Method of fabricating single crystal silicon arrayed devices for display panels

• US 5,362,671 A
• Filed: 04/08/1994
• Issued: 11/08/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kopin Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kopin Corporation
• Inventors: Jacobsen, Jeffrey, Fan, John C. C., McClelland, Robert, Zavracky, Paul M., Dingle, Brenda
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomas, Tom
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRINH, MICHAEL MANH
• Application Number:
  US08/225,091
• Time in Patent Office: 214 Days
• Field of Search: 437/81, 437/974, 437/86
• US Class Current: 438/29
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0198 System for aligning or maintaining alignment of an image in a predetermined direction
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0093 with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136277 formed on a semiconductor substrate, e.g. of silicon
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/023 Display panel composed of stacked panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0809 Several active elements per pixel in active matrix panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0842 forming a memory circuit, e.g. a dynamic memory with one capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0233 Improving the luminance or brightness uniformity across the screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/041 Temperature compensation
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/043 Preventing or counteracting the effects of ageing
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0464 Positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/042 for monitor identification
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/30 using electroluminescent panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/36 using liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3607 for displaying colours or for displaying grey scales with a specific pixel layout, e.g. using sub-pixels display of colours in flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; grey scales specific for television H04N3/127
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3614 Control of polarity reversal in general
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3648 using an active matrix G09G3/367 - G09G3/3696 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2221/68359 used as a support during manufacture of interconnect decals or build up layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2221/68363 used in a transfer process involving transfer directly from an origin substrate to a target substrate without use of an intermediate handle substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1214 comprising a plurality of TFTs formed on a non-semiconducting substrate, e.g. driving circuits for AMLCDs
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1266 : the substrate on which the devices are formed not being the final device substrate, e.g. using a temporary substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1274 : using crystallisation of amorphous semiconductor or recrystallisation of crystalline semiconductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/156 : two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66772 : Monocristalline silicon transistors on insulating substrates, e.g. quartz substrates H01L29/66666 takes precedence; thin film FinFETs H01L29/66795
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/786 : Thin film transistors, i.e. transistors with a channel being at least partly a thin film transistors having only the source or the drain region on an insulator layer H01L29/0653; thin film FinFETs H01L29/785
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78603 : characterised by the insulating substrate or support H01L29/78657 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78648 : arranged on opposing sides of the channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/70 : Circuit details for electroluminescent devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7441 : the modulator being an array of liquid crystal cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7491 : of head mounted projectors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3141 : Constructional details thereof details not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/14
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/12 : Light sources with substantially two-dimensional radiating surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 148/15 : Silicon on sapphire SOS

Abstract

A display panel is formed using essentially single crystal thin-film material that is transferred to substrates for display fabrication. Pixel arrays form light valves or switches that can be fabricated with control electronics in the thin-film material prior to transfer. The resulting circuit panel is than incorporated into a display panel with a light emitting or liquid crystal material to provide the desired display.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating a panel display comprising:

forming an essentially single crystal silicon semiconductor material on an insulating layer on a first substrate;

forming an array of transistors with the essentially single crystal silicon semiconductor material to form a circuit panel;

bonding the essentially single crystal silicon semiconductor material having the formed array of transistors and the insulating layer onto an optically transmissive substrate with an adhesive;

removing the first substrate from the circuit panel with the insulating layer; and

positioning a light transmitting material adjacent the circuit panel such that an electric field generated by a pixel electrode conductively connected to each transistor alters a light transmitting property of the material.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of forming an essentially single crystal semiconductor material comprises:

forming a non-single crystal silicon semiconductor material on the supporting substrate; and

crystallizing the non-single crystal silicon semiconductor material to the essentially single crystal silicon semiconductor material.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming a drive circuit in or on the essentially single crystal silicon semiconductor material such that each transistor is electrically connected to the drive circuit.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the transferring step further comprises forming a pixel electrode adjacent to each transistor such that the pixel electrode is electrically connected to the transistor.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the transferring step further comprises cleaving a support for the single crystal silicon semiconductor material from the supporting substrate.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the transferring step further comprises chemically etching the supporting substrate to release the essentially single crystal silicon semiconductor material.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the transferring step further comprises bonding the circuit panel to the optically transmissive substrate.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the light transmitting material comprises a liquid crystal.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the optically transmissive substrate comprises glass.

10. A method of fabricating a panel display comprising:

forming a non-single crystal silicon film on a supporting insulating layer;

crystallizing the non-single crystal silicon film to form an essentially single crystal silicon film;

forming an array of transistors with the essentially single crystal silicon film to form a circuit panel;

transferring the essentially single crystal silicon film having the formed array of transistors onto an optically transmissive substrate by bonding the circuit panel and insulating layer to the optically transmissive substrate; and

positioning a light transmitting material adjacent the circuit panel such that an electric field generated by a pixel electrode conductively connected to a transistor in the array of transistors alters a light transmitting property of the material.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the crystallizing step comprises scanning the non-single crystal silicon film with a heat source.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising forming a drive circuit in or on the essentially single crystal silicon film such that each transistor is electrically connected to the drive circuit.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the crystallizing step is followed by the step of forming the array of transistors in the essentially single crystal silicon film.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of forming an array of transistors further comprises forming a pixel electrode adjacent to each transistor such that the pixel electrode is electrically connected to the adjacent transistor.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the transferring step further comprises cleaving a support for the essentially single crystal silicon film from the supporting substrate.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein the transferring step further comprises chemically etching the supporting substrate to release the essentially single crystal silicon film.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein the bonding step comprises bonding the circuit panel to the optically transmissive substrate with an adhesive.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the light transmitting material comprises a liquid crystal.

19. The method of claim 10 wherein the optically transmissive substrate comprises glass.

20. A method of fabricating a panel display comprising:

forming a silicon material over an insulating layer and a supporting substrate;

forming an array of transistors with the silicon material to form an active matrix display circuit;

bonding the silicon material having the formed array of transistors onto an optically transmissive substrate with an adhesive, the optically transmissive substrate being positioned on a first side of the display circuit;

removing the supporting substrate from a second side of the display circuit; and

positioning a light transmitting material over an array of pixel electrodes conductively connected to the active matrix display circuit, the light transmitting material being positioned on the second side of the active matrix display circuit such that an electric field generated by each pixel electrode alters a light transmitting property of the material.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the silicon forming step further comprises forming a single crystal silicon film.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the removing step further comprises chemically etching the supporting substrate to release the active matrix display circuit.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein the bonding step comprises bonding the circuit with an optically transmissive adhesive.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein the light transmitting material comprises a liquid crystal material.

25. The method of claim 20 wherein the pixel electrodes comprise silicon.