Single crystal silicon arrayed devices for display panels

• US 5,438,241 A
• Filed: 11/01/1993
• Issued: 08/01/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kopin Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kopin Corporation
• Inventors: Spitzer, Mark B., Jacobsen, Jeffrey, Fan, John C. C., McClelland, Robert, Zavracky, Paul M., Dingle, Brenda
• Primary Examiner(s): Neyzari, Ali
• Application Number:
  US08/146,589
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 315/169.3, 315/169.1, 445/1, 437/21, 437/84, 437/29, 437/173, 437/974, 437/83, 359/59, 313/505, 313/506, 313/509, 148/DIG. 135
• US Class Current: 315/169.3
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0132 comprising binocular systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• 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: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/30 Polarising elements light-modulating devices with active elements G02F1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13336 Combining plural substrates to produce large-area displays, e.g. tiled displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133526 Lenses, e.g. microlenses or Fresnel lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13454 Drivers integrated on the active matrix substrate G02F1/136277 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13473 for wavelength filtering or for colour display without the use of colour mosaic filters
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13613 the semiconductor element being formed on a first substrate and thereafter transferred to the final cell substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136209 Light shielding layers, e.g. black matrix, incorporated in the active matrix substrate, e.g. structurally associated with the switching element
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136277 formed on a semiconductor substrate, e.g. of silicon
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/105 single crystal Si
• 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 21/8221 : Three dimensional integrated circuits stacked in different levels
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2221/6835 : used as a support during build up manufacturing of active devices
• 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 2224/80001 : by connecting a bonding area directly to another bonding area, i.e. connectorless bonding, e.g. bumpless bonding
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0756 : Stacked arrangements of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0688 : Integrated circuits having a three-dimensional layout
• 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 27/156 : 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: H01L 29/78654 : Monocrystalline silicon transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 : Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00011 : Not relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 : Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/09701 : Low temperature co-fired ceramic [LTCC]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0062 : for devices with an active region comprising only III-V compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/405 : Reflective materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0217 : Removal of the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/423 : having a vertical cavity
• 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 148/135 : Removal of substrate

Abstract

A display panel is formed using a single crystal thin-film material that may be 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 then incorporated into a display panel with a light emitting or liquid crystal material to provide the desired display.

Claims

1. An active matrix electroluminescent display comprising:

a circuit panel of pixels comprising an array of transistors and an array of pixel electrodes, each pixel electrode being electrically connected to at least one transistor, each transistor comprising source, drain and channel regions formed with a thin film of a single crystal silicon region;

an adhesive layer to bond the circuit panel with an underlying substrate;

an electroluminescent material positioned over each pixel such that an electric field or signal generated by a transistor within each pixel causes light emission by the material; and

a driver circuit electrically connected to the circuit panel for actuating the pixels.

2. The panel display of claim 1 further comprising an optically transmissive array of electrodes positioned over the electroluminescent material, each optically transmissive electrode being electrically connected to one of the transistors.

3. The panel display of claim 1 wherein the single crystal silicon is a thin film formed on a substrate.

4. The panel display of claim 1 wherein the single crystal silicon is positioned on a curved optically transparent substrate.

5. The panel display of claim 1 wherein the transistor array and pixel electrode array are formed in a thin film layer of the single crystal semiconductor material.

6. The panel display of claim 1 further comprising a drive circuit formed in the thin film of single crystal material, the drive circuit being electrically connected to the transistors such that the drive circuit is capable of selectively actuating each pixel by actuating associated transistors, the associated pixel electrode connected to each actuated transistor producing an electric field across the electroluminescent material.

7. The panel display of claim 1 wherein the transistor array and the pixel electrode array comprise a plurality of columns and rows to define a pixel array.

8. The panel display of claim 1 wherein the drive circuit comprises a first circuit electrically connected to each column of the pixel array, and a second circuit electrically connected to each row of the pixel array.

9. The panel display of claim 1 further comprising a bonding material to bond the circuit panel to the optically transmissive substrate.

10. The panel display of claim 9 wherein the bonding material comprises an epoxy.

11. The panel display of claim 1 wherein the transistors are capable of operating at a frequency of more than about 5000 Hz and less than about 10,000 Hz.

12. An electroluminescent panel display comprising:

a thin film of essentially single crystal silicon over an insulating layer and a supporting semiconductor substrate;

a circuit panel of pixels comprising an array of transistor circuits and an array of pixel electrodes, each electrode being electrically connected to one of the transistors circuits, each transistor of the circuit panel comprising source, drain and channel regions formed in the thin film of essentially single crystal semiconductor material;

an electroluminescent material positioned over each pixel electrode such that an electric signal generated by a transistor circuit is applied to the material causing light emission by the material; and

a drive circuit electrically connected to the transistor circuits for actuating the pixel electrodes.

13. The panel display of claim 12 wherein the drive circuit comprises CMOS logic devices.

14. The panel display of claim 12 wherein the transistor array and the pixel electrode array comprise a plurality of columns and rows to define a pixel array.

15. The panel display of claim 12 further comprising an optically transmissive material positioned over the electroluminescent material and having an array of optically transmissive electrodes formed-therein.

16. The panel display of claim 15 wherein the optically transmissive material comprises indium tin oxide.

17. The panel display of claim 12 wherein the electroluminescent material is comprised of a plurality of layers,.each layer being capable of emitting a light of a given wavelength different from the wavelengths of the other layers when subjected to the electrical field.

18. The panel display of claim 12 wherein the electroluminescent material is capable of producing a plurality of different wavelengths of light.

19. The panel display of claim 12 wherein the transistors are capable of operating at a frequency of more than about 5000 Hz and less than about 10,000 Hz.

20. A head mounted electroluminescent panel display comprising:

a visor that is mounted on a user'"'"'s head;

a circuit panel of pixels mounted on the visor, the circuit panel comprising an array of transistor circuits and an array of pixel electrodes, each electrode being electrically connected to one of the transistor circuits, each transistor of the circuit panel comprising source, drain and channel regions formed in a thin film of essentially single crystal semiconductor material;

an electroluminescent material positioned over each pixel electrode such that an electric signal generated by a transistor circuit is applied to the material causing light emission by the material; and

a drive circuit electrically connected to the transistor circuits for actuating the pixel electrodes.

21. The head mounted electroluminescent panel display of claim 20 further comprising an adhesive for mounting the circuit panel to the visor.

22. The head mounted electroluminescent display panel of claim 20 wherein a surface of the visor is curved.

23. The head mounted electroluminescent display panel of claim 20 further comprising a color filter array formed over the circuit panel.

24. The head mounted electroluminescent display panel of claim 20 wherein the drive circuit is formed with the thin film of essentially single crystal semiconductor material.

25. The head mounted electroluminescent display of claim 20 further comprising a phosphor material formed over a silicon-on-insulator structure.