The effectiveness of employing a-C:H films as light-blocking layers in refl
ective liquid-crystal light modulators with a-Si: H and a-Si:C:H photosemic
onductor layers is investigated. The possibility of reducing the light flux
penetrating into a photosemiconductor by 100 fold using an a-C: H film wit
h a thickness of 1 mu m and an extinction coefficient equal to 5 x 10(4) cm
(-1) at a wavelength of 632.8 nm is demonstrated. (C) 1999 American Institu
te of Physics. [S1063-7842(99)01603-7].