LCoS (liquid Crystal On Silicon) Display Design

In this thesis, a kind of Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS) display is researched and designed. In fact, the LCoS microdisplay is fundamentally extremely small, active matrix liquid crystal display devices, which operate in a reflective mode. The active matrix is fabricated on a silicon chip using CMOS technology. The LCoS display that we design is small, less than an inch diagonal. The active matrix circuit provides a voltage between an electrode at each pixel and a common, transparent electrode, which is separated from the pixel electrodes by a thin layer of liquid crystal. The pixel electrode also acts as a reflective mirror. Light incident on the device through the transparent electrode is modulated by the liquid crystal electro-optics in response to the voltage applied to each pixel electrode. The reflected image is optically separated form the incident light and magnified for projection onto a screen or on the retina of the viewer. The silicon active matrix backplane, LCoS display chip, of the device affords great flexibility in circuit design. The pixel size is generally not limited by the ability of the silicon technology to fabricate small devices. Rather, the ability of the optical system to efficiently illuminate the array and the lest physical size for the electric field of liquid crystal put a lower limit on the pixel size. Integration of row and column drivers in steadily accomplished by the basic CMOS capability of the silicon backplane; integration of additional functions is an available design choice. Well, LCoS display technology is born after the semiconductor process technology and the flat plane display have been developing to the relative mature state and combine each other. As a result, LCoS has the same characteristics for design as the LVSI technique. However, from the view of function and application range, LCoS display still is one of production of the display market. The goal for this thesis is not limited to design out two kinds of realizable LCoS display chip (one of LCoS designing has been realized in ShouGang-NEC Electronics Co., LTD.), it is the more important to make it understood that the main problem on LCoS circuit design, physical layout design, LCoS processes and LCoS system design. In fact, when we grasp the spirit of the LCoS design, it is easy to design the more kinds of LCoS chip. Approximately, the thesis could be divided into four parts. In the first part, including chapter 1, 2, why select this topic to research and what is the infection of this research are clarified. At same time the basic functions, which Liquid Crystal FPD must have, are stated. The second part, including chapter 2,3, is the basic theory of this thesis, which would direct the research. In this part,the popular SoC (System on Chip) physical design methods are summarized, as well as many design flows, processes and EDA software are introduced. On another way, the basic digital-analog mixed circuit cells are discussed. In the third part, including chapter 5,6,7, base on understanding with liquid crystal devices, grasping with SoC design methods, combining with experience on digital-analog mixed circuit, two kits of LCoS display chip are designed and discourse upon. Well, one kit is able to configure with near to eye microdisplay, which is frame sequential colorization. Another is able to configure with projector, which is made up of three mono-color LCoS display. And the LCoS chip used in projector has been fabricating in semiconductor factory. Moreover, the photographs of the chip and electronics parameter would be shown in the thesis. In the forth part, including chapter 8,9, fabricating process for LCoS display are summarized, and make the conclusion of design essentials. Moreover, bringing forward to set up IP modules for display on chip, and discuss the relative methods. There are four innovative keys in this thesis: (1) Design of the Incontinuous Luminance Pulse for the Frame Sequential Color Display. (2) Design for the low power Digital-Analog conversion. (3) Design for driving Liquid Crystal in the low voltage with common electronic field inversion. (4) Setting up IP reuse modules for Liquid Crystal on Silicon display chip. In addition, there is an unconventional change in this thesis, which is the research on the LCoS display chip would be not only limited in probing theory and electronic design assistance, but also realize in the semiconductor engine by the CMOS process standard. Change a word, a sort of mono-color LCoS display chip for projector would be fabricating in the foundry. And the photographs of the chip and optical characteristics would be shown in the thesis.