Multi-spectral Projector for HWILS using Micro Interferometer Arrays

We propose to develop a multi-spectral projector system capable of projecting complex scenes in the long-wave infrared (LWIR, 8-10 micron), mid-wave infrared (MWIR, 3-5 micron), visible (V) and ultra-violet (UV) spectral regions simultaneously onto missile seekers for hardware-in-the-loop simulation (HWILS). Consisting of four 640x480 micro interferometer arrays, the system projects scenes in the multi-spectral regions that are perfectly registered and synchronized at a frame rate of at least 100 frame/s and a dynamic range of no less than 12 bits. Each array, fabricated by commercial MEMS (microelectromechanical system) and CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) foundries, consists of a 2-D format of micro interferometers, each is dynamically and individually tuned to modulate a laser beam in a specific spectral range of interest. The arrays are highly producible by conventional CMOS and MEMS processes for low-cost mass production. Phase I will analyze and design the array structure and layout, delineate the processes for fabrication and fabricate a simple structure to demonstrate its fabricability. Phase II will fabricate and test the arrays for scene projection.