Display-integrated infrared emitter and sensor structures

• US 10,510,812 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2017
• Issued: 12/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Lamkin, Mark A., Ringgenberg, Kyle M., Lamkin, Jordan D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaudhari, Chandra
• Application Number:
  US15/808,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20190140031A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14603 Special geometry or disposition of pixel-elements, address-lines or gate-electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14621 Colour filter arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14627 Microlenses
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14636 Interconnect structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14649 Infrared imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14667 Colour imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14669 Infrared imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14683 Processes or apparatus peculiar to the manufacture or treatment of these devices or parts thereof not peculiar thereto H01L21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/156 two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/035218 the quantum structure being quantum dots
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/12 structurally associated with, e.g. formed in or on a common substrate with, one or more electric light sources, e.g. electroluminescent light sources, and electrically or optically coupled thereto semiconductor devices with at least one potential barrier or surface barrier adapted for light emission H01L33/00; amplifiers using electroluminescent element and photocell H03F17/00; electroluminescent light sources per se H05B33/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/06 within the light emitting region, e.g. quantum confinement structure or tunnel barrier
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/115 comprising active inorganic nanostructures, e.g. luminescent quantum dots
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/813 characterised by their shape
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/822 characterised by their shape
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/32 Stacked devices having two or more layers, each emitting at different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/35 comprising red-green-blue [RGB] subpixels
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/60 OLEDs integrated with inorganic light-sensitive elements, e.g. with inorganic solar cells or inorganic photodiodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/65 OLEDs integrated with inorganic image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/00 Manufacture or treatment specially adapted for the organic devices covered by this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/233 : by photolithographic etching
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/621 : Providing a shape to conductive layers, e.g. patterning or selective deposition

Abstract

In one embodiment, an electronic display includes a first plurality of hexagon-shaped pixels and a second plurality of hexagon-shaped pixels that are coplanar with the first plurality of hexagon-shaped pixels. The first plurality of hexagon-shaped pixels each include an infrared (IR) emitter subpixel that is operable to emit IR light. The second plurality of hexagon-shaped pixels each include an IR detector subpixel that is operable to detect IR light. Each IR emitter subpixel and each IR detector subpixel includes an anode layer and a cathode layer. Each particular IR emitter subpixel includes an IR emissive layer located between the anode layer and the cathode layer of the particular IR emitter subpixel. Each particular IR detector subpixel includes an IR detector layer located between the anode layer and the cathode layer of the particular IR detector subpixel.

Claims

1. An electronic display comprising:

a first plurality of hexagon-shaped pixels, the first plurality of hexagon-shaped pixels each comprising an infrared (IR) emitter subpixel operable to emit IR light; and

a second plurality of hexagon-shaped pixels that are coplanar with the first plurality of hexagon-shaped pixels, the second plurality of hexagon-shaped pixels each comprising an IR detector subpixel operable to detect IR light, wherein;

each IR emitter subpixel and each IR detector subpixel comprises;

an anode layer; and

a cathode layer;

each particular IR emitter subpixel comprises an IR emissive layer located between the anode layer and the cathode layer of the particular IR emitter subpixel;

each particular IR detector subpixel comprises an IR detector layer located between the anode layer and the cathode layer of the particular IR detector subpixel; and

at least one of the anode layer and the cathode layer of each particular IR emitter subpixel and each particular IR detector subpixel is transparent to IR light.

2. The electronic display of claim 1, wherein:

each anode layer of each IR emitter subpixel and each IR detector subpixel are in a shape of a first polygon when viewed from above, the first polygon comprising at least seven sides;

each cathode layer of each IR emitter subpixel and each IR detector subpixel are in a shape of a second polygon when viewed from above, the second polygon being a mirror image of the first polygon; and

each emissive layer and each detector layer are in a shape of a third polygon when viewed from above, the third polygon comprising at least eight sides.

3. The electronic display of claim 1, wherein:

each cathode layer and each anode layer is electrically coupled to a substrate through a respective connector column; and

each connector column comprises a cross-sectional shape of a square, a rectangle, a circle, a triangle, or a trapezoid.

4. The electronic display of claim 1, wherein each IR emissive layer and each IR detector layer comprises:

a quantum dot layer;

an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) layer;

a quantum-dot-based light-emitting diode (QLED) layer;

or

a transparent photodetector material and a color filter.

5. The electronic display of claim 1, wherein the first and second plurality of hexagon-shaped pixels each comprise three additional subpixels, the three additional subpixels comprising:

a first subpixel;

a second subpixel stacked on top of the first subpixel; and

a third subpixel stacked on top of the second subpixel;

wherein;

each of the first, second, and third subpixels comprises a hexagon cross-sectional shape; and

each of the first, second, and third subpixels comprises a photodetector or emissive layer located between a transparent cathode layer and a transparent anode layer.

6. The electronic display of claim 5, wherein:

each IR emitter subpixel and each IR detector subpixel is coupled to a substrate;

the three additional subpixels for each particular one of the first plurality of hexagon-shaped pixels are located on top of the IR emitter subpixel of the particular one of the first plurality of hexagon-shaped pixels; and

the three additional subpixels for each particular one of the second plurality of hexagon-shaped pixels are located on top of the IR detector subpixel of the particular one of the second plurality of hexagon-shaped pixels.

7. The electronic display of claim 5, wherein:

each first subpixel of the first and second plurality of hexagon-shaped pixels is formed on a substrate;

each IR emitter subpixel for each particular one of the first plurality of hexagon-shaped pixels is located on top of the third subpixel of the particular one of the first plurality of hexagon-shaped pixels; and

each IR detector subpixel for each particular one of the second plurality of hexagon-shaped pixels is located on top of the third subpixel of the particular one of the second plurality of hexagon-shaped pixels.

8. An electronic display comprising:

a first plurality of polygon-shaped pixels, the first plurality of polygon-shaped pixels each comprising an infrared (IR) emitter subpixel operable to emit IR light; and

a second plurality of polygon-shaped pixels that are coplanar with the first plurality of polygon-shaped pixels, the second plurality of polygon-shaped pixels each comprising an IR detector subpixel operable to detect IR light, wherein;

each IR emitter subpixel and each IR detector subpixel comprises;

an anode layer; and

a cathode layer;

each particular IR emitter subpixel comprises an IR emissive layer;

each particular IR detector subpixel comprises an IR detector layer; and

at least a portion of one of the anode layer and the cathode layer of each particular IR emitter subpixel and each particular IR detector subpixel is transparent to IR light.

9. The electronic display of claim 8, wherein each cathode layer and each anode layer is electrically coupled to a substrate via a respective connector column.

10. The electronic display of claim 9, wherein each connector column comprises a cross-sectional shape of a square, a rectangle, a circle, a triangle, or a trapezoid.

11. The electronic display of claim 8, wherein each R emissive layer and each IR detector layer comprises:

a quantum dot layer;

an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) layer;

a quantum-dot-based light-emitting diode (QLED) layer;

or

a transparent photodetector material and a color filter.

12. The electronic display of claim 8, wherein the first and second plurality of polygon-shaped pixels each comprise three additional subpixels.

13. The electronic display of claim 12, wherein the three additional subpixels comprises:

a first subpixel;

a second subpixel stacked on top of the first subpixel; and

a third subpixel stacked on top of the second subpixel;

wherein each of the first, second, and third subpixels comprises a photodetector or emissive layer located between a transparent cathode layer and a transparent anode layer.

14. An electronic display comprising:

a first plurality of pixels, the first plurality of pixels each comprising an infrared (IR) emitter operable to emit IR light; and

a second plurality of pixels that are coplanar with the first plurality of pixels, the second plurality of pixels each comprising an IR detector operable to detect IR light, wherein;

each IR emitter and each IR detector comprises;

an anode layer; and

a cathode layer;

each particular IR emitter comprises an IR emissive layer;

each particular IR detector comprises an IR detector layer; and

at least a portion of one of the anode layer and the cathode layer of each particular IR emitter and each particular IR detector is transparent to IR light.

15. The electronic display of claim 14, wherein each cathode layer and each anode layer is electrically coupled to a substrate via a respective connector column.

16. The electronic display of claim 15, wherein each connector column comprises a cross-sectional shape of a square, a rectangle, a circle, a triangle, or a trapezoid.

17. The electronic display of claim 14, wherein each IR emissive layer and each IR detector layer comprises:

a quantum dot layer;

an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) layer;

a quantum-dot-based light-emitting diode (QLED) layer;

or

a transparent photodetector material and a color filter.

18. The electronic display of claim 14, wherein the first and second plurality of pixels each comprise three subpixels.

19. The electronic display of claim 18, wherein the three subpixels comprises:

a first subpixel;

a second subpixel stacked on top of the first subpixel; and

a third subpixel stacked on top of the second subpixel;

wherein each of the first, second, and third subpixels comprises a photodetector or emissive layer located between a transparent cathode layer and a transparent anode layer.

20. The electronic display of claim 14, wherein the first plurality of pixels and the second plurality of pixels each comprise a polygon shape.