High Resolution VLSI-FLC Smart Displays

WE PROPOSE TO DEVELOP A NEW VLSI-CIRCUIT-DRIVEN SPATIAL LIGHT MODULATOR (SLM) BASED ON THE ELECTROOPTIC EFFECT IN A POLED ORGANIC POLYMER. BECAUSE OF THE INHERENT SPEED AND GRAY SCALE CAPABILITIES OF ORGANIC POLYMER SLMS, THIS DEVICE IS EXPECTED TO OFFER PERFORMANCE EXCEEDING THAT OF BOTH FERROELECTRIC AND NEMATIC LIQUID CRYSTALS. THE PROPOSED DEVICE USES A CHARGE TRANSFER PLATE (CTP) TO TRANSFER MODULATION VOLTAGES FROM THE VLSI CIRCUIT TO THE POLYMER LIGHT MODULATION ELEMENT AND TO PROVIDE AN OPTICALLY FLAT SUBSTRATE FOR THE POLYMER ALIGNMENT LAYER. THE PHASE I RESEARCH INVOLVES, (A) THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW, SIMPLE, AND VERSATILE AN ISOTROPIC SURFACE ALIGNMENT LAYER TECHNIQUE FOR PRODUCING HIGH-QUALITY, POLED POLYMER FILMS, (B) FLIP-CHIP SOLDER BUMP-BONDING OF MOSIS-FABRICATED FLSI CIRCUITRY ONTO THE CTP, (C) ASSEMBLY OF HARDWIRE-ADDRESSED AND VLSI/CTP-ADDRESSED POLYMER SLMS, AND (D) MEASUREMENT OF THEIR FRAMING SPEED, CONTRAST RATIO, SPATIAL RESOLUTION, AND OPERATING VOLTAGE. ALSO, BY COMBINING THE ANSIOTROPIC SURFACE ALIGNMENT LAYER TECHNIQUE WITH A NOVEL ELECTRIC FIELD-POLING PROCESS WE WILL BE ABLE TO BUILD SLMS WITH TRANSVERSELY POLED POLYMER FILMS THAT ARE OPTIMIZED FOR AMPLITUDE MODULATION. THE ADVANTAGES OF THIS APPROACH OVER THE CURRENT NON-CTP TECHNOLOGY INCLUDE: (1) HIGHER CONTRAST RATIOS, SINCE THE CTP IS OPTICALLY FLAT AND A SECOND ALIGNMENT LAYER CAN BE DEPOSITED ON IT, (2) LARGER AND MORE DENSELY-PACKED ARRAYS OFFERING SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED PARALLELISM AT LOWER COST, (3) HIGH OPTICAL READOUT EFFICIENCY BECAUSE OF THE USE OF A HIGHLY REFLECTIVE DIELETECTRIC MIRROR ON THE CTP, AND (4) EXCELLENT SPATIAL UNIFORMITY AND THE ELIMINATION OF UNWANTED FIXED PATTERN NOISE BECAUSE OF THE OPTICALLY-FLAT SMOOTH AND SPATIALLY CONTINUOUS DIELETRIC MIRROR SURFACE PROVIDED BY THE CTP WILL BE EVALUATED. ANTICIPATED BENEFITS: COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS OF THE VLSI AND HARDWIRE ELECTRODE POLYMER-BASED SLMS INCLUDE LARGE-SCREEN PROJECTION DISPLAYS, INDUSTRIAL INSPECTION AND MACHINE VISION SYSTEMS, ADAPTIVE OPTICAL SYSTEMS, PHASE-ONLY FILTERS OF OPTICAL CORRELATORS, RECONFIGURABLE OPTICAL INTERCONNECTS, VISUAL DISPLAYS, "SMART PIXEL" IMAGE PROCESSORS, AND NEURAL-NETWOR