Semiconductor diode array liquid crystal device
AssigneeHughes Aircraft Company
InventorPaul O. Braatz
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Abstract
There is herein described a device useful to store a frame of low-intensity optical information over a wide spectral range or useful as a real-time light valve in visible to infrared conveter application. The device basically includes either a storage mode liquid crystal or a dynamic scattering or a field-effect liquid crystal, and a semiconductor diode array substrate wherein an insulating film with an array of conducting windows separates the liquid crystal from an active region in the substrate. A separate diffused junction is disposed in the active region adjacent each of the windows, the latter being adapted to both reflect incident light energy and conduct electrical current.
Claims11
A semiconductor diode array liquid crystal device for storage mode and infrared applications, comprising:
- a liquid crystal structure having an inner surface;
- a semiconductor substrate having an inner surface;
- an insulating film disposed between and separating said inner surfaces and including an array of windows that are both reflective of incident light energy thereon and conductive of electric current, said semiconductor substrate including an active region therein along said inner surface of said semiconductor substrate, a separate minority carrier collecting junction being disposed in said active region adjacent each of said windows, said active region being now wider than the diffusion length of the minority carriers in the material of said active region;
- and
- bias means associated with said liquid crystal structure and said semiconductor substrate for producing an electric field within said liquid crystal substrate and for back biasing said minority carrier collection junction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.