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US 6,297,842 B1Granted
Organic electroluminescent light-emitting array and optical head assembly
AssigneeOki Data Corporation
InventorsMasumi Koizumi, Yichao Jiang, Tsutomu Nomoto, Ichimatsu Abiko
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Abstract
A light-emitting array and its driving circuitry are integrated into a single device. The driving circuitry is formed in a semiconductor substrate and has an array of output terminals on a surface of the substrate. Organic electroluminescent elements are formed directly over the output terminals, in electrical contact with the output terminals. The electroluminescent elements are driven by direct current. An optical head assembly has one or more of these light-emitting arrays mounted on a printed circuit board.
Claims36
A light-emitting array, comprising:
- a silicon semiconductor substrate having a surface;
- a plurality of output terminals formed on said surface;
- a plurality of organic electroluminescent elements formed on said surface over respective output terminals, in electrical contact with respective output terminals;
- driving circuitry formed in said silicon semiconductor substrate and coupled to said output terminals, for supplying direct current to each of said output terminals and switching said direct current on and off at each of said output terminals, thereby switching said organic electroluminescent elements individually on and off, said driving circuitry comprising:
- a shift register for receiving dot data;
- a latch circuit for storing the dot data received by said shift register;
- a logic circuit for controllably outputting contents of said latch circuit;
- and
- a drive circuit for supplying said direct current to said output terminals responsive to said contents of said latch circuit as output by said logic circuit;
- at least one common return terminal formed on said surface;
- a common transparent electrode coupled to all of said electroluminescent elements and to said common return terminal, for returning said direct current to said common return terminal, light being emitted through said common transparent electrode from surfaces of respective electroluminescent elements;
- and
- a common metal electrode formed on said common transparent electrode and coupled to said common return terminal, said common metal electrode leaving said organic electroluminescent elements exposed for emitting said light through said common transparent electrode.
10 more elements
An optical head assembly, comprising:
- a printed circuit board;
- at least one integrated circuit attached to said printed circuit board, said integrated circuit comprising a silicon semiconductor substrate having driving circuitry formed therein and a surface, said surface having formed thereon a plurality of output terminals and at least one common return terminal, said driving circuitry for controllably supplying direct current to each of said output terminals, said driving circuitry comprising:
- a shift register for receiving dot data;
- a latch circuit for storing the dot data received by said shift register;
- a logic circuit for controllably outputting contents of said latch circuit;
- and
- a drive circuit for supplying said direct current to said output terminals responsive to said contents of said latch circuit as output by said logic circuit;
- a plurality of organic electroluminescent elements formed on said integrated circuit over respective output terminals and making electrical contact with said respective output terminals, for emitting light responsive to said direct current;
- a common transparent electrode coupled to all of said electroluminescent elements and to said common return terminal, for returning said direct current to said common return terminal, light being emitted through said common transparent electrode from surfaces of respective electroluminescent elements;
- and
- a common metal electrode formed on said common transparent electrode, said common metal electrode leaving said organic electroluminescent elements exposed for emitting said light through said common transparent electrode.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.