"Optical Microsystems for Ultra-High Pixel Count Displays"
Seminar by
Dr. Leland ‘Chip’ Spangler,
Aspen Technologies, Colorado Springs

Abstract: This talk presents details on the design, development, fabrication, packaging, testing, and manufacture of an optical microsystem for ultra-high pixel count, very large area, laser-illuminated projection displays.   Until now, these large displays have utilized either conventional CRT projectors or DLP technology from Texas Instruments. A new class of MEMS-enabled displays addresses a number of limitations with the current technology such as size and pixel count, brightness, contrast ratio, resolution and color gamut . 
 
The optical microsystem consists of CMOS integrated circuits which are flip chip mounted on a surface micromachined MEMS die, which is then assembled into a custom ceramic package. The microstructures are then released using a dry process,  after which they are tested, and sealled with a windowed lid. This manufacturable device represents several industry "firsts", and display systems using this technology are currently in use at several locations world wide.

BIOGRAPHY: Dr. Spangler received his PhD in electrical engineering. from The University of Michigan in 1988.  He joined Aspen Technologies in 2001, bringing with him more than 25 years of IC and MEMS experience at Ford Microelectronics, Intel, and other companies.  He has had design and engineering responsibility for a wide range of semiconductor products including analog ICs, pressure sensors, micro-machined fuel injectors, airbag accelerometers and telecom devices, many of which were qualified and manufactured in high volume.  Dr. Spangler is the author of over 25 technical publications and 7 patents. He is currently an editor for the IEEE Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems (JMEMS), and he serves on the International Steering Committee for the IEEE Transducers Conference. Most recently he was the Technical Program Chair for the 2006 Solid State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems Workshop and is the General Chair for the same meeting in 2008.