Abstract: A method of manufacturing a color active matrix display device comprises forming islands over a rigid carrier substrate, forming a plastic substrate over the rigid carrier substrate, forming an array of pixel circuits over the plastic substrate and forming a display layer over the array of pixel circuits. The rigid carrier substrate is then released from the plastic substrate and the plastic substrate then has channels defined by the islands. These are filled to define color filter portions. The formation of a plastic substrate on a rigid carrier, with the use of a subsequent lift off process, enables the circuit arrays to be made on very thin plastic sheets. The color filters can then be made on the outside of the LC cell. Depressions are formed in the plastic substrate registered to the circuit array, and these are filled in with color filter material, for example by ink jet printing.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a colour active matrix display device comprises forming islands over a rigid carrier substrate, forming a plastic substrate over the rigid carrier substrate, forming an array of pixel circuits over the plastic substrate and forming a display layer over the array of pixel circuits. The rigid carrier substrate is then released from the plastic substrate and the plastic substrate then has channels defined by the islands. These are filled to define colour filter portions. The formation of a plastic substrate on a rigid carrier, with the use of a subsequent lift off process, enables the circuit arrays to be made on very thin plastic sheets. The colour filters can then be made on the outside of the LC cell. Depressions are formed in the plastic substrate registered to the circuit array, and these are filled in with colour filter material, for example by ink jet printing.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a color active matrix display device comprises forming islands over a rigid carrier substrate, forming a plastic substrate over the rigid carrier substrate, forming an array of pixel circuits over the plastic substrate and forming a display layer over the array of pixel circuits. The rigid carrier substrate is then released from the plastic substrate and the plastic substrate then has channels defined by the islands. These are filled to define color filter portions. The formation of a plastic substrate on a rigid carrier, with the use of a subsequent lift off process, enables the circuit arrays to be made on very thin plastic sheets. The color filters can then be made on the outside of the LC cell. Depressions are formed in the plastic substrate registered to the circuit array, and these are filled in with color filter material, for example by ink jet printing.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an active matrix display device involves manufacturing a first substrate arrangement comprising a rigid glass substrate and an overlying plastic substrate. Pixel circuits are formed over the plastic substrate. The rigid glass substrate (12) is only removed from the plastic substrate after the mounting of the active and passive plates of the display into display modules (10). This method enables substantially conventional substrate handling, processing and cell making to be employed, for example in standard AMLCD factories, with only minimal extra equipment needed. A more general manufacturing method is also disclosed for fabricating TFTs on a spin-on plastic layer.

Abstract: A display device has a plurality of pixels, each having a current-driven display element coupled between a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer, the second conductive layer being coupled to a current supply via a switchable device having a thin film component on a first area of a substrate. Each pixel has a first capacitive device having a first capacitor plate on a second area of the substrate, the first capacitor plate conductively coupled to the thin film component, a second capacitor plate and a first insulating layer between the first capacitor plate and the second capacitor plate. On top of the first capacitive device is a second capacitive device sharing the second capacitor plate, the second capacitive device including a third capacitor plate sharing the second conductive layer, and a second insulating layer between the second capacitor plate and the third capacitor plate.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a colour active matrix display device comprises forming islands over a rigid carrier substrate, forming a plastic substrate over the rigid carrier substrate, forming an array of pixel circuits over the plastic substrate and forming a display layer over the array of pixel circuits. The rigid carrier substrate is then released from the plastic substrate and the plastic substrate then has channels defined by the islands. These are filled to define colour filter portions. The formation of a plastic substrate on a rigid carrier, with the use of a subsequent lift off process, enables the circuit arrays to be made on very thin plastic sheets. The colour filters can then be made on the outside of the LC cell. Depressions are formed in the plastic substrate registered to the circuit array, and these are filled in with colour filter material, for example by ink jet printing.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an electronic device comprising a thin film transistor (42), comprises forming a hydrogen-containing layer (22) over a semiconductor layer (10;20), irradiating the hydrogen-containing layer so as to hydrogenate the semiconductor layer, and then forming electrodes (24;26,28) over the semiconductor layer. A short diffusion length and direct path is provided for the hydrogen thus allowing rapid hydrogenation of the semiconductor layer using relatively few, high-fluence laser pulses. The supporting substrate (12) is not heated significantly making the method particularly useful for TFTs on polymer substrates. Crystallisation and hydrogenation of the semiconductor layer can be executed in the same irradiation step.

Abstract: A method for use in the fabrication of active plates for pixellated devices, such as active matrix liquid crystal displays, having pixel electrodes (38) and associated address lines (32) formed from a layer of transparent conductive material (53) through which the conductivity of the address lines is improved. The transparent conductive layer (53) and a metal layer (54) are deposited in succession and followed by a shielding layer (60), e.g. of photoresist, which is patterned into a configuration of regions (67,68,69) corresponding to the required pixel dielectrodes and address lines with a property of the layer at these respective regions being different. This enables the regions of this layer corresponding to the pixel electrodes to be selectively etched away, thereby allowing the metal at these regions to be selectively removed while leaving metal at the address lines. The method simplifies the production of low mask mount TFT active plates with improved address line conductivity.

Abstract: A color display device based on dielectrophoresis is described. The device includes a dielectrophoretic mixture comprising semi-insulating particles of each of the subtractive primary colors cyan (32), magenta (34) and yellow (36) in a semi-insulating liquid (24). The dielectrophoretic frequency characteristics of the particles are the same or similar for particles of the same color but different between the three colors. In particular, the transition frequency (f0) is different for each color, or two colors may have the same transition frequency (f0) if one has a reversed sense dielectrophoretic frequency characteristic. Also the speeds of the particles are the same for particles of the same color but different between the three colors. The pixels are driven with alternating voltages of different frequencies (f1, f2, f3, f4) and duration determined such that different proportions of the different colors of particles are moved, dependent upon their transition frequencies and speeds.

Abstract: A method of constructing an active matrix pixel device uses a universal active matrix (UAM) comprising a matrix array of switching elements whose spacing defines a base pitch and a pixel array comprising a matrix array of pixel electrodes whose spacing defines a pixel pitch. The pixel pitch is greater than the base pitch. A large proportion of the construction process can be carried out before the customization of the device. Using a common UAM enables a reduction in the time between the customer ordering the device and the completion time. The cost of meeting customer specific requirements for the fabrication of active matrix pixel devices is thus reduced.

Abstract: A method of increasing the conductivity of a transparent conductive layer, in which a photoresist layer which patterns the transparent layer is given tapered edges and is partially etched. The partial etching exposing the edge regions of the underlying transparent conductor layer, which are the selectively plated. This method has a single patterning stage of the transparent layer, but uses partial etching of a tapered resist layer in order to expose a small edge region of the transparent layer for coating with a conductive layer (which can be opaque).

Abstract: A method of forming an active plate for a liquid crystal display includes depositing and patterning a gate conductor layer over an insulating substrate; depositing a gate insulator layer over the patterned gate conductor layer; depositing a silicon layer over the gate insulator layer; depositing arid patterning a source and drain conductor layer over the silicon layer; and forming a pixel electrode layer for contacting one of the source and drain of the transistor. The silicon layer includes plasma deposition from a gas comprising at least a compound including an n-type dopant atom and a gas containing silicon, with the ratio of the volume of the compound to the volume of the gas containing silicon being selected to give a doping density of the n-type dopant atoms in the silicon layer of between 2.5×1016 and 1.5×1018 atoms per cm3.

Abstract: A method of forming an active plate for a liquid crystal display is disclosed in which the source and drain conductors (28, 30), pixel electrodes (38) and column conductors (32) are formed by depositing and patterning a transparent conductor layer. There is selective plating of areas (52; 60) of the transparent conductor layer to form a metallic layer for reducing the resistivity of the transparent conductor layer. The plated areas include the column conductors (32) but exclude the source and drain conductors and the pixel electrodes. This enables the column conductors to be treated to reduce the resistivity, but without altering the channel length of the transistor because the source and drain parts of the layer are shielded from the plating process.

Abstract: A method for use in the fabrication of active plates for pixellated devices, such as active matrix liquid crystal displays, having pixel electrodes (38) and associated address lines (32) formed from a layer of transparent conductive material (53) through which the conductivity of the address lines is improved. The transparent conductive layer (53) and a metal layer (54) are deposited in succession and followed by a shielding layer (60), e.g. of photoresist, which is patterned into a configuration of regions (67,68,69) corresponding to the required pixel dielectrodes and address lines with a property of the layer at these respective regions being different. This enables the regions of this layer corresponding to the pixel electrodes to be selectively etched away, thereby allowing the metal at these regions to be selectively removed while leaving metal at the address lines.

Abstract: A method of constructing an active matrix pixel device uses a universal active matrix (UAM) (81) comprising a matrix array of switching elements (20) whose spacing defines a base pitch and a pixel array comprising a matrix array of pixel electrodes (19) whose spacing defines a pixel pitch. The pixel pitch is greater than the base pitch. A large proportion of the construction process can be carried out before the customisation of the device. Using a common UAM (81) enables a reduction in the time between the customer ordering the device and the completion time. The cost of meeting customer specific requirements for the fabrication of active matrix pixel devices is thus reduced.

Abstract: A method for use in the fabrication of active plates for pixilated devices, such as active matrix liquid crystal displays, having pixel electrodes (38) and associated address lines (32) formed from a layer of transparent conductive material (53) through which the conductivity of the address lines is improved. The transparent conductive layer (53) and a metal layer (54) are deposited in succession and followed by a shielding layer (60), e.g. of photoresist, which is patterned into a configuration of regions (67,68,69) corresponding to the required pixel dielectrodes and address lines with a property of the layer at these respective regions being different. This enables the regions of this layer corresponding to the pixel electrodes to be selectively etched away, thereby allowing the metal at these regions to be selectively removed while leaving metal at the address lines. The method simplifies the production of low mask mount TFT active plates with improved address line conductivity.

Abstract: A method of improving the electrical conductivity of transparent conducting lines (32) carried on a substrate (46), particularly address lines on the active plate for a pixellated device such as an active matrix liquid crystal display or the like fabricated using a low mask count process, involves forming the lines on the substrate from a deposited layer of transparent conducting material (53), e.g. ITO, and provided on their upper surface with a covering layer (72′) extending from at least one end (75) and partially covering the surface, and then performing an electroplating operation to plate the lines (80) with a plating potential being applied at that end. The covering layer (72′) assists in achieving a more uniform plated layer (80) along the length of the line. The covering layer preferably comprises photoresist defined by selective patterning and partial etching of a deposited photoresist layer (54) used for patterning the transparent layer (53).

Abstract: A method of constructing an active matrix pixel device uses a universal active matrix (UAM) (81) comprising a matrix array of switching elements (20) whose spacing defines a base pitch and a pixel array comprising a matrix array of pixel electrodes (19) whose spacing defines a pixel pitch. The pixel pitch is greater than the base pitch. A large proportion of the construction process can be carried out before the customisation of the device. Using a common UAM (81) enables a reduction in the time between the customer ordering the device and the completion time. The cost of meeting customer specific requirements for the fabrication of active matrix pixel devices is thus reduced.

Abstract: An insulated-gate thin film transistor comprises a gate electrode and source (20) and drain (24) electrodes. The source and drain electrodes are laterally spaced apart, and are vertically separated from the gate electrode (12) by a gate insulator layer and an amorphous silicon layer. A region of the amorphous silicon layer (16) is vertically aligned with the lateral spacing between the source and drain electrodes defining the transistor channel, and the region of the amorphous silicon layer has a thickness of less than 100 nm, and is doped with phosphorus atoms with a doping density of between 2.5×1016 and 1.5×1018 atoms per cm3.

Abstract: A method of constructing an active matrix pixel device uses a universal active matrix (UAM) (81) comprising a matrix array of switching elements (20) (whose spacing defines a base pitch and a pixel array comprising a matric array of pixel electrodes (19) whose spacing defines a pixel pitch. The pixel pitch is greater than the base pitch. A large proportion of the construction process can be carried out before the customisation of the device. Using a common UAM (81) enables a reduction in the time between the customer ordering the device and the completion time. The cost of meeting customer specific requirements for the fabrication of active matrix pixel devices is thus reduced.