Transparent active-matrix display

• US 20040155846A1
• Filed: 02/07/2003
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Hoffman, Randy, Field, Marshall, Regan, Michael J., Nakashima, Susan
• Granted Patent: US 7,250,930 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/87
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1334 based on polymer dispersed liquid crystals, e.g. microencapsulated liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2001/1635 the pixel comprises active switching elements, e.g. TFT
• 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 27/1225 with semiconductor materials not belonging to the group IV of the periodic table, e.g. InGaZnO
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/4908 for thin film semiconductor, e.g. gate of TFT
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7869 having a semiconductor body comprising an oxide semiconductor material, e.g. zinc oxide, copper aluminium oxide, cadmium stannate
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/3031 Two-side emission, e.g. transparent OLEDs [TOLED]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/12 Active-matrix OLED [AMOLED] displays

Abstract

A transparent active-matrix display based on a substrate has a multiplicity of transparent active pixel elements arranged in an array and transparent electrical connections to each pixel, whereby each of the pixel elements is adapted to be set independently to two or more states. In some embodiments, the substrate may also be transparent.

Claims

1. A transparent active-matrix display, comprising:

a) a transparent substrate;

b) a multiplicity of active pixel elements arranged in an array on the substrate, each of the pixel elements being adapted to be set independently to two or more states,

each of the pixel elements being transparent in at least one of its two or more states; and

c) transparent electrical connections to each pixel element whereby the transparent display is adapted to be controlled.

2. The display of claim 1, wherein each of the pixel elements is transparent in all of its two or more states.

3. The display of claim 1, wherein all of the pixel elements are adapted to be controlled simultaneously.

4. The display of claim 1, wherein each pixel element comprises at least one transparent control device.

5. The display of claim 4, wherein each transparent control device comprises a transistor.

6. The display of claim 1, wherein the substrate has a display area and a non-display area, and the pixel elements tile the display area of the substrate.

7. The display of claim 1, wherein each pixel element has a fill factor and the fill actor of each pixel element is substantially 100%.

8. The display of claim 1, further comprising a number of transparent passive devices.

9. The display of claim 1, wherein each pixel element comprises an active matrix device selected from the list consisting of an OLED device, an LCD device, a TFEL device, and an electrochromic device.

10. The display of claim 1, wherein each pixel element comprises a device selected from the list consisting of a selectively transmissive device, a selectively emissive device, a selectively reflective device, a selectively absorptive device, and a selectively colored device.

11. The display of claim 1, characterized by substantial transparency in a spectral range including at least one of the visible spectral range, a non-visible spectral range, and the infrared spectral range.

12. A substrate with microelectronics, comprising the display of claim 1.

13. An electronic device comprising the display of claim 1.

14. An active-matrix array of light-controlling devices, comprising:

a) a transparent substrate;

b) a multiplicity of light-controlling devices arranged in an array on the substrate, each of the light-controlling devices being adapted to be set independently to two or more states,

each of the light-controlling devices being transparent in at least one of its two or more states;

c) at least one substantially transparent transistor switch coupled to each of the light-controlling devices and at least partially overlapping each of the light-controlling devices; and

d) electrical connections to each substantially transparent transistor switch, whereby the active-matrix array is adapted to be controlled.

15. The active-matrix array of light-controlling devices of claim 14, wherein the electrical connections are optically transparent.

16. A display comprising the active-matrix array of light-controlling devices of claim 14.

17. A reconfigurable window comprising the active-matrix array of light-controlling devices of claim 14.

18. An electrically controllable optical filter comprising the active-matrix array of light-controlling devices of claim 14.

19. An unsharp-masking filter comprising the electrically controllable optical filter of claim 18.

20. A transparent active-matrix display device comprising in combination:

a) means for selectively emitting light, said means being disposed in an array; and

b) transparent means for switching the means for selectively emitting light, the transparent means including at least one transparent transistor coupled to the means for selectively emitting light.

21. A transparent active-matrix display device comprising in combination:

a) means for selectively controlling light, the means for selectively controlling being disposed in an array; and

b) transparent means for switching the means for selectively controlling light, the transparent means including at least one transparent transistor coupled to the means for selectively controlling light.

22. A method for making a display device, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a transparent substrate;

b) depositing and patterning a transparent first interconnect level;

c) depositing and patterning a transparent gate insulator layer;

d) depositing and patterning a transparent channel layer;

e) depositing and patterning a transparent second interconnect level;

f) depositing and patterning a transparent interlayer dielectric;

g) depositing and patterning a transparent bottom electrode layer;

h) depositing an emissive layer; and

i) depositing and patterning a transparent top electrode layer.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the steps are performed in the order recited.

24. A display device made by the method of claim 22.

25. A method of using a transparent transistor in an active-matrix display device, comprising the steps of:

a) disposing a quantity of pixel elements in an array;

b) disposing at least one transparent transistor at least partially aligned over each pixel element of the array; and

c) coupling the at least one transparent transistor to the pixel element for controlling the pixel element.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein each pixel element comprises at least one of an emissive element, a reflective element, a diffractive element, and a transmissive element.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of providing transparent interconnections coupled to the transparent transistor.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of disposing at least one transparent transistor at least partially aligned behind each pixel element of the array.