Takatoshi Tomooka

Design and fabrication of a prototype projection data monitor with high information content

A prototype 28-in.-diagonal desktop data monitor capable of displaying 2048 × 2048- pixel images has been designed, built, and evaluated. The monitor uses optical projection technology. A reflective, crystalline silicon active-matrix light valve using liquid crystal electro-optics and a digital electronic interface architecture is described. This rear-projection monitor has four million resolvable pixels, uses three light valves to achieve color, has a low-gain surface diffuser screen, and functions as a fully interactive, color personal computer monitor with motion video capability. The monitor is 20 in. deep.

Silicon light-valve array chip for high-resolution reflective liquid crystal projection displays

A crystalline silicon active-matrix 2048 × 2048- pixel light-valve array chip has been designed and fabricated as part of the development of a reflective liquid crystal technology for projection displays. The small feature processing and higher circuit performance available with crystalline silicon technology were exploited for the design and fabrication of the active-matrix chip. A 10-V CMOS process was developed to satisfy active-matrix pixel-cell requirements. Row-selection circuits were integrated which incorporate redundant data paths. Adjacent-line demultiplexing circuitry was integrated to minimize the number of external data drivers, to minimize the number of connections, and to maximize chip yield. The pixel, row-driver, and data-driver demultiplexing circuit designs and performance are discussed. The testing methods are presented, The chip is 64 mm on a side and is used in a prototype rear-projection color display system. Companion papers describe the system and its additional components incorporated in the prototype display system.

40.4: Optimization of Light-Valve Mirrors

A mirror structure for reflective Si based light valves was fabricated using chemical mechanical polishing and a thin 150 nm Al(Cu)/Ti mirror to minimize hillock formation. The use of chemical-mechanical polishing planarization resulted in only a 1% loss in reflectivity from topography under the mirrors. The reflectivity for pixel sizes from 7.5–40 μm and 0.7 or 0.5 μm gaps were measured and the performance of TN LC pixels with different sizes and inversion methods are reported.