Design, fabrication and evaluation of a high-performance XGA VAN-LCOS microdisplay

Abstract The design, fabrication and evaluation of a high-performance 0.9 in. diagonal XGA microdisplay is described. The DRAM type active matrix comprises square pixels with a 17.6 μm pitch. Bi-directional row and column drivers are integrated on-chip. A 4-metal 0.35 μm CMOS technology enabled the design of a very effective light shield. The peripheral interface electronics supports a programmable look-up table with 10-bit voltage values, as well as programmable threshold voltage and steepness settings, all accessible through a graphic user interface. A vertically aligned nematic liquid crystal mode with an inorganic SiO2 homeotropic alignment layer yields contrast ratios exceeding 1900:1 and video-compatible response times.