Ultra-high resolution liquid crystal display on silicon-on-sapphire

US6190933A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force · US

Inventors

• Randy L. Shimabukuro · San Diego, US
• Stephen D. Russell · San Diego, US
• Bruce W. Offord · San Diego, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 25, 1998
• Grant date: Feb 20, 2001
• Expiry date: Mar 25, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10D86/60
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A liquid crystal array and associated drive circuitry are monolithically formed on a silicon-on-sapphire structure, and are fabricated by a method comprising the steps of: a) forming an epitaxial silicon layer on a sapphire substrate to create a silicon-on-sapphire structure; b) ion implanting the epitaxial silicon layer; c) annealing the silicon-on sapphire structure; d) oxidizing the epitaxial silicon layer to form a silicon dioxide layer from a portion of the epitaxial silicon layer so that a thinned epitaxial silicon layer remains; e) removing the silicon dioxide layer to expose the thinned epitaxial silicon layer; f) fabricating an array of pixels from the thinned epitaxial silicon layer wherein each of the pixels includes a liquid crystal capacitor; and g) fabricating integrated circuitry from the thinned epitaxial silicon layer which is operably coupled to modulate the pixels. The thinned epitaxial silicon supports the fabrication of device quality circuitry on the silicon-on-sapphire structure which is used to control the operation of the pixels.