MEMS Array Chip Can Project Video the Size of a Grain of Sand

(spectrum.ieee.org)

46 points | by bookofjoe 4 hours ago

11 comments

  • jmward01 50 minutes ago
    I wonder if this has implications for custom home chips/prototyping. I'm sure a big issue is vibrations but something like this could remove the need for masks at least. (again, not my area so I am clobbering terminology I am sure). It may open up home fab capabilities.
    • volemo 5 minutes ago
      I think abusing a write-off electron microscope to side step the need for masks is also an interesting idea, however, I believe acquiring wafers of sufficient quality and depositing layers to be etched could be the bigger challenge here.
    • Joel_Mckay 41 minutes ago
      In general, hobby photo-lithography projects already use DMD/DLP projectors, and some inexpensive optics.

      Huygens Optics:

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w0Z2Y5vaAQ

      Sam Zeloof:

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nxz_ENnmgtI

      In general, getting vanity silicon made is usually much less expensive than trying to bootstrap a fab line. =3

  • antimatter15 46 minutes ago
    This reminds me of the original patents that Magic Leap had, which involved pumping light through a single optical fiber that was wiggled by piezoelectrics into a spiral to project light (https://kguttag.com/2018/01/06/magic-leap-fiber-scanning-dis...).
  • cubefox 56 minutes ago
    > The chip projected a roughly 125-micrometer image of the Mona Lisa.

    This may seem small (barely visible as a dot to the naked eye), but that's also the geometric mean of the Planck length and the diameter of the observable universe. So average size actually.

  • dmitrygr 2 hours ago
    What is this, a movie theater for ants?
    • chihuahua 31 minutes ago
      It has to be at least 3 times bigger than this!
    • m3kw9 2 hours ago
      We can finally say yes to this question
    • numpad0 2 hours ago
      or AR glasses?
  • cyberax 19 minutes ago
    This is actually getting close enough to manipulate the _phase_ of light! And doing that would allow creating true holograms.

    Or alternative true augmented reality glasses that are not limited to one focal plane.

    • volemo 12 minutes ago
      Electro-optic modulators already exist — still no StarTrek. :(
  • cordwainersmith 1 hour ago
    How do you even fit a video projector onto something that small, the physics feel like they shouldn't cooperate.
  • CoolThings 1 hour ago
    This might be relevant for Augmented Reality headgear.
  • darfo 4 hours ago
    Oh wait. It does have the correct title. My fruit flies are cheering.
  • SilentM68 1 hour ago
    [dead]
  • darfo 4 hours ago
    Cool. Now I can show videos to my fruit flies! /s

    Srsly title should be "MEMS Array Chip the Size of a Grain of Sand Can Project Video"

    not

    "MEMS Array Chip Can Project Video the Size of a Grain of Sand"

    • projektfu 1 hour ago
      It is actually about a 0.125mm projection, not the size of the chip. But more about steering lasers, which is really what they wanted to do.
  • gurumeditations 43 minutes ago
    This is revolutionary. No other way to put it.
    • topspin 33 minutes ago
      It certainly looks like something that will find novel applications.