Motorola Corporation

Corning Applied Technologies Corporation

Teloptics, Corporation

Nz Applied Technologies Corp.

Gene H Haertling

Feiling Wang

An electro-optically deactivated transmissive material comprises a plurality of chemicals which are sufficient, in combination, to enable formation of an electro-optic material having an index of refraction that is responsive to an electric field. The chemicals are combined with a glassifier so as to form a transmissive material that is less responsive to the electric field than said electro-optic material. The deactivated material has substantially the same refractive index as the electro-optic material in the absence of an electric field. In a preferred embodiment, the deactivated material is arranged with active material to form an optical switch.

Deactivated electro-optic material and method of forming the same

A solid state device used to modulate the intensity of reflected or transmitted light by modulating with an external voltage the optical thickness of a thin film ferroelectric placed in an etalon cavity is disclosed. The device is constructed by selecting a generally planar supporting substrate, preferably silicon or sapphire in order to be compatible with silicon integrated circuits. A dielectric stack consisting of alternating layers of different index of refraction materials, also specifically selected to be compatible with later growth of the thin film ferroelectric, is deposited thereon to form a partially reflective and partially transmitting mirror, followed by a transparent electrically conductive layer. The thin film ferroelectric is deposited on the conductive layer, followed by a second transparent conductive layer and a second dielectric stack. Leads are connected to the conductive layers and in turn to a voltage generator. In one version of the invention, the functions of both the second (top) electrically conductive layer and dielectric stack are fulfilled by using a semi-transparent conducting film. In another version, the functions of both the first (bottom) electrically conductive layer and dielectric stack are also fulfilled by using a, preferably, highly reflective conducting film.

Thin film ferroelectric light modulators

An improved electrooptic ceramic reflective display is depicted utilizing polished plates of PLZT ceramic materials in a specific arrangement of dual polarizers, PLZT plate, dual transparent electrode patterns deposited on each major surface in precise alignment of the PLZT plate, and a reflecting surface. The display achieves an optimum effect of high contrast of the associated characters, good brightness, wide viewing angle, and minimum operating voltage requirements. When no voltage is applied, the display has a uniform brightness with no characters shown. When a segment, character, or group of characters is activated by applying a selective voltage, a transverse electrooptic effect is electrically induced and a dark character on a light background is depicted. An elastomer Zebra type connector bar is slit and is utilized to facilitate the electrical connections to the top and bottom electrode pads of the PLZT plate as well as to the associated circuitry for the assembled display.

Electrooptic ceramic display and method for making same

An electrooptic color display for displaying selectable indicia includes a ferroelectric ceramic element, such as a PLZT material, first and second polarizers on each side of the element, and a mechanism for selectively inducing a transverse electric field at selectable areas on the element, said areas corresponding to the indicia. The electric field can be produced by applying a voltage to transparent interleaved electrodes on one or both surfaces of the ceramic element. These areas produce spectrally selective phase retardation which causes the color of the indicia to be different from that of the background color. Preferably a separate retardation element which may be fixed, variable, or a combination of both, is disposed between the polarizers to provide a fixed color bias that determines the background color. This invention contemplates transmissive, reflective, and transflective color displays.

Growing community of inventors

Albuquerque, NM, United States of America

Gene H Haertling