Luminescent semiconductor display device including gate control electrodes

Claim 1

A semiconductor luminescent display device comprising, in combination, a semiconductor substrate of one type conductivity including a pair of opposite main faces, a plurality of semiconductor layers of the other type conductivity discretely disposed on one of said main faces to form a plurality of luminescent junctions therebetween, said plurality of semiconductor layers being arranged in a matrix including rows and a plurality of first main electrodes each disposed in ohmic contact with all the semiconductor layers arranged in a different one of said columns, a second main electrode disposed in ohmic contact with the other main face of said semiconductor substrate to cause principal currents to flow across said luminescent junctions between said first main electrodes and the second main electrode respectively, a plurality of light passing windows disposed in a selected one of said first and second main electrodes to face said luminescent junctions to pass light from the faced luminescent junctions, a plurality of control semiconductor layers of the other type conductivity disposed within said semiconductor substrate between said semiconductor layers arranged in said matrix and said second main electrode, each of said control semiconductor layers continuously extending through said semiconductor substrate along the associated row and having a plurality of passageways for said principal currents extending therethrough to lead to the luminescent junctions arranged in said associated row, and a pluality of gate electrodes disposed in ohmic contact with said control semiconductor layers respectively, each of said gate electrodes supplying a control voltage to the mating control semiconductor layer.