An electrically driven phase change display array control structure

Abstract

The application provides an electrically-driven phase change display array control structure, which mainly comprises a phase change display unit, a groove electrode, a thermal constraint isolation layer, a heat-conducting medium layer, a thermal via structure and an addressing cross electrode layer. The structure has the characteristics of high resolution, high stability and low energy consumption, opens up a new path for phase change display technology, and is expected to achieve industrialization breakthrough in the field of immersive light field display first. In addition to being applicable to the field of AR glasses and the like, it can also be used simultaneously in a memristor array to construct a next-generation intelligent display chip with light sensing and computing integrated functions. In specific implementation, design and adjustment can be made according to actual requirements.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of phase change materials technology, and in particular to an electrically driven phase change display array control structure. Background Technology

[0002] Phase-change display technology, leveraging the reversible transition properties of chalcogenide materials between crystalline and amorphous states, enables highly efficient optical modulation, exhibiting significant advantages such as high resolution, high refresh rate, and zero static power consumption, and has become a key development direction for next-generation display technologies. However, existing technologies face severe challenges in the engineering process of achieving high-resolution array-based electric drive.

[0003] The primary bottleneck lies in the lack of a mature array-based electric drive architecture: current research focuses primarily on optimizing individual devices, and a system-level solution adapted to display requirements has not yet been established. When the cross-electrode addressing structure used in traditional memory is directly transplanted to display arrays, the mushroom-shaped point contact driving mode commonly used in memory leads to uneven thermal field distribution because phase-change displays require synchronous coordination of thermal excitation and optical control. Furthermore, the lack of a collaborative design mechanism between pixel-level heat sources and addressing circuits results in insufficient grayscale control accuracy.

[0004] Meanwhile, thermal crosstalk severely restricts the improvement of display quality. When the spacing between adjacent pixels is reduced to the submicron level, the temperature of neighboring pixels rises when the phase-change unit is thermally driven, causing non-target pixels to be falsely triggered, resulting in a decrease in display contrast. This thermal crosstalk not only reduces spatial resolution but also leads to color reproduction distortion.

[0005] Insufficient electrode driving efficiency further exacerbates system defects. Existing planar electrode structures suffer from high heat loss due to insufficient contact area ratio. The tortuous heat conduction path creates a very high temperature gradient within the phase change material, preventing the phase change material from fully crystallizing, which directly manifests as uneven display brightness.

[0006] Of particular concern is the resistance drift effect caused by periodic operations. During SET and RESET processes, periodic operations can lead to resistance differences. Especially the resistance drift effect: during RESET operations, the resistance of amorphous phase change materials gradually increases over time, significantly widening the resistance range of individual resistance values. Excessive resistance drift can cause one resistance value to shift to another, greatly increasing the bit error rate of cell reads. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To address the problems existing in the prior art, this invention provides an electrically driven phase-change display array control structure.

[0008] This invention provides an electrically driven phase-change display array control structure, comprising:

[0009] A phase change display unit includes a phase change material with a lateral nanoscale confinement structure, and the aspect ratio of the phase change display unit is greater than a first preset threshold.

[0010] The two ends of the phase change display unit are respectively embedded in the grooves at the upper end of the corresponding groove electrode. The groove electrode is used to provide the Joule heat required for the phase change display unit to switch phase states when energized.

[0011] A thermally conductive medium layer is located above the phase change display unit. The thermally conductive medium layer is used to guide heat to diffuse upwards and improve heat conduction efficiency.

[0012] A thermally confined isolation layer is filled between adjacent phase change display units, and the thermally confined isolation layer is used to suppress lateral thermal diffusion between the phase change display units;

[0013] An addressable cross electrode layer, located at the bottom layer, includes intersecting perpendicular electrode lines that do not overlap in space. The addressable cross electrode layer is used to achieve selective control of the phase change display unit.

[0014] A thermal via structure is vertically inserted into the thermally constrained isolation layer. The thermal via structure is used to connect the grooved electrode and the addressing cross electrode layer to complete the electrical drive of the phase change display unit.

[0015] According to the present invention, a phase change display array control structure based on electric drive is provided, wherein the phase change display unit has an aspect ratio ≥ 3:1 and a width in the nanometer range.

[0016] According to the present invention, a phase change display array control structure based on electric drive is provided, wherein the inner sides of the two recessed electrodes embedded in the phase change display unit are provided with recesses that match the geometric dimensions of the phase change display unit, and the sidewall inclination angle of the recesses is less than 90°.

[0017] According to the present invention, a phase change display array control structure based on electric drive is provided, wherein the thermally constrained isolation layer comprises alternately stacked superlattice dielectric materials, and the number of layers of the thermally constrained isolation layer is greater than or equal to 3, such that the thermal conductivity of the phase change display unit in the vertical direction is higher than that in the horizontal direction.

[0018] According to the present invention, in an electrically driven phase change display array control structure, the thermal conductivity of the thermally constrained isolation layer is less than a second preset threshold.

[0019] According to the present invention, a phase change display array control structure based on electric drive is provided, wherein the thermal conductivity of the material used in the thermal conductive medium layer is greater than a third preset threshold, and the thermal conductive medium layer is used to limit the diffusion of heat to the top of the phase change display unit, thereby improving the heat conduction efficiency.

[0020] According to the present invention, an electrically driven phase change display array control structure is provided, wherein the resistivity of the material used in the addressing cross electrode layer is less than a fourth preset threshold.

[0021] According to the present invention, an electrically driven phase change display array control structure is provided, wherein the phase change material is Sb2Te3.

[0022] According to the present invention, a phase change display array control structure based on electric drive is provided, wherein the thickness of the phase change material is less than 100 nm.

[0023] This invention provides an electrically driven phase-change display array control structure. It achieves full-enclosed contact through grooved electrodes to improve thermal efficiency; employs a lateral nano-confined structure to suppress atomic migration and reduce the resistance drift coefficient; designs a superlattice thermally confined dielectric layer to create anisotropic thermal conductivity, making the vertical thermal conductivity significantly higher than the horizontal thermal conductivity; and constructs a vertical thermal via addressing system to achieve pixel-level selection drive. This integrated architecture fundamentally overcomes four major technical barriers: lack of array-based drive, severe thermal crosstalk, low electrode efficiency, and uncontrolled resistance drift, laying the foundation for the practical application of high-resolution phase-change displays. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the electrically driven phase-change display array control structure provided by the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the lateral nanoscale confinement structure in the electrically driven phase change display array control structure provided by the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the resistance drift test results in the electrically driven phase change display array control structure provided by the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0028] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the technical solutions of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0029] The following is combined with Figure 1 and Figure 2 The present invention describes an electrically driven phase-change display array control structure, comprising:

[0030] The phase change display unit 101 includes a phase change material with a lateral nanoscale confinement structure, and the aspect ratio of the phase change display unit is greater than a first preset threshold.

[0031] The two ends of the phase change display unit 101 are respectively embedded in the grooves of the corresponding groove electrodes. The groove electrodes are used to provide the Joule heat required for the phase change display unit to switch phase states when energized.

[0032] A thermally conductive medium layer is located above the phase change display unit. The thermally conductive medium layer is used to guide heat to diffuse upwards and improve heat conduction efficiency.

[0033] A thermally confined isolation layer is filled between adjacent phase change display units, and the thermally confined isolation layer is used to suppress lateral thermal diffusion between the phase change display units;

[0034] The addressing cross electrode layer 103 is located at the bottom layer and includes electrode lines that intersect perpendicularly but do not overlap in space. The addressing cross electrode layer is connected to the phase change display unit 101 through a thermal via structure to achieve selective control of the phase change display unit.

[0035] A thermal via structure is vertically inserted into the thermally constrained isolation layer. The thermal via structure is used to connect the grooved electrode and the addressing cross electrode layer 103 to complete the electrical drive of the phase change display unit 101.

[0036] The electrically driven phase change display array control structure includes the following six structures: phase change display unit 101, grooved electrode, thermally confined isolation layer, thermally conductive medium layer, thermal via structure, and addressing cross electrode layer 103. Figure 1 102 in the figure is a combination of grooved electrode and heat-through hole structure.

[0037] The phase-change display unit 101 has a high aspect ratio and is embedded in the recess of the grooved electrode, fully enclosing the grooved electrode (sidewalls + bottom). The phase-change display unit 101 uses a phase-change material with a lateral nanoscale confinement structure. Its sidewalls mitigate the dynamics of the supercooled liquid metal and limit structural relaxation near the sidewalls. Therefore, the device exhibits extremely low resistance drift, improving its reliability. Resistance drift test results are as follows... Figure 3 As shown.

[0038] Figure 2 In the middle, the heat-conducting medium layer 201 is located above the phase change display unit 202, and the thermal constraint isolation layer 203 is located between adjacent phase change display units 202. Figure 2 204 in the figure is a combination structure of groove electrode and heat-through hole structure.

[0039] Each component layer is stacked sequentially in the vertical direction and works together to form a vertical addressing control architecture integrated drive system with a non-conductive thermal excitation mechanism, pixel-level thermal isolation, and strong lateral thermal crosstalk suppression capability. The system is suitable for high-resolution, high-stability, and low-power phase change display devices.

[0040] This embodiment addresses the systemic challenges of existing technologies by innovatively proposing a four-dimensional collaborative solution: using grooved electrodes to achieve fully enclosed contact and improve thermal efficiency; employing lateral nano-confined structures to suppress atomic migration and reduce resistance drift coefficient; designing a superlattice thermally confined dielectric layer to create anisotropic thermal conductivity, resulting in significantly higher thermal conductivity in the vertical direction than in the horizontal direction; and constructing a vertical thermal via addressing system to achieve pixel-level selection and driving. This integrated architecture fundamentally overcomes four major technical barriers: lack of array-based driving, severe thermal crosstalk, low electrode efficiency, and uncontrolled resistance drift, laying the foundation for the practical application of high-resolution phase-change displays.

[0041] Based on the above embodiments, the phase change display unit in this embodiment has an aspect ratio of ≥3:1 and a width of nanometer-scale.

[0042] Based on the above embodiments, in this embodiment, the inner sides of the two recessed electrodes embedded in the phase change display unit are provided with grooves that match the geometric dimensions of the phase change display unit. The sidewall inclination angle of the groove is less than 90°, and the contact area with the phase change display unit is increased by more than 40% compared with the contact area with a plane, so that the phase change unit can be heated more fully and the heat conduction efficiency is increased.

[0043] Based on the above embodiments, the thermal confinement isolation layer in this embodiment includes alternating stacked superlattice dielectric materials, and the number of layers of the thermal confinement isolation layer is greater than or equal to 3, so that the thermal conductivity of the phase change display unit in the vertical direction is higher than that in the horizontal direction.

[0044] The thermally confined isolation layer is composed of alternating stacked dielectric superlattices with three or more layers, resulting in higher thermal conductivity in the vertical direction than in the horizontal direction.

[0045] Based on the above embodiments, the thermal conductivity of the thermally confined isolation layer in this embodiment is less than a second preset threshold.

[0046] The thermal confinement isolation layer uses a material with low thermal conductivity to suppress lateral thermal diffusion between units.

[0047] Based on the above embodiments, in this embodiment, the thermal conductivity of the material used in the thermal conductive medium layer is greater than a third preset threshold. The thermal conductive medium layer is used to limit the diffusion of heat to the top of the phase change display unit and improve the heat conduction efficiency.

[0048] The thermally conductive medium layer is located on top of the phase change material and uses high thermal conductivity materials, such as SiC and SiN, to restrict heat diffusion to the top of the phase change unit and improve heat transfer efficiency.

[0049] Based on the above embodiments, the resistivity of the material used in the addressing cross electrode layer in this embodiment is less than a fourth preset threshold.

[0050] The addressing cross electrode layer uses low resistivity materials, such as Al and Cu alloys, W, Ag, etc., to reduce losses during the electric drive process and improve the reliability of the electric drive process.

[0051] Based on the above embodiments, the phase change material in this embodiment is Sb2Te3.

[0052] The phase change material of the phase change material layer may include the following chalcogenide compounds and their alloys, including but not limited to: GST, GSST, IST, GeTe, SbTe, BiTe, InSb, InSe, GeSb, SbSe, GaSb, GaSb, GeSbTe, AgInSbTe, InSbTe, AgSbTe, and Ag2In4Sb. 76 Te 17 (AIST). Furthermore, the atomic percentages in the above chemical formulas can vary. The phase change material layer may further contain at least one dopant, such as C or N.

[0053] Preferably, Sb2Te3 is selected as the phase change material. Under the same thickness, Sb2Te3 has the largest change in transmittance before and after the phase change. In addition, Sb2Te3 has a lower phase change temperature, and the voltage or laser amplitude required for the transition is low and the pulse width is narrow, which makes it easier to reduce the energy consumption of the entire device and improve the response speed of the phase change material.

[0054] Based on the above embodiments, the thickness of the phase change material in this embodiment is less than 100 nm.

[0055] The thickness of the phase change material layer is less than 100nm. As the thickness of the phase change material layer increases, the transmittance of visible light decreases, and the temperature required for the crystallization of the phase change material also increases. The more suitable thickness is 30nm.

[0056] The phase change material in the phase change material layer can be driven by voltage. When driven by voltage, a voltage is applied to the transparent electrodes on both sides of the phase change layer to cause the phase change material to undergo a phase change. The transmittance of the phase change layer in this phase change filter component varies greatly in different states. The phase change material is stable in both crystalline and amorphous states, so voltage or laser can be removed when the phase change material is in a stable state. Therefore, the power consumption of the entire display device is very low during the display process.

[0057] In summary, this embodiment comprehensively solves the main bottlenecks in existing phase-change display technologies through a high aspect ratio lateral nanoscale confinement structure, a three-dimensional cross-circuit design with through-hole structures, and thermal crosstalk suppression technology. This technology is suitable for high-resolution, high-stability, and low-power phase-change display devices, laying an important foundation for the development and application of next-generation display technologies.

[0058] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A phase-change display array control structure based on electric drive, characterized in that, include: A phase change display unit comprising a phase change material with a lateral nanoscale confinement structure, wherein the aspect ratio of the phase change display unit is ≥3:1; The two ends of the phase change display unit are respectively embedded in the grooves at the upper end of the corresponding groove electrode. The groove electrode is used to provide the Joule heat required for the phase change display unit to switch phase states when energized. A thermally conductive medium layer is located above the phase change display unit. The thermally conductive medium layer is used to guide heat to diffuse upwards and improve heat conduction efficiency. A thermally confined isolation layer is filled between adjacent phase change display units. The thermally confined isolation layer is used to suppress lateral thermal diffusion between the phase change display units. The thermally confined isolation layer comprises alternately stacked superlattice dielectric materials. An addressable cross electrode layer, located at the bottom layer, includes intersecting perpendicular electrode lines that do not overlap in space. The addressable cross electrode layer is used to achieve selective control of the phase change display unit. A thermal via structure is vertically inserted into the thermally constrained isolation layer. The thermal via structure is used to connect the grooved electrode and the addressing cross electrode layer to complete the electrical drive of the phase change display unit.

2. The electrically driven phase-change display array control structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The width of the phase change display unit is on the nanometer scale.

3. The electrically driven phase-change display array control structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner sides of the two recessed electrodes embedded in the phase change display unit are provided with grooves that match the geometric dimensions of the phase change display unit, and the sidewall inclination angle of the grooves is less than 90°.

4. The electrically driven phase-change display array control structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thermal confinement isolation layer has a number of layers greater than or equal to 3, which makes the thermal conductivity of the phase change display unit higher in the vertical direction than in the horizontal direction.

5. The electrically driven phase-change display array control structure according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The phase change material is Sb2Te3.

6. The electrically driven phase-change display array control structure according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The thickness of the phase change material is less than 100 nm.

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