Microvision, Fraunhofer IPMS Renew R&D Partnership

Redmond, Wash.-based Microvision Inc., a maker of light scanning technologies for display and imaging products, this week announced its strategic technology development partnership with the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems (IPMS) in Dresden, Germany. Microvision and Fraunhofer IPMS have been working for several years to develop MEMS (microelectromechanical) scanning mirrors optimized for several large-volume display and imaging applications. Microvision is the exclusive commercial partner of Fraunhofer IPMS for 2-D MEMS scanners targeted for display and certain imaging applications. MEMS scanners are a key component to Microvision’s Integrated Photonics Module platform, which is expected to deliver miniature display engines for mass market OEM applications, such as a full-color projection display embedded into a mobile phone. Fraunhofer IPMS is an internationally recognized research and development institute for MEMS and recently made the scanner for a prototype laser projector the size of a sugar cube (See "Sugar-Cube-Sized Video Projector Created"). The miniature projector is less than 16 mm wide, 9 mm high and 9 mm deep. The prototype projector houses a tiny silicon MEMS scanning mirror that scans light from a red laser diode to create an image.