A Novel BLU-Free Full-Color LED Projector Using LED on Silicon Micro-Displays

In this letter, we have described the design and fabrication of a novel backlight-unit (BLU)-free full-color light emitting diode (LED) based projector. The prototype used three active matrix addressable light emitting diode on silicon (LEDoS) micro-displays with peak emission wavelengths of 630, 535, and 445 nm. The LEDoS micro-displays were realized by integrating monolithic micro-LED arrays and silicon-based integrated circuits using a flip-chip bonding technique. Since the LEDoS micro-displays are self-emitting, conventional BLUs used in liquid crystal displays were not needed. Using a trichroic prism to combine the light from the three LEDoS chips, we have produced the world's first three-LEDoS projector. This BLU-free three-LEDoS projector consists of much fewer optical components and has significantly higher light utilization efficiency compared with conventional projectors.