Resonant microcavity display utilizing mirrors exhibiting anomalous phase dispersion

• US 7,009,211 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2003
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Quantum Vision
• Original Assignee: Quantum Vision
• Inventors: Jones, Michieal L., Jaffe, Steven M., Olmsted, Brian L., Eilers, Hergen
• Primary Examiner(s): Glick, Edward J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yun, Jurie
• Application Number:
  US10/391,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20030170923A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,085 Days
• Field of Search: 438/22, 438/46, 438/47, 313/461, 313/463, 313/466, 313/474, 257/94, 257/98, 372/45, 372/99
• US Class Current: 257/98
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/465 with a resonant cavity structure
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/852 comprising a resonant cavity structure, e.g. Bragg reflector pair
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/876 comprising a resonant cavity structure, e.g. Bragg reflector pair

Abstract

A resonant microcavity display comprises a thin-film resonant microcavity (20, 50, 60) with an active layer (21). The microcavity (20, 50, 60) comprises a front reflector (22, 52), the active region (21) deposited upon the front reflector, and a back reflector (20, 54) deposited upon the active region (21). The display preferentially emits light that propagates along the axis (27) perpendicular to the plane of the display, due to its quantum mechanical properties. The extrinsic efficiency of this device is increased by the use of thin film construction with anomalous phase dispersion.

Claims

1. A device for use in a display, comprising:

a resonant microcavity phosphor with an active region capable of having spontaneous light emission; and

an anomalous phase dispersion mirror positioned adjacent to the active region, wherein the mirror has an index profile that controls the phase dispersion so as to optimize the light emission within a desired range of angles.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein:

said active region includes one of a semiconductor device, a semiconductor material, a quantum well, an organic material, or an inorganic material.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein:

said anomalous phase dispersion mirror includes multiple thin film layers, some of said layers having a high refractive index, some of said layers having a low refractive index, and some of said layers having an intermediate refractive index lying between the high refractive index and the low refractive index.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein:

said layers with said high, low and intermediate refractive indices are intermixed.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein:

said anomalous phase dispersion mirror is comprised of layers, each said layer having a refractive index in order to define an index profile for the mirror, and said index profile controls the dispersion characteristics of said anomalous phase dispersion mirror.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein:

said anomalous phase dispersion mirror is comprised of a Fabry-Perot cavity.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein:

said anomalous phase dispersion mirror is comprised of a second microcavity.

8. A device comprising:

a cavity with an active phosphor region;

said active region capable of having spontaneous light emissions; and

said device having means for controlling dispersion using an anomalous phase dispersion mirror, wherein the mirror has an index profile that controls the phase dispersion so as to optimize the light emission within a desired range of angles.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein:

said means for controlling dispersion is for minimizing dispersion.

10. The device of claim 8 wherein:

said device is capable of controlling the spontaneous light emissions from said active region.

11. A device comprising:

a resonant microcavity phosphor with an active region with capable of having spontaneous light emission, said active region positioned between a first reflector and a second reflector; and

one of said first reflector and said second reflector being an anomalous phase dispersion mirror, wherein the mirror has an index profile that controls the phase dispersion so as to optimize the light emission within a desired range of angles.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein:

said first reflector is a first front anomalous phase dispersion mirror and said second reflector is a second rear anomalous phase dispersion mirror.

13. A device comprising:

a resonant microcavity phosphor with an active region capable of having spontaneous light emission; and

said microcavity having a microcavity structure that increases the amount of usable light by using an anomalous phase dispersion mirror, wherein the mirror has an index profile that controls the phase dispersion so as to optimize the light emission within a desired range of angles.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein:

said microcavity structure wherein said mirror includes a resonant multi-layer mirror with multiple interfaces, and said microcavity structure lowers the dispersion by increasing the reflectance of a first interface surrounding the active region.

15. The device of claim 13 wherein:

said microcavity structure wherein said mirror includes a resonant multi-layer mirror, and said structure lowers the dispersion by increasing the contrast between the refractive index of the active region and the refractive index of the adjacent layer of said mirror.

16. The device of claim 13 wherein:

said microcavity structure wherein said mirror includes a resonant mirror with multiple thin film layers comprised on both high refractive index materials and low refractive index materials and wherein the number of layers of the mirror is minimized for a specific desired reflectance by increasing the contrast between the high refractive index materials and the low refractive index materials.

17. A method of making a resonant microcavity including the steps of:

forming a resonant microcavity with an active region; and

forming an anomalous phase dispersion mirror adjacent to said active region, wherein the mirror has an index profile that controls the phase dispersion so as to optimize the light emission within a desired range of angles.

18. A method of making a resonant microcavity comprising the steps of:

constructing a resonant microcavity with an active phosphor region and at least one reflector using thin films; and

wherein said constructing step includes using a thin film construction which exhibits anomalous phase dispersion, and wherein the reflector has an index profile that controls the phase dispersion so as to optimize light emission within a desired range of angles.

19. A device comprising:

a resonant microcavity with an active region, said active region positioned between a first reflector and a second reflector; and

one of said first reflector and said second reflector being an anomalous phase dispersion mirror, wherein the mirror has an index profile that controls the phase dispersion so as to optimize the light emission within a desired range of angles.

20. A device comprising:

a resonant microcavity with an active region; and

said microcavity having a microcavity structure that increases the amount of usable light by using an anomalous phase dispersion mirror wherein the mirror has an index profile that controls the phase dispersion so as to optimize the light emission within a desired range of angles.

21. A device comprising:

an anomalous phase dispersion microcavity with an active region; and

said anomalous phase dispersion microcavity comprised of a plurality of layers defining a plurality of interfaces, wherein the anomalous dispersion microcavity uses differences in phase in reflections from each interface to to optimize the light emission within a desired range of angles.

22. A device comprising:

a resonant microcavity with an active region capable of having spontaneous light emission; and

an anomalous phase dispersion mirror positioned adjacent to the active region, wherein said anomalous phase dispersion mirror includes multiple thin film layers, some of said layers having a high refractive index, some of said layers having a low refractive index, and some of said layers having an intermediate refractive index lying between the high refractive index and the low refractive index.

23. The device of claim 22 wherein:

said layers with said high, low and intermediate refractive indices are intermixed.