Light valve device
First Claim
1. A light valve substrate semiconductor device comprising:
- a composite substrate including an optically transparent electrically insulating substrate, and a semiconductor single crystal thin film formed over the electrically insulating substrate and comprising a thinned single crystal wafer bonded to the electrically insulating substrate;
a substantially optically transparent pixel array portion formed over the composite substrate and including a group of optically transparent pixel electrodes for exciting an electro-optical material and a group of switch elements formed in the semiconductor single crystal thin film for selectively energizing the group of optically transparent pixel electrodes;
optically transparent isolating regions formed between the respective switching elements and the respective optically transparent pixel electrodes; and
an opaque peripheral circuit portion formed in the semiconductor single crystal thin film for driving the pixel array portion.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A light valve has a composite substrate comprised of an electrically insulating substrate and a semiconductor single crystal thin film formed over the electrically insulating substrate. A pixel array comprising semiconductor switch elements is formed in the semiconductor single crystal thin film. A peripheral circuit having circuit elements is formed in the semiconductor single crystal thin film so that a small-sized, high speed light valve is obtained. X- driver and Y-driver circuits are formed in the semiconductor single crystal thin film and controlled by a control circuit, such as a video signal processing circuit, which receives and processes video signals inputted directly from an external source. The peripheral circuit can be a DRAM sense amplifier for sensing charges stored in each pixel of the pixel array to detect defects in the pixel array. The peripheral circuit can be a photosensor circuit for detecting an intensity of incident light to monitor the performance of a light source of the light valve. The peripheral circuit can be a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of a liquid crystal layer of the light valve, and may be comprised of Darlington connected NPN transistors formed in the semiconductor single crystal thin film. The peripheral circuit can also be a solar cell for converting incident light into electrical energy to supply power to at least one of the pixel array, X-driver and Y-driver circuits and the peripheral circuit.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1. A light valve substrate semiconductor device comprising:
- a composite substrate including an optically transparent electrically insulating substrate, and a semiconductor single crystal thin film formed over the electrically insulating substrate and comprising a thinned single crystal wafer bonded to the electrically insulating substrate;
a substantially optically transparent pixel array portion formed over the composite substrate and including a group of optically transparent pixel electrodes for exciting an electro-optical material and a group of switch elements formed in the semiconductor single crystal thin film for selectively energizing the group of optically transparent pixel electrodes;
optically transparent isolating regions formed between the respective switching elements and the respective optically transparent pixel electrodes; and
an opaque peripheral circuit portion formed in the semiconductor single crystal thin film for driving the pixel array portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
- a composite substrate including an optically transparent electrically insulating substrate, and a semiconductor single crystal thin film formed over the electrically insulating substrate and comprising a thinned single crystal wafer bonded to the electrically insulating substrate;
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8. A light valve, comprising:
- a composite substrate comprised of an optically transparent electrically insulating substrate and a semiconductor single crystal thin film formed over the electrically insulating substrate;
a substantially optically transparent pixel array including a group of transparent pixel electrodes for driving an electro-optical material and semiconductor switch elements formed in the semiconductor single crystal thin film for selectively energizing the group of optically transparent pixel electrodes, the switching elements and pixel electrodes being separated by optically transparent isolating regions; and
an opaque peripheral circuit having circuit elements formed in the semiconductor single crystal thin film and being electrically connected to the pixel array. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
- a composite substrate comprised of an optically transparent electrically insulating substrate and a semiconductor single crystal thin film formed over the electrically insulating substrate;
Specification