US5434433A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Semiconductor device for a light wave
Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc
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Filing: 1993-08-13
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Granted: 1995-07-18
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Expires: 2013-08-13
Abstract
Abstract A semiconductor substrate is utilized to integrally form a drive circuit and a pixel array to produce a transparent semiconductor device for a light valve. The semiconductor device for a light valve is constructed by a semiconductor substrate composed of a bulk single crystal silicon having an opaque thick portion and a thin transparent portion. A pixel array is formed in the transparent portion. A drive circuit is formed in a top face of the opaque portion. A transparent support substrate is laminated to the top face of the semiconductor substrate for reinforcement. A bulk portion of the semiconductor substrate is removed from a back face thereof by selective etching to provide the transparent portion.
Inventors
- 👤 Hiroaki Takasu
- 👤 Yoshikazu Kojima
- 👤 Kunihiro Takahashi
- 👤 Tsuneo Yamazaki
- 👤 Tadao Iwaki
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 20:58
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10D; H10D86/00; H10D86/40; G; G02; G02F; G02F1/00; G02F1/01; G02F1/13; G02F1/133; G02F1/1333; G02F1/1345; G02F1/13454; H10D86/201; H10D86/60; G02F1/136; G02F1/1362; G02F1/136277; G02F1/136281; G02F2202/00; G02F2202/10; G02F2202/105
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
77 words
A semiconductor device for a light valve comprising: a semiconductor substrate divided into an opaque portion having a given thickness, and a transparent portion having a thickness less than the given thickness; a pixel array formed on major face of the semiconductor substrate in the transparent portion thereof; a drive circuit formed in the major face of the semiconductor substrate in the opaque portion thereof; and a transparent support substrate laminated over at least the pixel array
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
77 words
A semiconductor device for a light valve comprising: a semiconductor substrate divided into an opaque portion having a given thickness, and a transparent portion having a thickness less than the given thickness; a pixel array formed on major face of the semiconductor substrate in the transparent portion thereof; a drive circuit formed in the major face of the semiconductor substrate in the opaque portion thereof; and a transparent support substrate laminated over at least the pixel array
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
39 words
A semiconductor substrate for a light valve according to claim 1; wherein the semiconductor substrate has a monocrystalline silicon layer, and the drive circuit comprises a semiconductor integrated circuit formed in the major face of the monocrystalline silicon layer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
A semiconductor device for a light valve according to claim 2; wherein the semiconductor substrate comprises a bulk silicon wafer made of monocrystalline silicon.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
A semiconductor device for a light valve according to claim 2; wherein the semiconductor substrate comprises an SOI wafer having a stacked-structure of a silicon plate and a monocrystalline silicon layer interposing an insulating film.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
A semiconductor device for a light valve according to claim 1; wherein the pixel array comprises an active matrix array having pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix and switching elements for selectively driving individual pixel electrodes.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
A semiconductor device for a light valve according to claim 5; wherein each switching element comprises a polycrystalline silicon thin film transistor,
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
A semiconductor device for a light valve according to claim 5; wherein each switching element comprises an amorphous silicon thin film transistor,
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
A semiconductor device for a light valve according to claim 5; wherein each switching element comprises a monocrystalline silicon thin film transistor,
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
48 words
A semiconductor device for a light valve according to claim 6; wherein each polycrystalline silicon thin film transistor is formed in a polycrystalline silicon thin film and each pixel electrode is made of the polycrystalline silicon thin film having a thickness on the order of 50 nm±10 nm.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
28 words
A semiconductor device for a light valve according to claim 1; wherein the pixel array has a simple matrix structure composed of rows and columns of stripe electrodes.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
47 words
A semiconductor device for a light valve according to claim 1; wherein the drive circuit and the pixel array include a group of concurrently formed field effect type transistors comprising a field oxide film, a gate oxide film, a gate electrode, a source region and drain region.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
A semiconductor device for a light valve according to claim 1; wherein the semiconductor substrate has an insulating film disposed as an etching stopper on the transparent portion.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
A semiconductor device for a light valve according to claim 12; wherein the insulating film comprises at least one of a silicon oxide film and a silicon nitride film.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
43 words
A semiconductor device .for a light valve according to claim 12; wherein a thickness of the insulating film in a region where the pixel array is formed is smaller that of the insulating film in a region where the drive circuit is formed.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
33 words
A semiconductor device for a light valve according to claim 1; wherein the transparent support substrate has a dimension and a shape in registration with a display region where the array being formed.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
41 words
A semiconductor device for a light valve according to claim 15; further including an electrode terminal for external connection, the electrode terminal being formed on a peripheral region of the semiconductor substrate and being not covered by the transparent support substrate.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
35 words
A semiconductor device for a light valve according to claim 1; wherein the transparent support substrate is made of a transparent inorganic material having a thermal expansion coefficient comparable to that of the semiconductor substrate.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
27 words
A semiconductor device for a light valve according to claim 17; wherein the transparent inorganic material is at least one of a glass, a quartz and sapphire.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
26 words
A semiconductor device for a light valve according to claim 1; further including an adhesive layer interposed between the transparent support substrate and the semiconductor substrate.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
23 words
A semiconductor device for a light valve according to claim 19; wherein the adhesive layer has a main component of SiO 2 .
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
25 words
A semiconductor device for a light valve according to claim 19; further including a leveling layer interposed between the adhesive layer and the semiconductor substrate.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
23 words
A semiconductor device for a light valve according to claim 21; wherein the leveling layer has a main component of SiO 2 .
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
24 words
A semiconductor device for a light valve according to claim 22; wherein the adhesive layer and the leveling layer constitute a transparent support substrate.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
34 words
A semiconductor device for a light valve according to claim 1; wherein the transparent portion of the semiconductor substrate has a cavity for receiving a counter substrate so as to construct a light valve.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
40 words
A semiconductor device for a light valve according to claim 1; wherein the semiconductor substrate has a light shielding film disposed in registration with transistor elements which constitute at least a part of the pixel array and the drive circuit.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
31 words
A semiconductor device for a light valve according to claim 25; wherein the light shielding film is comprised of a patterned film formed along the major surface of the semiconductor substrate.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
32 words
A semiconductor device for a light valve according to claim 25; wherein the patterned film is composed of at least one of a high melting temperature metal, a silicon and a silicide.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
35 words
A semiconductor device for a light valve according to claim 25; wherein the light shielding film is composed of a conductive material, a part of which constitutes a bottom gate electrode of a transistor element.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
32 words
A semiconductor device for a light valve according to claim 25; wherein the light shielding film is composed of a metal lead pattern formed on the major face of the semiconductor substrate.
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