Method of manufacturing electro-optical devices wherein the electrode is patterned on the modulation layer

• US 5,289,300 A
• Filed: 02/03/1992
• Issued: 02/22/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hamatani, Toshiji, Mase, Akira, Nishi, Takeshi, Yamazaki, Shunpei
• Primary Examiner(s): Sikes, William L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRICE, RONALD
• Application Number:
  US07/829,263
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 359/51, 359/52, 359/53, 359/54, 359/59, 359/87, 359/58
• US Class Current: 349/42
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1334 based on polymer dispersed liquid crystals, e.g. microencapsulated liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13439 characterised by their electrical, optical, physical properties; materials therefor; method of making
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1365 in which the switching element is a two-electrode device G02F1/136277 takes precedence

Abstract

A method of manufacturing electro-optical devices is described. The method comprises steps of forming a first electrode arrangement on a substrate, coating an electro-optical modulating layer comprising a liquid crystal on the substrate over the first electrode arrangement and forming a second electrode arrangement on the electro-optical modulating layer. The electro-optical modulating layer is prepared by dispersing a liquid crystal in a pre-polymer which can be cured by UV light or other suitable procedures.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing electro-optical devices comprising:

forming non-linear semiconductor elements and a first electrode arrangement on a substrate;

coating an electro-optical modulating layer comprising a liquid crystal on said substrate over said non-linear semiconductor elements and first electrode arrangement;

forming a conductive layer on said electro-optical modulating layer; and

patterning said conductive layer to form a second electrode arrangement.

2. The method of manufacturing electro-optical devices as claimed in claim 1 wherein said electro-optical modulating layer is prepared by dispersing said liquid crystal in a transparent organic resin.

3. The method of manufacturing electro-optical devices as claimed in claim 2 wherein said organic resin is a UV light curable resin.

4. The method of manufacturing electro-optical devices as claimed in claim 2 wherein said organic resin is a pre-polymer.

5. The method of manufacturing electro-optical devices as claimed in claim 4 further comprising a step of polymerizing said prepolymer.

6. The method of manufacturing electro-optical devices as claimed in claim 2 wherein said electro-optical modulating layer is prepared by dispersing said liquid crystal in a pre-polymer together with a polymerization initiator.

7. The method of manufacturing electro-optical devices as claimed in claim 6 further comprising a step of exposing said electro-optical modulating layer to UV light to initiate polymerization of said pre-polymer.

8. The method of manufacturing electro-optical devices as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a step of forming a protective film on said electro-optical modulating layer over said second electrode arrangement.

9. The method of manufacturing electro-optical devices as claimed in claim 8 wherein at least one of said substrate and said protective film is transparent.

10. The method of manufacturing electro-optical devices as claimed in claim 9 wherein said substrate comprises a material selected from the group consisting of an organic material and a glass.

11. The method of manufacturing electro-optical devices as claimed in claim 1 further comprising steps of:

forming another electro-optical modulating layer comprising a liquid crystal on said second electrode arrangement; and

forming a third electrode arrangement on said another electro-optical modulating layer.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said electro-optical modulating layer is coated by a method selected from the group consisting of screen press printing, offset printing, spinning, spraying, knife coating using a doctor knife, roll coating, and curtain coating.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said non-linear elements are selected from the group consisting of a thin film transistor, complementary thin film transistor pair and a MIM element.

14. A method of manufacturing electro-optical devices comprising the steps of:

forming on a substrate an electric circuit comprising a switching element and a first electrode arrangement;

forming an electro-optical modulating layer comprising a liquid crystal on said electric circuit;

forming a transparent conductive oxide layer on said electro-optical modulating layer by sputtering; and

patterning said conductive layer in order to form a second electrode arrangement.

15. The method of manufacturing electro-optical devices as claimed in claim 14 wherein said electro-optical modulating layer is prepared by dispersing said liquid crystal in a transparent organic resin.

16. The method of manufacturing electro-optical devices as claimed in claim 15 wherein said organic resin is a pre-polymer.

17. The method of manufacturing electro-optical devices as claimed in claim 16 further comprising a step of polymerizing said pre-polymer.

18. The method of manufacturing electro-optical devices as claimed in claim 15 wherein said electro-optical modulating layer is prepared by dispersing said liquid crystal in a pre-polymer together with a polymerization initiator.

19. The method of manufacturing electro-optical devices as claimed in claim 18 further comprising a step of exposing said electro-optical modulating layer to UV light to initiate polymerization of said pre-polymer.

20. The method of manufacturing electro-optical devices as claimed in claim 14 wherein said switching element comprises a thin film transistor.

21. The method of manufacturing electro-optical devices as claimed in claim 14 further comprising a step of forming a protective film on said electro-optical modulating layer over said second electrode arrangement.

22. The method of manufacturing electro-optical devices as claimed in claim 14 further comprising steps of:

forming another electro-optical modulating layer comprising a liquid crystal on said second electrode arrangement; and

forming a third electrode arrangement on said another electro-optical modulating layer.

23. The method of claim 14 wherein said electro-optical modulating layer is coated by a method selected from the group consisting of screen press printing, offset printing, spinning, spraying, knife coating using a doctor knife, roll coating, and curtain coating.

24. The method of claim 14 wherein said non-linear elements are selected from the group consisting of a thin film transistor, complementary thin film transistor pair and a MIM element.

25. The method of claim 14 further comprising annealing said transparent conductive oxide layer in an oxidizing atmosphere.

26. A method for forming an electro-optical device comprising the steps of:

forming an electrode arrangement and active elements in the form of a matrix on a substrate;

applying an electro-optical modulating layer comprising a mixture of a liquid crystal and an organic transparent material on said substrate;

forming a second electrode layer on said electro-optical modulating layer;

patterning said second electrode layer to form a second electrode arrangement; and

forming a protective coating directly on said second electrode arrangement.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein said protective coating comprises a silicon resin.

28. A method for forming an electro-optical device comprising the steps of:

forming an electrode arrangement and active elements in the form of a matrix on a substrate;

applying an electro-optical modulating layer comprising a mixture of a liquid crystal and an organic transparent material on said substrate;

forming a second electrode layer on said electro-optical modulating layer; and

patterning said second electrode layer to form a second electrode arrangement;

wherein said active elements comprises metal-insulator-metal elements where the insulator comprises Si_x C_y (x+y=1).

29. The method of claim 28 wherein said insulator is not thicker than 2000 Å

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