GB2420000A

GB2420000A - Pixel array

Info

Publication number: GB2420000A
Application number: GB0424326A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Chidi Uche
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-11-03
Filing date: 2004-11-03
Publication date: 2006-05-10
Anticipated expiration: 2024-11-03
Also published as: GB0424326D0; GB2420000B

Abstract

A display with a substrate 1 where pixels are laid on more the one plane in such a way that there are zero horizontal gaps between pixels on one level and neighbouring pixels on a separate level (as shown by features 2 and 3) and pixels are only separated by vertical gaps hence ensuring that pixels cover all areas of a substrate leading to zero inter-pixel gap in the horizontal direction. Preferably a passivation layer 9 may be used to cover unevenness at the top of the pixels due to placing the pixels in more than one level.

Description

8 _ 9 if 1 1 5 4 2 3 FIG.3

Claims

* 2420000

PIXEL ARRAY

This invention is concerned with electronic display systems of the type which uses pixel-to-pixel control to display information and where gaps are provided between each pixel and adjacent pixels in order to isolated the electrically conducting parts of one pixel from the other and each pixel is independently activated using either electricity, magnetism, light, heat or sound and the pixels can be formed on substrates such as silicon, glass, plastic, wood etc. Such pixel layout (in electronic display systems) is well known but it suffers from the disadvantage that gaps are left between adjacent pixels which prevents pixels from being laid on all areas of the substrate thus useful areas are wasted in order to electrically isolate each pixel from the other so that each pixel can be activated independently to display information.

The gaps between pixels lead to reduced efficiency in electronic displays such a liquid crystal displays (LCDs), Organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), Polymer light emitting diodes (PLEDs), Micro-Electromechanical Systems (MEMs) or any display where pixel-to-pixel control is used for information display.

The object of this invention is to provide a new pixel layout where there are no gaps between each pixel and adjacent pixels hence ensuring that all areas of a substrate is used thus leading to improved efficiency in electronic displays employing pixel-to-pixel control.

In conventional displays all the pixels are physically laid on one level or plane of the substrate.

This invention provides a pixel layout where pixels are physically laid on more the one plane (typically two to five planes) or any number of planes to achieve the desired optical quality.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: FIGURE 1 shows a side view of the pixel layout.

FIGURE 2 shows a top view of the pixel layout FIGURE 3 shows how the pixel layout can be used in liquid crystal displays (LCD5) As shown in Figure 1, the pixel layout consists of a substrate 1 (made of silicon, glass or suitable material) unto which the electrically conducting parts of pixels have been laid in two levels 2 and 3. The remaining non- conducting parts of the pixels are also shown in two levels 4 and 5.

Figure 2 shows a top view of the pixel layout where the pixels in the first level 4 is shown in light shades and the pixels in the lower level 5 is shown in a darker shades.

Figure 3 shows how this invention can be incorporated in a liquid crystal display (LCD). This LCD example consists of a cover glass 6 and a glass or silicon substrate 1. The cover glass 6 is coated with a layer of indium tin oxide 11 and conducting aluminium electrodes are patterned in two levels 2 and 3 on the substrate 1. A passivation layer 9 is used to cover uneveness at the top of the pixels 4,5 due to placing the pixels in two levels. An alignment layer 7 is coated on top of the indium tin oxide 11 and the passivation layer 9.

The cell is filled with liquid crystal 10 and the sides of the LCD are sealed with glue 8. The LCD is switched by applying voltages to both the indium tin oxide 11 and the conducting parts of the pixels 2 and 3 as in a conventional LCD.

1 A display where pixels are laid on more than one plane in such a way that there are zero horizontal gaps between pixels on one level and neighbouring pixels on a separate level and pixels are only separated by vertical gaps hence ensuring that pixels cover all areas of a substrate leading to zero inter-pixel gap in the horizontal direction thus leading to improved optical properties in displays employing pixel-to-pixel control.

2 A display as claimed in Claim I where a passivation layer is used to cover unevenness at the top of the pixels due to placing the pixels in more than one level.

3 A display as claimed in Claim 1 and 2 where pixels are laid in any number of planes in order to achieve desired optical properties such as phase and amplitude modulation.

4 A display as claimed in 3 where each pixel is independently controlled using either electricity, magnetism, light, heat or sound and the pixels can be formed on substrates such as silicon, glass, plastic, A display as claimed in Claim 4 where pixels are vertically isolated by separating pixels on one layer from those at another layer using air, silicon, silicon oxide, gases, vaccum, or other types of insulators.

6 A display as claimed in Claim I where each pixel is a light emitting component such as LED's, OLEDs or other light emitting components.

7 A display substantially as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings