Optoelectronic panel and method of making the same

• US 4,917,474 A
• Filed: 05/23/1988
• Issued: 04/17/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Konuma, Toshimitsu, Mase, Akira, Yamazaki, Shunpei
• Primary Examiner(s): Bovernick, Rodney B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lerner, Martin
• Application Number:
  US07/198,699
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 350/332, 350/342, 350/333, 340/784, 357/30 H, 357/30 K, 357/59 B, 357/59 C
• US Class Current: 345/104
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1354 having a particular photoconducting structure or material
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1365 in which the switching element is a two-electrode device G02F1/136277 takes precedence

Abstract

An optoelectronic panel is disclosed wherein the liquid crystal device and the photo detecting device are formed on a common transparent substrate. The liquid crystal display device includes at least one liquid crystal element which is supplied with a drive signal via a non-single-crystal semiconductor diode serving as a non-linear element and a photo diode of the same structure as the non-single-crystal semiconductor diode serving as the non-linear element of the liquid crystal display device. The liquid crystal display device and the photo detecting device are disposed side by side on the transparent substrate. The liquid crystal element, the non-linear element, the non-single-crystal element and the non-single-crystal semiconductor diode, as the non-linear element, of the liquid crystal display device are formed adjacent one another on the transparent substrate. The one electrode of the liquid crystal element and the one electrode of the non-single-crystal semiconductor diode, serving as the photo diode are both formed on the transparent substrate and are transparent. The one electrode of the non-single-crystal semiconductor diode serving as the non-linear element is also formed on the transparent first substrate but is nontransparent.

Claims

1. An optoelectronic write/display panel comprising an M×

N matrix of pixels where each pixel includes (a) write means including a photodetector and (b) display means including a liquid crystal layer and an active, non-linear element connected to the liquid crystal layer;

a first decoder (51X) having at least one line respectively connected to the write means and display means in each row of said pixels;

a second decoder (51Y) having at least one line connected to the display means in each column of said pixels; and

a third decoder (51Y'"'"') having at least one line connected to the write means in each column of said pixels;

whereby a selected one of said display means can be actuated by actuating one of the lines from said first decoder and one of the lines from said second decoder and a selected one of said write means can be actuated by actuating one of the lines from said first decoder and one of the lines from said third decoder and

whereby said one display means and said one write means can be simultaneously actuated by simultaneously actuating said one lines from said first, second and third decoders;

wherein each of said photodetector and said non-linear element include a common triple-layered semiconductor comprising a non-single crystal material selected from the group consisting of NIN, NNN, and NPN.

2. The panel of claim 1 wherein said liquid crystal is a twisted nematic liquid crystal.

3. The panel of claim 1 wherein said pixels are arranged of a plurality of column strips and a plurality of row strips wherein the pixels along a column share a common semiconductor layer.

4. The panel of claim 3 wherein the pixels along a column share an electrode in the form of strip.

5. A panel as in claim 1 where said photodetector and said non-linear element of each pixel are electrically isolated from one another.

6. A panel as in claim 1 where M=1.

7. A panel as in claim 1 where N=1.

8. A photoelectric panel with a plurality of pixels, such pixel comprising:

a liquid crystal layer;

a triple-layered semiconductor incorporating at least a first N-layer, a substantially I-layer, and a second N-layer in the foregoing order;

a common electrode;

a first electrode for a first portion of said triple-layered semiconductor which constitutes, in cooperation with said common electrode, a photosensitive element forming a photodetector;

a second electrode electrically isolated from the first electrode, said second electrode being for a second portion of said triple-layered semiconductor and the liquid crystal layer to constitute, in cooperation with said common electrode, a display pixel adjacent to said photodetector where the second portion of the triple-layered semiconductor corresponds to an active, non-linear element electrically coupled to the liquid crystal layer;

wherein said electrode arrangements are composed of a plurality of column strips and a plurality of row strips and the pixels along a column share said triple-layered semiconductor.

9. The panel of claim 8 wherein said liquid crystal is a twisted nematic liquid crystal.

10. The panel as defined in claim 8, wherein said triple-layered semiconductor comprises a continuous strip along the length of said column.

11. A photoelectric panel with a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, such pixels comprising:

a liquid crystal layer;

a triple-layered semiconductor incorporating at least a first N-layer, a substantially I-layer, and a second N-layer in the foregoing order;

a common electrode;

a first electrode for a first portion of said triple-layered semiconductor which constitutes, in cooperation with said common electrode, a photosensitive element forming a photodetector;

a second electrode electrically isolated from the first electrode, said second electrode being for a second portion of said triple-layered semiconductor and the liquid crystal layer to constitute, in cooperation with said common electrode, a display pixel adjacent to said photodetector where the second portion of the triple-layered semiconductor corresponds to an active, non-linear element electrically coupled to the liquid crystal layer;

wherein said electrode arrangements are composed of a plurality of column strips and a plurality of row strips, and the pixels along a column share an electrode in the form of a strip.

12. A photoelectric panel with a plurality of pixels, such pixel comprising:

a liquid crystal layer;

a triple-layered semiconductor incorporating at least a first N-layer, a substantially I-layer doped with one of phosphorous and boron, and a second N-layer in the foregoing order;

a common electrode;

a first electrode for a first portion of said triple-layered semiconductor which constitutes, in cooperation with said common electrode, a photosensitive element forming a photodetector;

a second electrode electrically isolated from the first electrode, said second electrode being for a second portion of said triple-layered semiconductor and the liquid crystal layer to constitute, in cooperation with said common electrode, a display pixel adjacent to said photodetector where the second portion of the triple-layered semiconductor corresponds to an active, non-linear element electrically coupled to the liquid crystal layer.

13. A photoelectric panel with a plurality of pixels, such pixel comprising:

a liquid crystal layer;

a triple-layered semiconductor comprising non-single crystal material incorporating at least a first N-layer, a substantially I-layer, and a second N-layer in the foregoing order;

a common electrode;

a first electrode for a first portion of said triple-layered semiconductor which constitutes, in cooperation with said common electrode, a photosensitive element forming a photodetector;

a second electrode electrically isolated from the first electrode, said second electrode being for a second portion of said triple-layered semiconductor and the liquid crystal layer to constitute, in cooperation with said common electrode, a display pixel adjacent to said photodetector where the second portion of the triple-layered semiconductor corresponds to an active, non-linear element electrically coupled to the liquid crystal layer.

14. A photoelectric panel with a plurality of pixels, such pixel comprising:

a liquid crystal layer;

a triple-layered semiconductor incorporating at least a first N-layer, a substantially I-layer, and a second N-layer in the foregoing order;

a common electrode;

a first electrode for a first portion of said triple-layered semiconductor which constitutes, in cooperation with said common electrode, a photosensitive element forming a photodetector;

a second electrode electrically isolated from the first electrode, said second electrode being for a second portion of said triple-layered semiconductor and the liquid crystal layer to constitute, in cooperation with said common electrode, a display pixel adjacent to said photodetector where the second portion of the triple-layered semiconductor corresponds to an active, non-linear element electrically coupled to the liquid crystal layer;

wherein said triple-layered semiconductor comprises a continuous strip which extends from said first portion to said second portion of said triple-layered semiconductor.

15. A photoelectric panel with a plurality of pixels, such pixel comprising:

a liquid crystal layer;

a triple-layered semiconductor incorporating at least a first N-layer, a substantially I-layer, and a second N-layer in the foregoing order;

a common electrode;

a first electrode for a first portion of said triple-layered semiconductor which constitutes, in cooperation with said common electrode, a photosensitive element forming a photodetector;

a second electrode electrically isolated from the first electrode, said second electrode being for a second portion of said triple-layered semiconductor and the liquid crystal layer to constitute, in cooperation with said common electrode, a display pixel adjacent to said photodetector where the second portion of the triple-layered semiconductor corresponds to an active, non-linear element electrically coupled to the liquid crystal layer;

wherein the liquid crystal layer and non-linear element of each pixel is accessed by row and column decoders (51X and 51Y) and the photodetector is accessed by said row decoder (51X) and a further column decoder (51Y'"'"'), where said row and column decoders (51X and 51Y) are connected to said common electrode and said second electrode, respectively, and where said column decoder (51Y'"'"') is connected to said first electrode.