Electric lamp or space discharge component or device manufacturi – Apparatus
Patent
1985-05-14
1987-05-12
Corbin, John K.
Electric lamp or space discharge component or device manufacturi
Apparatus
29825, 445 49, G02F 1133, H01R 4300, H04B 702
Patent
active
046644784
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing an electronically addressable light valve, which term is intended to mean a device the optical properties of which may be altered by an incident electron beam.
A light valve is generally a device which gates or modulates light. Many materials which are capable of having their optical properties dynamically altered have been used as a light valves and such valves have been constructed based on various effects including acousto-optical, electro-optical, thermo-optical and ferroelectric effects.
Although several light valve projection systems have been investigated, only a few have reached maturity and gained market acceptance, the oldest and most notable being the Eidophor. In terms of providing a useful display, typical light valve projection systems have suffered from several drawbacks including low resolution, low contrast, limited life time and cost.
The invention is particularly concerned with liquid crystal light valves. Liquid crystals are known to have their optical properties affected when exposed to an electric field and attempts have been made at addressing liquid crystals by means of an electron beam.
In constructing a light valve based upon a liquid crystal material, it is necessary for the liquid crystal material to be hermetically isolated from the evacuated space of the electron beam and it is therefore necessary to construct an interface which permits the liquid crystal to be scanned by the electron beam while containing the vacuum.
If the interface is an insulator and capacitative coupling is relied upon to alter the potential on the liquid crystal, then there occurs charge spreading which reduces the resolution of the image.
In the IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 16., No. 1, pp. 353,354, there is disclosed an interface between the liquid crystal material and the electron beam apparatus which comprises a two dimensional array of conducting pins in a dielectric substrate. This avoids the problem of charge spreading but the resolution of the image is limited by the separation of the conducting pins.
Various other applications have also required an interface with a beam which comprises conductive pins in an insulating substrate. Examples of these are described in GB-A-2 029 633 which is concerned with an electrostatic printing tube and GB-P-1 509 823 which relates to electron-radiography apparatus.
The present invention seeks to enable the manufacture of an interface between an electron beam apparatus and a liquid crystal material which is capable of providing an image of high resolution.
According to the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing an interface between a liquid crystal and the evacuated space of an electron beam apparatus, which interface comprises a plurality of conductive portions which extend across the thickness of an insulating substrate and which are electrically isolated from one another, the method being characterised by the steps of placing a glass substrate having a two dimensional array of holes of the desired size and separation formed therein within a chamber, firmly supporting the glass substrate against a backing plate, placing a solid block of alloy within the chamber, evacuating the chamber, applying heat to melt the alloy and urging a piston movable within the chamber towards the glass substrate to force the molten alloy into the evacuated holes in the glass substrate.
The molten alloy does not flow into the holes in the glass substrate with ease on account of surface tension effects. However, by first evacuating the holes and forcing the molten alloy into the holes under pressure, it is possible to fill the holes and when the alloy solidifies a plurality of conductive pins are left within the substrate which also render the interface vacuum tight so that it may form part of the vacuum envelope of an electron beam apparatus.
Glass substrates suitable for the manufacture of the interface are commercially available and are used as fluid filters. They are believed to be manufac
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Bryan Charles E.
Nixon William C.
Corbin John K.
Lewis David
Prutec Limited
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