Polarized Light Emission from Micro-Pixel Displays and Methods of Fabrication Thereof

Abstract

A method and apparatus for achieving selective polarization states of emitted visible or other light in a stacked multicolor emissive display device by utilizing nonpolar, semipolar or strained c-plane crystallographic planes of semiconductor materials for light emitting structures within an electronic emissive display device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A multicolor electronic emissive display device comprising:
 a plurality of semiconductor layers, each stacked one upon the other;   each layer configured for emitting a different color of visible light and each layer comprising a two dimensional array of visible light emitting structures; and,   wherein at least one of the layers is fabricated from a c-plane orientation GaN material system of epilayers wherein an anisotropic strain is induced in the c-plane GaN, whereby an optical polarization in an emitted visible light from the visible light emitting structures occurs due to a compressive or tensile strain on at least one of the GaN epilayers.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1  wherein an anisotropic strain is induced in the c-plane GaN by introducing strain into at least one of the GaN epilayers. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2  wherein an anisotropic strain is induced in the c-plane GaN by growth of the GaN epilayer on A-plane sapphire. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 2  wherein an anisotropic strain is induced in the c-plane GaN by using Al-rich AlN/AlxGa1-xN quantum wells or AlxGa1-xN strain compensation layers. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 2  wherein an anisotropic strain is induced in the c-plane GaN by nanostructures grown on c-plane GaN. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5  wherein the nanostructures include at least one of photonic crystals, metallic nanoparticles, elliptic nanorods or nano-gratings.