Patent ID: 6724511
Filing Date: 2004-04-20
Classification: G02F,G11C,H01L

Abstract:
A matrix-addressable optoelectronic apparatus comprising a functional medium in the form of an optoelectronically active material provided in a global layer in sandwich between first and second electrode means, each with parallel strip-like electrodes, wherein the electrodes of the second electrode means are oriented at an angle to the electrodes of the first electrode means, wherein functional elements are formed in volumes of the active material defined at respective overlaps between the electrodes of the first electrode means and the electrodes of the second electrode means to provide a matrix-addressable array with the electrodes in contact with the active material, wherein a functional element in the active material can be activated by applying a voltage to the crossing electrodes defining the element to form a light-emitting, light-absorbing, reflecting or polarizing pixel in a display device, or alternatively by incident light to form a pixel in an optical detector and outputting a voltage via the electrodes crossing at the pixel, said active material in either case being selected as an inorganic or organic material and capable according to the intended function either to emit, absorb, reflect or polarize light upon being activated by an applied voltage or to output a voltage or current when stimulated by incident light, or both, whereby the addressing of a pixel takes place in a matrix-addressing array, and wherein the electrodes of at least one of the electrode sets are made of a transparent or translucent material,wherein the electrodes of each first and second electrode means are provided in a respective electrode layer, so that the electrodes in the first and second electrode means all have about the same width w, the electrodes of each electrode means are mutually insulated electrically by an insulating thin film of thickness &dgr;, the magnitude of &dgr; being a fraction of the width w, and so that a minimum magnitude of w is comparable to a process-constrained minimum feature size f, whereby the fill factor of the pixels in the optoelectronically active material relative thereto is close to 1 and the number of pixels approaches a maximum defined by the total area A of the active material sandwiched between the electrode means, and said feature size f, said maximum thus being defined by A/f2.