US 3,938,172 AGranted

Semiconductor injection laser

AssigneeRCA Corporation

InventorHarry Francis Lockwood

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Abstract

A body of single crystalline semiconductor material having spaced opposed end surfaces which form a Fabry-Perot cavity. The body includes four contiguous regions of alternating conductivity type forming three PN junctions which extend between the end surfaces of the body. Along one of the PN junctions at least a portion of at least one of the regions is a recombination zone where light is generated upon the recombination of oppositely charged carriers when the PN junctions are forwardly biased to inject one type of charged carriers into the recombination zone. Along at least one side of the recombination zone is a zone having an index of refraction lower than the index of refraction of the recombination zone to confine light in the recombination zone. Also, along one side of the recombination zone is a zone which confines the injected charged carriers in the recombination zone.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A semiconductor injection laser comprising

a body of semiconductor material having a pair of spaced opposed end surfaces forming a Fabry-Perot cavity, said body having four contiguous regions extending between said end surfaces with each region being of a conductivity type opposite to that of the adjacent region so as to provide three spaced PN junctions extending between said end surfaces,
at least a portion of at least one of the regions along one of the outer PN junctions being a recombination zone where light is generated upon the recombination of oppositely charged carriers when the PN junctions are forwardly biased to inject one type of charged carriers into said recombination zone,
means along at least one side of the recombination zone for confining a portion of the generated light in said recombination zone, and
means along at least one side of the recombination zone for confining the injected charged carriers in said recombination zone.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.