Patent · US Expired

Silicon-on-sapphire liquid crystal light valve and method

US4826300A · kind A · utility

36Cited by
11References
21Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 30, 1987
Grant dateMay 2, 1989
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 30, 2007

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02F1/1354
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An LCLV is formed with a sapphire substrate base, a highly doped, thin silicon epitaxial layer forming an ohmic back contact on a smooth surface of the sapphire substrate, and a lightly doped, high resistivity silicon epitaxial layer in the range of about 20-60 microns thick on the back contact. The use of a sapphire substrate provides a better surface quality and higher resolution than previously available with the semiconductor substrates. Lattice defects in the thin back contact are reduced by the formation of a buried amorphous layer adjacent the sapphire substrate, and subsequent recrystallization thereof using the unamorphized portions of the back contact as recrystallization seeds. The application of the invention to both MOS and Schottky diode LCLVs is discussed.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.