The DMDTM Projection Display Chip: A MEMS-Based Technology

Abstract

The possibility of an all-digital (sourceto-eye) projection display was realized in 1987 with the invention of the Digital Micromirror Device™ projection display chip at Texas Instruments (TI). The DMD™ chip is a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) array of fast digital micromirrors, monolithically integrated onto and controlled by an underlying silicon memory chip. Digital Light Processing™ projection displays are based on the DMD chip. DLP™ projection displays present bright, seamless images to the eye that have high image fidelity, and stability.