OPTOELECTRONIC DISPLAY PANEL

• US 3,659,159 A
• Filed: 10/14/1970
• Issued: 04/25/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1966
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Minoru Nagata
• Original Assignee: Minoru Nagata
• Inventors: Nagata, Minoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Huckert, John W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Edlow, Martin H.
• Application Number:
  US05/080,621
• Time in Patent Office: 559 Days
• Field of Search: 307/311 317/235N,235D,235L 250/213,211J
• US Class Current: 345/3.1
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/142 the light being detected by light detection means within each pixel
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/00 Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0688 Integrated circuits having a three-dimensional layout
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1446 in a repetitive configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/08 controlled by light
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/78 using opto-electronic devices, i.e. light-emitting and photoelectric devices electrically- or optically-coupled
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/315 the devices being tunnel diodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/29 Repeaters
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 136/291 Applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 148/026 Deposition thru hole in mask
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 148/032 Diffusion length
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 148/035 Diffusion through a layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 148/043 Dual dielectric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 148/049 Equivalence and options
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 148/085 Isolated-integrated

Abstract

An optoelectronic amplifier in which a light-receiving element, such as a photoconductive element, a light-emissive element, such as a PN junction light emitter, and a negative resistance element, such as tunnel diode, are suitably combined to form a system wherein an input light signal is received and converted into an electrical signal by the light-receiving element, and the negative resistance element is controlled by the converted electrical signal to switch the light-emissive element on and off whereby an amplified light signal is emitted from the lightemissive element.

Claims

1. A solid state display device comprising:

an image-receiving panel including a plurality of photoconductive elements disposed on one surface thereof in matrix form;

a display panel arranged on the other side of said imagereceiving panel, and including a plurality of PN junction light emitters disposed in matrix form in corresponding positions to said photo-conductive elements;

a plurality of tunnel diodes, each of which is connected in series with a respective one of said PN junction light emitters;

means for connecting one terminal of each of the respective photo-conductive elements to the junction point of a respective tunnel diode and PN light emitter combination; and

means for electrically connecting to the other terminal of the respective photo-conductive elements and the other terminal of said PN junction light emitters and tunnel diodes opposite to the ends forming the junction points thereof from outside said display device.

2. The solid state display device according to claim 1, wherein said photo-conductive elements, PN junction light emitters and tunnel diodes are formed on separate portions of a single semiconductor substrate.

3. A solid state display device comprising:

a display panel including a plurality of light-emissive elements disposed on one surface thereof in matrix form;

a plurality of negative resistance elements, each of which is connected in series with each of said light-emissive elements, respectively;

an image-receiving panel arranged on the opposite side against said one surface of said image-receiving panel, and including a plurality of photo-electric conversion elements disposed in matrix form in corresponding positions to said light-emissive elements, said photo-electric conversion elements being coupled respectively to said negative resistance elements for operatively switching said negative resistance elements; and

a DC power source for supplying electric power to respective series circuits of said light-emissive elements and said negative resistance elements.

4. A solid state display device comprising:

a semiconductor body having a first conductivity type;

a plurality of light-emissive elements disposed On one surface of said semiconductor body in matrix form, to thereby form a display panel;

a plurality of photo-electric conversion elements disposed on the other surface opposite to said one surface of said semiconductor body in matrix form to thereby form an image-receiving panel;

a plurality of isolated semiconductive regions each having a second conductivity type opposite to said first conductivity type and formed in elongated fashion in said semiconductor body from said one surface to said opposite surface thereof, each of said isolated semiconductive regions electrically connecting each of said light-emissive elements to each of said photoelectric conversion elements, respectively;

a plurality of negative resistance elements disposed on one surface of said semiconductor body;

conductive leads formed on an insulator layer for covering said one surface of said semiconductor body, each of said leads connecting one of said light-emissive elements to one of said negative resistance elements, respectively; and

a DC power source for supplying electric power to said respective series circuits of said light-emissive elements and said negative resistance elements.

5. A solid state display device according to claim 4, wherein said respective light-emissive elements are comprised of a diode having a PN junction which is formed in said semiconductor body.

6. A solid state display device according to claim 5, wherein said respective photoelectric conversion element is formed of a photo-conductive material.

7. An optoelectronic display device including a matrix of semiconductor elements, each semiconductor element comprising:

a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type having first and second opposite surfaces;

a pair of diffused impurity regions of a conductivity type different from said first conductivity type diffused within and passing through said substrate to said first and second surfaces;

a substantially U-shaped resistive layer of a second conductivity type different from said first conductivity type diffused within said substrate between said impurity regions on said first and second sides of said substrate;

a first layer of said first conductivity type deposited in one end of said U-shaped resistive layer and being allowed therewith, so as to form a tunnel diode region, a photo-conductive region supported on said first side of said substrate and being connected therewith; and

a first conductive path insulatingly supported on said first side of said substrate for connecting the other end of said U-shape resistive layer and one of said diffused impurity regions.

8. An optoelectronic device according to claim 7, further including a second conductive path insulatingly formed on said first side of said substrate and connecting the other of said diffused impurity regions with said tunnel diode.

9. An optoelectronic device according to claim 8, further including a third conductive path insulatingly formed on said first side of said substrate and connecting said substrate and said photo-conductive region.

10. An optoelectronic device according to claim 9, further including a second layer of said first conductivity type formed on said second side of said substrate over said other impurity region and a portion of the surface of said substrate;

a dense layer of said first conductivity type formed in said second layer; and

a fourth conductive path insulatingly supported on said second side of said substrate and connecting said dense layer with the side of said one impurity region opposite the connection of said first conductive path.

11. An optoelectronic display device according to claim 10, wherein each of said conductive paths is insulatingly supported by a layer of insulation formed on said substrate.

12. An optoelectronic display device according to claim 11, further including a fifth conductive path contacting said one end of said U-shaped resistive layer adjacent said tunnEl diode and extending beyond the surface of said insulation, so that an external connection can be applied thereto.

13. An optoelectronic display device according to claim 12, further including an aluminum shield disposed within said insulating layer on said first side of said substrate beneath said photo-conductive layer.

14. An optoelectronic display device according to claim 13, wherein said substrate is formed from a crystal selected from a group consisting of gallium-phosphide, gallium-arsenide, and a mixture of gallium-phosphide and gallium-arsenide.

15. An optoelectronic display device according to claim 14, wherein the impurity diffused in said impurity regions is selected from the group consisting of tellurium, selenium, and antimony.

16. An optoelectronic display device according to claim 15, wherein said second layer of said first conductivity type has zinc diffused therein to form said dense layer.

17. An optoelectronic display device according to claim 12, wherein ground potential is applied to said substrate, a positive potential is applied to said fifth conductive path and a negative potential is applied to said first conductive path.