Liquid crystal light valve with anodized aluminum light blocking/reflecting layer

A manufacturing method of a liquid crystal light valve comprising the steps of forming a photoconductor having an impedance varying upon impinging light representing an image signal, forming double-refracting layer means having a liquid crystal which double-refracts incident projection light by a predetermined potential, forming a light-intercepting/reflecting layer interposed between said double-refracting layer means and photoconductor, and forming electrodes for providing a driving voltage to said double-refracting layer means, wherein said step of forming said lightintercepting/reflecting layer comprises the sequential steps of:

• stacking an aluminum layer on said photoconductor placed above or on said electrodes;
• forming a pattern screen made of a photosensitive resin by photolithography, and having a shape corresponding to a pixel pattern on said aluminum layer;
• oxidizing portions exposed and unprotected by said pattern screen on said aluminum layer to form blackened pixel-separating matrices, thereby rendering the unprotected portions oxidized and projected from the surface of said aluminum layer;
• removing said pattern screen from the surface of said aluminum layer;
• and
• abrading the unprotected portions of said blackened pixel-separating matrices which are projected from the surface of said aluminum layer during said oxidizing step, to create a uniform surface.

A light valve, comprising:

• a transparent substrate;
• a first electrode disposed upon said transparent substrate;
• a photoconductor exhibiting an impedance changed by impinging light representing an image signal, positioned upon said first electrode;
• a single integrated first layer of an electrically conducting material formed upon a first surface of said photoconductor;
• a pattern of a plurality of discrete, spaced-apart pixels formed upon a first side of said first layer;
• anode oxidizing areas of said first side of said first layer disposed between said plurality of discrete, spaced-apart pixels to form a matrix between said pixels;
• and
• said first side of said first layer being treated to render said first layer of uniform thickness;
• mean for causing double refraction of said impinging light, separating from said photoconductor by said first layer;
• and
• a second electrode separated from said first layer by said means for causing double refraction.

A light valve, comprising:

• a transparent substrate;
• a first electrode disposed upon said substrate;
• a photoconductor exhibiting an impedance changed by impinging light representing an image signal, positioned upon said first electrode;
• a single integrated first layer of aluminum formed upon a first surface of said photoconductor;
• a pattern of a plurality of discrete, spaced-apart means for reflecting light formed upon a first side of said first layer;
• a matrix formed by anode oxidation between said plurality of discrete, spaced-apart light reflecting means, said matrix for absorbing said impinging light;
• and
• said first side of said first layer being treated to render said first layer of uniform thickness;
• means for causing double refraction of said impinging light, separated from said photoconductor by said first layer;
• and
• a second electrode separated from said first layer by said means for causing double refraction.

A method for fabricating a light-intercepting/reflecting layer of a liquid crystal light valve, comprising the steps of:

• depositing a transparent electrode layer on the surface of a substrate;
• depositing a photoconductor layer on said transparent electrode layer;
• depositing an aluminum layer directly on said photoconductor layer;
• forming a photosensitive resin layer on said aluminum layer, and etching said photosensitive resin layer away from said aluminum layer by photolithography in a pattern screen having a shape corresponding to a pixel pattern on said aluminum layer, thereby exposing said aluminum layer in accordance with said pattern screen and leaving unexposed portions of said aluminum layer for intercepting light of the light-intercepting/reflecting layer;
• and
• oxidizing only the exposed aluminum layer in accordance with said pattern screen to form pixel-separating black matrices for reflecting light of said light-intercepting/reflecting layer.