A panel carrier includes a substrate, a die-attach region, a short sidewall, and a conductor. The die-attach region is on a top substrate surface of the substrate for supporting the LCoS panel. The short sidewall is on a first side of the die-attach region and has a top sidewall surface at a first height above the top substrate surface exceeding 0.4 millimeters and an aperture spanning the top sidewall surface and the top substrate surface. The conductor at least partially fills the aperture for electrically connecting to the conductive layer. A method for mechanically and electrically connecting a LCoS panel to a panel carrier having a short sidewall includes electrically connecting a transparent conductive layer of the LCoS panel to a conductive material, within the short sidewall, with a conductive adhesive having a thickness, between the transparent conductive layer and the short sidewall, less than two-hundred micrometers.