Single-Crystal Silicon Wafer Tiling for Large OLED Displays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current technologies face challenges in fabricating electronic devices on large, non-planar surfaces like silicon spheres due to complexities in lithographic techniques and the limitations of amorphous silicon, which result in lower mobility and efficiency compared to single-crystal silicon, especially for applications like OLED displays and photovoltaic devices.
Innovation Solution
The method involves positioning and fixing semiconductor particles, such as single-crystal silicon spheres, on a substrate to create planar surfaces for device fabrication, allowing for the formation of controllable gated electronic components and efficient electrical connections, enabling the production of active matrix OLED displays and other electronic devices with improved performance and reduced power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If amorphous silicon is applied to the entire substrate panel and re-crystallized using large excimer lasers, then large area coverage is achieved, but poly-crystal silicon is formed instead of single-crystal silicon with lower mobility
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate panel is divided into multiple separate single-crystal silicon wafers rather than attempting to crystallize the entire large area at once. Each wafer is processed independently to achieve single-crystal structure, then assembled into a tiled configuration to form the complete large-area display or imager panel.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution transitions from a planar approach (crystallizing the entire surface) to a three-dimensional assembly approach. Individual single-crystal silicon wafers are fabricated separately with high precision, then assembled in a tiled arrangement on the substrate, achieving both large area coverage and high crystal quality through spatial decomposition.
2Reliability
If single-crystal silicon wafers are used, then high electron mobility is achieved, but the cost and size are too large for large displays
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using one large expensive single-crystal silicon wafer, the system segments the active area into multiple smaller single-crystal silicon wafers. Each small wafer maintains the high electron mobility of single-crystal silicon, while the tiled arrangement allows large display areas to be achieved at lower cost and with better size matching.
Solution Approach 2:
Single-crystal silicon is applied locally to each individual wafer rather than uniformly across the entire large substrate. This localized application ensures high electron mobility in each active region while allowing the overall system to be constructed from multiple affordable, appropriately-sized components.
3Area of stationary object
If silicon wafers are butted together to form larger devices, then large area is achieved, but the cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The large-area device is constructed by segmenting it into multiple standard-sized single-crystal silicon wafers that are butted together in a tiled configuration. This segmentation allows the use of conventional, cost-effective wafer fabrication processes rather than requiring expensive custom large-area single-crystal growth.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution moves from attempting to create one large continuous single-crystal substrate to assembling multiple smaller wafers in a two-dimensional tiled array. This dimensional approach to area expansion maintains manufacturing simplicity and cost-effectiveness while achieving the required large device area.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a method of forming a light source, the method comprising providing a backplane comprising a backplane substrate and a semiconductor particle formed separately from the backplane substrate and then fixed upon the backplane substrate at a predetermined position. The semiconductor particle can be planarized to remove a portion of the semiconductor particle and to expose at a cross-section of the semiconductor particle a planar surface. Moreover, the backplane may comprise a controllable gated electronic component on or directly beneath the planar surface. The controllable gated electronic component may be configured to control an LED emitter. The method further comprises providing the LED emitter comprising one or more LEDs electrically connected to the backplane such that at least one of the LEDs is electrically connected to the controllable gated electronic component.