Light valve device making

• US 5,637,187 A
• Filed: 06/05/1995
• Issued: 06/10/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Takasu, Hiroaki, Suzuki, Hiroshi, Kamiya, Masaaki, Takano, Ryuichi, Yabe, Satoru, Kojima, Yoshikazu, Yamazaki, Tsuneo, Taguchi, Masaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): POWELL, WILLIAM A
• Application Number:
  US08/464,075
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: 216/2, 216/23, 216/33, 216/88, 156/633.1, 156/636.1, 156/657.1, 156/662.1, 437/29, 437/40, 437/56, 437/181
• US Class Current: 438/30
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13378 by treatment of the surface, e.g. embossing, rubbing or light irradiation G02F1/133711, G02F1/133734, G02F1/133753 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13454 Drivers integrated on the active matrix substrate G02F1/136277 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136213 Storage capacitors associated with the pixel electrode
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/105 single crystal Si
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/02 Details of power systems and of start or stop of display operation
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3648 using an active matrix G09G3/367 - G09G3/3696 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04
• 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 27/1251 comprising TFTs having a different architecture, e.g. top- and bottom gate TFTs

Abstract

A process for forming a light valve device comprises forming a semiconductor single crystal film to form a composite substrate by polishing a semiconductor single crystal substrate after an electric insulating substrate has been bonded thereto; forming a group of pixel electrodes for defining a pixel region and a group of switch elements for selectively energizing the pixel electrodes by integrating a pixel array portion over the composite substrate; forming a liquid crystal aligning means for the pixel region; superposing an opposed substrate over the composite substrate with a gap therebetween; and filling the gap with liquid crystal material.

Claims

1. A process for fabricating a light valve substrate semiconductor device comprised of a composite substrate having an electric insulating substrate and a semiconductor single crystal thin film, and a pixel array portion formed over the composite substrate and including a group of switch elements for selectively energizing a group of pixel electrodes, the process comprising:

a first step of forming a semiconductor single crystal thin film by adhering a semiconductor single crystal plate to the surface of an electric insulating substrate and polishing the single crystal plate;

a second step of forming a group of pixel electrodes and a group of switch elements for selectively energizing the pixel electrodes; and

a third step of electrically connecting the individual elements of the pixel array portion.

2. A process for fabricating a light valve substrate semiconductor device according to claim 1;

wherein said first step includes forming a stress buffer layer on the surface of the semiconductor single crystal thin film or the electric insulating substrate, and adhering the two substrates by thermo-compressive bonding.

3. A process for fabricating a light valve substrate semiconductor device according to claim 1;

wherein the second step includes shaping the surface of the pixel electrodes to form regular concavities and convexities.

4. A process for fabricating a light valve substrate semiconductor device according to claim 1;

wherein the second step includes forming an island region by patterning the semiconductor single crystal thin film, forming a PN junction diode by doping a portion of the island region with an impurity, and forming the pixel electrodes by depositing and patterning a conductive material to effect the electric connection with the PN junction diode.

5. A process for fabricating a light valve substrate semiconductor device according to claim 1;

wherein the second step includes forming the pixel electrodes of a semiconductor polycrystal thin film by depositing and patterning the semiconductor polycrystal thin film.

6. A process for fabricating a light valve substrate semiconductor device according to claim 1;

wherein the second step includes forming an overall thickness field oxide film by thermally oxidizing the overall thickness of a selected area of the semiconductor single crystal thin film, forming a gate oxide film by thermally oxidizing the surface portion of the semiconductor single crystal thin film which is enclosed by the field oxide film, forming a gate electrode over the oxide film, and forming a source region and a drain region by doping the semiconductor film with an impurity through the gate electrode acting as a mask to form insulated gate field effect thin film transistors made of the semiconductor single crystal thin film as the switch elements.

7. A process for fabricating a light valve substrate semiconductor device according to claim 1;

wherein the second step includes forming the pixel electrodes and electrodes of the switch elements continuously of the semiconductor single crystal thin film by patterning the semiconductor single crystal thin film, forming a gate insulating film by thermally oxidizing the surface of the semiconductor single crystal thin film and then forming a gate electrode over the gate insulating film, and forming the switch elements composed of semiconductor single crystal thin film insulated gate field effect thin film transistors and the pixel electrodes in a common step by doping the semiconductor single crystal thin film with an impurity through the gate electrode acting as a mask to form a source region, a drain region, and the pixel electrode contiguous to the drain region.

8. A process for fabricating a light valve substrate semiconductor device according to claim 1;

wherein the second step includes depositing a silicon polycrystal thin film, doping the silicon polycrystal thin film with an impurity, and forming the pixel electrodes by patterning the silicon polycrystal thin film to electrically connect the pixel electrodes with the switch elements.

9. A process for fabricating a light valve substrate semiconductor device according to claim 1;

wherein the first step includes forming a recess by selectively etching the back of a semiconductor single crystal plate, flattening the back by depositing an oxide film thereon, adhering a transparent electrically insulating substrate to the flattened face, and polishing the semiconductor single crystal plate; and

wherein the second step includes polishing the semiconductor single crystal plate precisely till the deposited oxide film has its surface exposed to the outside.

10. A process for fabricating a light valve substrate semiconductor device comprised of a composite substrate having an electric insulating substrate and a semiconductor single crystal thin film, a pixel array portion formed over the composite substrate and including a group of switch elements for selectively energizing a group of pixel electrodes, and a peripheral circuit portion for driving the pixel array portion, the process comprising:

a first step of forming a semiconductor single crystal thin film by adhering a semiconductor single crystal plate to the surface of an electric insulating substrate and by polishing the single crystal plate;

a second step of forming a peripheral circuit portion made of the semiconductor single crystal thin film by treating the semiconductor single crystal thin film;

a third step of forming a group of pixel electrodes and a group of switch elements for selectively energizing the pixel electrodes, the third step being carried out simultaneously with or before or after the second step; and

a fourth step of electrically connecting the individual elements of the peripheral circuit portion and the pixel array portion.

11. A process for fabricating a light valve substrate semiconductor device according to claim 10;

wherein the second step includes forming a gate insulating film over the surface of the semiconductor single crystal thin film by removing the semiconductor single crystal thin film partially and subjecting the same to a heat treatment, and forming a pattern by covering the gate insulating film with a thin film made of a polycrystal semiconductor or an amorphous semiconductor; and

wherein the third step includes forming a gate insulating film over a gate electrode by using the semiconductor polycrystal thin film or the semiconductor amorphous thin film as the gate electrode, forming a semiconductor region by depositing a semiconductor polycrystal thin film and patterning it, and forming a source region and a drain region by doping a selected region of the semiconductor thin film with an impurity to form insulated gate field effect thin film transistors acting as the switch elements.

12. A process for fabricating a light valve substrate semiconductor device according to claim 10;

wherein the second step includes forming a gate insulating film over the surface of the semiconductor single crystal thin film by removing the semiconductor single crystal thin film partially and subjecting the same to a heat treatment, forming a pattern to form a gate electrode of the peripheral circuit portion by covering the gate insulating film with a thin film of a polycrystal semiconductor or an amorphous semiconductor, and forming a source region and a drain region by doping the semiconductor single crystal thin film with an impurity through the gate electrode acting as a mask to form insulated gate field effect thin film transistors in the peripheral circuit portion.

13. A process for fabricating a light valve substrate semiconductor device according to claim 10;

wherein the second step includes forming an overall thickness field oxide film by thermally oxidizing the overall thickness of a selected area of the semiconductor single crystal thin film; and

wherein the third step includes forming a restricted overall thickness field oxide film by thermally oxidizing the surface portion of the selected area of the semiconductor single crystal thin film.

14. A process for fabricating a light valve substrate semiconductor device according to claim 10;

wherein the second step includes forming an island element region by selectively etching the overall thickness of the semiconductor single crystal thin film.

15. A process for fabricating a light valve device, comprising:

a first step of forming a semiconductor single crystal thin film to form a composite substrate by polishing a semiconductor single crystal substrate after an electric insulating substrate and the semiconductor single crystal substrate have been bonded;

a second step of forming a group of pixel electrodes for defining a pixel region and a group of switch elements for selectively energizing individual ones of the pixel electrodes by integrating a pixel array portion over the composite substrate;

a third step of forming liquid crystal aligning means for the pixel region;

a fourth step of superposing an opposed substrate over the composite substrate with a gap therebetween; and

a fifth step of filling a liquid crystal in the gap.

16. A process for fabricating a light valve device according to claim 15;

wherein the third step includes forming concavities and convexities in the surface of the pixel region.