EE ′ in FIG.

  The optical scanner 1 in FIG. 3 rotates the mirror unit 3 with respect to the main shaft portions 4a and 4b (main shaft direction). Therefore, one direction around the main axis direction (clockwise rotation from X (+) to X (−)) is normal rotation, and rotation in the opposite direction to the normal rotation (counterclockwise rotation) is reverse rotation. (The forward rotation direction is indicated by P, and the reverse rotation direction is indicated by R).

  In addition, the direction perpendicular to the X direction and the Y direction is illustrated as the Z direction (deflection direction), and for convenience, the light receiving side of the mirror unit 3 is the Z direction plus {Z (+)}, this + direction. The opposite direction to the negative is Z direction minus {Z (−)}. Furthermore, the direction extending in the Z direction from the intersection of the X axis and the Y axis is referred to as the Z axis.

  When the mirror unit 3 rotates forward from the state of FIG. 5A, a voltage for contracting the piezoelectric element 61 is applied to the unimorph drive unit 6a. When such a voltage is applied, as shown in FIG. 6A, the driving piece 51a to which the unimorph driving unit 6a is attached bends in the Z (−) side so as to protrude. As a result, both end portions of the drive piece 51a jump up to Z (+).

  On the other hand, a voltage for extending the piezoelectric element 61 (a voltage having a phase opposite to the voltage applied to the unimorph driving unit 6a) is applied to the unimorph driving unit 6b. When such a voltage is applied, as shown in FIG. 6B, the drive piece 51b to which the unimorph drive unit 6b is attached bends in a convex manner on the Z (+) side. As a result, both end portions of the drive piece 51b hang down to Z (−).

  Accordingly, the movable frame 5 is deformed as shown in FIG. 5B with the support portions 2a and 2b as fulcrums, and as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the coupling pieces 52a and 52b are located on the unimorph drive portion 6a side {Y (−) side. } Is pushed up to Z (+), and the unimorph drive unit 6b side {Y (+) side} is pushed down to Z (-). Then, as shown in FIG. 5B, the main shaft portions 4a and 4b and the mirror portion 3 connected to the coupling pieces 52a and 52b rotate forward.

  Conversely, when the mirror unit 3 rotates in the reverse direction from the state of FIG. 5A, a voltage for extending the piezoelectric element 61 of the unimorph driving unit 6a is applied, and a voltage for contracting the piezoelectric element 61 of the unimorph driving unit 6b is applied. The When such a voltage is applied, the driving pieces 51a and 51b bend in the direction opposite to that shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B.

  As the drive pieces 51a and 51b are bent, the Y (+) side of the coupling pieces 52a and 52b is pushed up and the Y (−) side is pushed down. That is, when the coupling pieces 52a and 52b are inclined in the opposite direction to FIGS. 7A and 7B, the main shaft portions 4a and 4b and the mirror portion 3 are also rotated in the opposite direction to FIG. 5B. By applying an AC voltage that alternately repeats the above-described operation at a constant frequency, the mirror unit 3 can be deflected at a predetermined frequency around the rotation axis (X axis).

  In this embodiment, both ends of the drive pieces 51a and 51b are connected by the coupling pieces 52a and 52b, and the movable frame 5 has an annular structure. The drive pieces 51a and 51b are connected to the support portions 2a and 2d of the fixed frame 2 at substantially the center. As a result, when the driving pieces 51a and 51b are bent by the expansion and contraction of the unimorph driving portions 6a and 6b, both end portions having the largest displacement amount are freely bent. Further, the support portions 2a and 2d only hold a change in the position of the substantially central portion with the smallest displacement.

  Therefore, compared to the conventional configuration in which the end of the movable frame is fixed to the fixed frame 2 (see FIG. 12), the reaction force received from the fixed frame 2 when the drive pieces 51a and 51b are curved is reduced. Since the loss of the displacement amount of the drive pieces 51a and 51b due to the deformation of 2 is suppressed, the drive pieces 51a and 51b are greatly displaced by a slight displacement of the unimorph drive parts 6a and 6b, and the deflection angle of the mirror part 3 is increased. can do.

  Further, in the conventional configuration, at least four unimorph drive units for driving the mirror unit 3 to rotate are required, whereas the optical scanner 1 of the present invention can be configured with two unimorph drive units 6a and 6b. It becomes. Thereby, the reliability of the drive performance of the unimorph drive unit due to the variation in the characteristics of the piezoelectric elements can be increased, and the wiring for applying a voltage to the electrode 62 constituting the unimorph drive unit can be simplified.

  Furthermore, without requiring high processing accuracy and assembly accuracy, and uniformity of the characteristics of the piezoelectric element, it is possible to minimize the displacement and inclination of the rotating shaft (main shaft portions 4a, 4b) during mirror deflection, The manufacturing cost of the optical scanner 1 can also be reduced.

  FIG. 8 is a plan view of an optical scanner according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, a notch 9 (bent portion) parallel to the rotation axis (main shaft portions 4a, 4b) at the time of mirror deflection is provided on both sides of the portion where the main shaft portions 4a, 4b of the coupling pieces 52a, 52b are connected. Is formed. The notch 9 is formed by, for example, etching processing when the movable frame 5, the main shaft portions 4a and 4b, and the mirror portion 8 are integrally formed.

  9A is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D 'in FIG. 8, and FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view taken along line E-E' in FIG. 9A and 9B show a state in which the mirror unit 3 is rotated forward as in FIG. The deflection operation of the mirror unit 3 is the same as that of the optical scanner 1 of the first embodiment shown in FIGS.

  In the optical scanner 1 of the present embodiment, when the drive pieces 51a and 51b are bent to incline the coupling pieces 52a and 52b, the coupling pieces 52a and 52b are bent at the notch 9 because the structure is more flexible than the other parts. Thus, even if the amount of displacement of the unimorph drive units 6a and 6b in the Z-axis direction is small, the main shaft units 4a and 4b and the mirror unit 3 connected to the main shaft units 4a and 4b can be greatly rotated around the rotation axis (X axis). At this time, if the notch 9 is provided as close as possible to the main shaft portion 4a, the rotation angle (deflection angle) θ of the main shaft portions 4a and 4b with respect to the displacement amount of the unimorph drive portions 6a and 6b can be further increased.

  Note that the rotation angle θ is an angle generated between the mirror unit 3 that is stationary without being affected by the unimorph drive units 6a and 6b and the mirror unit 3 that fluctuates.

  The length, width, and arrangement of the notches 9 can be set as appropriate according to the thickness of the silicon substrate that is the material of the optical scanner 1 and the curvature required for the coupling pieces 52a and 52b. Further, instead of the notch 9, the coupling pieces 52a and 52b may be provided with grooves and slits parallel to the main shaft portions 4a and 4b.

  The optical scanner 1 of the first and second embodiments has been described above, but the configuration of the optical scanner is not limited to the configuration of the present embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the object of the present invention. . For example, the shape and size (area) of the unimorph drive units 6a and 6b are not particularly limited. For example, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, rectangular unimorph drive units 6a and 6b may be used, or other shapes such as a trapezoidal shape may be used.

  Further, the size of the unimorph drive units 6a and 6b may be an area that is included in one surface of the drive pieces 51a and 51b (an area smaller than the area of the drive pieces 51a and 51b; FIG. 3 and FIG. 3) 8), the area may be larger than one surface of the drive pieces 51a and 51b. However, it can be said that the larger the size of the unimorph drive units 6a and 6b, the greater the force to bend the drive pieces 51a and 51b.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the unimorph drive part which has a piezoelectric unimorph structure was mentioned as an example as a drive means which drives the drive pieces 51a and 51b, the member (drive part) which deform | transforms the drive pieces 51a and 51b is as follows. You may use the drive part of the bimorph structure which laminated | stacked the piezoelectric element 61 and the electrode 62 on both surfaces of the drive pieces 51a and 51b. Further, the driving method of the mirror unit is not limited to the piezoelectric driving method using the piezoelectric element, and other driving methods such as an electromagnetic method and an electrostatic method can be used.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 10, instead of the unimorph drive units 6a and 6b, an electromagnetic unit 13 composed of an electromagnetic coil 10 and a permanent magnet 11 may be used as the drive means. Such an electromagnetic unit 13 includes the electromagnetic coil 10 formed on the movable frame 5 (drive pieces 51a and 51b), and the permanent magnet 11 is provided on or below or above and below the drive pieces 51a and 51b. Electromagnetic force is generated between the permanent magnets 11 to bend the drive pieces 51 a and 51 b and rotate the mirror unit 3. Here, only a part of the movable frame 5 (one end of the drive piece 51a) is illustrated, but the other end of the drive piece 51a and the drive piece 51b have the same configuration.

  The electrostatic unit composed of two electrodes may be the drive unit. In such an electrostatic unit, one electrode is arranged on one surface of the driving pieces 51a and 51b, and the other electrode is arranged at a predetermined interval from the driving pieces 51a and 51b, and electrostatic force generated by both electrodes is used. The driving pieces 51a and 51b are bent.

  In each of the above embodiments, the members of the optical scanner 1 are integrally formed by masking and etching from a single silicon substrate. However, the manufacturing method of the optical scanner 1 is not limited to the above-described method, and the fixed frame 2, Each member such as the mirror unit 3 and the movable frame 5 may be separately formed and then joined.

  Note that various types of optical devices equipped with the optical scanner 1 described above are assumed. For example, in addition to the projector (image projection apparatus) shown in FIG. 1, an image forming apparatus such as a copier or a printer can be cited as an example. Further, examples of micro scanners other than the optical scanner include those equipped with a lens (bending optical system) instead of the mirror unit 3 and those equipped with a light source (light emitting element).

  As described above, according to the microscanner of the present invention, the movable frame has an annular structure composed of a pair of parallel driving pieces and a pair of connecting pieces that connect both ends of the driving pieces, and the substantially central portion of the driving pieces. Is supported by a fixed frame. For this reason, it is possible to provide a micro scanner that has a simple configuration, has high reliability in driving performance, and can rotate the variable portion at high speed and wide angle. Further, since it has sufficient durability even when used under such conditions, it can be applied to an image display device such as a projector and a high-speed LBP that need to perform high-speed optical scanning by being mounted on the optical scanning device. It becomes possible. It also contributes to the downsizing and cost reduction of the optical scanning device and the image display device on which it is mounted.

These are block diagrams which show schematic structure of the image display apparatus of this invention. These are explanatory drawings which show the structural example of the image display apparatus which does not use a color synthetic | combination prism. These are top views which show the structure of the optical scanner which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B ′ of FIG. 3. Is FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB ′ in FIG. 3 (FIG. 6A) and a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC ′ in FIG. 6 (FIG. 6B). The operation of each driving piece is shown. FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD ′ in FIG. 3 (FIG. 7A) and a cross-sectional view taken along the line EE ′ (FIG. 7B), and the mirror portion rotates forward. The operation of each connecting piece is shown. These are the top views of the optical scanner which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD ′ in FIG. 8 (FIG. 9A) and a cross-sectional view taken along the line EE ′ (FIG. 9B), and the mirror portion rotates forward. The operation of each connecting piece is shown. These are the partial top views of the optical scanner which employ | adopted the electromagnetic system as a drive means. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a conventional optical scanner. These are the top views of the conventional optical scanner different from FIG. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A ′ of FIG. 12.

Explanation of symbols

1 Optical scanner (micro scanner)
2 fixed frame 2a, 2b support part 3 mirror part (fluctuation part)
4a, 4b Main shaft part 5 Movable frame 6a, 6b Unimorph drive part (drive means)
9 Cut (bent part)
10 Electromagnetic coil 11 Permanent magnet 13 Electromagnetic unit (drive means)
21-23 Light source 24 Color synthesis prism 40 Optical scanning device 51a, 51b Drive piece 52a, 52b Coupling piece 61 Piezoelectric element 62 Electrode 100 Projector

Claims (6)

Variable part,
A main shaft portion that swingably supports the variable portion;
A deformable movable frame for holding the main shaft portion;
Driving means for curving the movable frame to incline the varying portion;
A fixed frame that supports the movable frame in a bendable manner;
Including a micro scanner,
The movable frame has a substantially rectangular annular structure composed of a pair of substantially parallel driving pieces that are curved by the driving means and a pair of coupling pieces that connect both ends of the driving pieces. The micro scanner, wherein the main shaft portion is connected to a substantially central portion in the longitudinal direction of each coupling piece, and a substantially central portion in the longitudinal direction of the drive piece is fixed to the fixed frame.   The micro scanner according to claim 1, wherein bent portions having lower bending rigidity than other portions are provided on both sides of a portion where the main shaft portion of the coupling piece is connected.   The micro scanner according to claim 1, wherein the variable portion is a mirror portion that reflects light by including a metal film.   4. The micro scanner according to claim 1, wherein the variable portion, the main shaft portion, the movable frame, and the fixed frame are integrally formed using a silicon substrate. 5.   5. The drive unit according to claim 1, wherein the drive unit is a unimorph drive unit in which a piezoelectric element and an electrode sandwiching the piezoelectric element are stacked on the movable frame. 6. Micro scanner.   An optical scanning device on which the micro scanner according to any one of claims 1 to 5 is mounted.

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