Spatial light modulator with buried passive charge storage cell array
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorsJames L. Conner, Mike Overlaur, Rohit L. Bhuva
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Abstract
A monolithic DMD spatial light modulator (20) including a storage cell array (24) of charge storage elements (30). Each charge storage cell (30) is formed using robust MOS processes, and comprises a pair of capacitors (32) having a polysilicon electrode fabricated over a substrate, and separated by a thin oxide dielectric. Each capacitor (32) is shielded by several light impermeable metal shields (37, 64, 66, 68, 72, 74, 80, 82, 88) to prevent discharging due to light incident to SLM (20). The substrate electrode (38) is encompassed by an n+ doped region (42) providing a source of minority carriers to an inversion region under the polysilicon electrode (50).
Claims16
A monolithic spatial light modulator, comprising;
- a) a plurality of pixels;
- and
- b) control means connected to said pixels for controlling said pixels including an array of charge storage cells positioned under said pixels, each said charge storage cell comprising a multi-layered semiconductor structure including a substrate forming a capacitor with one electrode being said substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.