Display with integrated photovoltaic device

• US 8,797,628 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2010
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm MEMS Technologies Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kothari, Manish, Khazeni, Kasra
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOI, WILLIAM C
• Application Number:
  US12/842,845
• Publication Number:
  US 20100284055A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,474 Days
• Field of Search: 359/290, 359/291, 359/294, 359/318, 349/116, 136/246
• US Class Current: 359/290
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/001 based on interference in an adjustable optical cavity interference filters G02B5/28; devices or arrangements using multiple reflections in spectrometry or monochromators G01J3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0841 the reflecting element being moved or deformed by electrostatic means
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13306 Circuit arrangements or driving methods for the control of single liquid crystal cells G02F1/132, G02F1/133382 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13324 Circuits comprising solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133512 Light shielding layers, e.g. black matrix G02F1/136209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/043 Mechanically stacked PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A display with a photovoltaic (PV) cells integrated as the front side and/or back side of the display is disclosed. Ambient light may reach a PV cell situated behind a display through fully or partially transmissive features within the display. Display-generated light may also reach a PV cell behind a display. A transmissive PV material situated in front of a display may collect both ambient light as well as display-generated light.

Claims

1. A display device configured to display an image toward a front side, with a back side opposite the front side, the display device comprising:

a transparent substrate having a front side and a back side;

a display comprising an array of addressable pixels in an image region of the display, the addressable pixels being formed on a back side of the substrate, wherein array of addressable pixels includes interferometric modulators; and

a photovoltaic cell comprising a blanket layer of photovoltaic material formed on a front side of the substrate, wherein the blanket layer is disposed in front of the addressable pixels in the image region.

2. The display device of claim 1, wherein each interferometric modulator includes an optical absorber, a reflector, and a variable gap between the absorber and the reflector.

3. The display device of claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic material comprises a deposited thin film photovoltaic material.

4. The display device of claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic cell is capable of receiving and converting to electricity both ambient light as well as light generated by the display.

5. The display device of claim 4, wherein the addressable pixels further include one or more of light-emissive pixels, LCD pixels, and reflective pixels.

6. The display device of claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic cell comprises a transparent conducting film in electrical contact with the photovoltaic material on the front side and back side of the photovoltaic material.

7. The display device of claim 6, wherein the photovoltaic material has a transmittance of greater than 65% of visible light incident on the photovoltaic material.

8. The display device of claim 6, wherein the photovoltaic material has a transmittance between about 70% and 80%.

9. A display device configured to display an image toward a front side, with a back side opposite the front side, the display device comprising:

a transparent substrate;

a display comprising an array of addressable interferometric modulator pixels in an image region, the display being formed on the back side of the substrate; and

a photovoltaic cell comprising a photovoltaic material formed over the front side of the interferometric modulator pixels in the image region, wherein the photovoltaic material is a blanket layer.

10. The display device of claim 9, wherein each interferometric modulator pixel includes an optical absorber, a reflector, and a variable gap between the absorber and the reflector.

11. The display device of claim 9, wherein the photovoltaic material comprises a deposited thin film photovoltaic material.

12. A method of manufacturing a display device, the display device capable of displaying an image toward a front side, with a back side opposite the front side, the method comprising:

forming a display comprising an array of addressable pixels in an image region on a transparent substrate, wherein the array is formed on the back side of the substrate and the array of addressable pixels includes interferometric modulators; and

disposing a blanket photovoltaic material on the front side of the substrate over the front side of the display in the image region.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein disposing a blanket photovoltaic material on the front side of the substrate comprises depositing a thin film photovoltaic material on the front side of the substrate.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein disposing a blanket photovoltaic material on the front side of the substrate comprises laminating one of a photovoltaic cell and the display onto the other.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising disposing a blanket photovoltaic material over the back side of the display.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising depositing a transparent conducting oxide on the front side and the back side of the photovoltaic material.