Unitary lens semiconductor device
AssigneeSandia Corporation
InventorKevin L. Lear
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A unitary lens semiconductor device and method. The unitary lens semiconductor device is provided with at least one semiconductor layer having a composition varying in the growth direction for unitarily forming one or more lenses in the semiconductor layer. Unitary lens semiconductor devices may be formed as light-processing devices such as microlenses, and as light-active devices such as light-emitting diodes, photodetectors, resonant-cavity light-emitting diodes, vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers, and resonant cavity photodetectors.
Claims50
A unitary lens semiconductor device comprising:
- (a) a transparent substrate having at least one semiconductor layer thereon, the semiconductor layer having a composition varying Continuously or in discrete steps in a direction normal to an upper surface of the substrate;
- and
- (b) a lower-refractive-index portion formed in the semiconductor layer and extending downward below the upper surface of the semiconductor layer to form a lens having a curved shape defined, at least in part, by the variation in composition of the semiconductor layer for redirecting or focusing light rays.
A unitary lens semiconductor device comprising:
- (a) a transparent substrate having an upper surface;
- (b) at least one semiconductor layer above the substrate, the semiconductor layer having a composition varying continuously or stepwise in a direction normal to the upper surface;
- and
- (c) a mesa formed within the semiconductor layer, the mesa having at least one sidewall wherefrom a lower-refractive-index portion of the semiconductor layer extends laterally inward to form a lens having a curved shape defined, at least in part, by the variation in composition of the semiconductor layer.
A unitary lens semiconductor device comprising:
- (a) a semiconductor substrate;
- (b) a plurality of semiconductor layers grown above the substrate further comprising a light-active region having a semiconductor junction therein and at least one lens-forming region, the lens-forming region having a semiconductor composition varying continuously or stepwise in the growth direction and including a lower-refractive-index portion having a curved shape to define a unitary lens;
- and
- (c) electrodes above and below the semiconductor junction for electrically activating the light-active region.
A unitary lens semiconductor device comprising:
- (a) a transparent substrate having an upper surface and a lower surface;
- (b) at least one semiconductor layer above the upper surface of the substrate, the semiconductor layer having a composition varying continuously or stepwise along an optical axis normal to the upper surface and a lower-refractive-index portion extending downward into the semiconductor layer to provide a curved surface that defines at least one unitary lens for redirecting light rays;
- (c) a light-active region formed below the lower surface of the substrate and having a semiconductor junction therein, the light-active region having at least one light-active area centered about an optical axis of each unitary lens;
- and
- (d) electrodes above and below the semiconductor junction for electrically activating the light-active region.
A unitary lens semiconductor device comprising:
- (a) a transparent substrate having a semiconductor layer thereon;
- and
- (b) a lens formed in the semiconductor layer below a substantially planar outer surface of the layer and further having a curved shape defined, at least in part, by a continuous or stepwise variation in composition of the layer in a direction normal to the outer surface of the layer.
A unitary lens semiconductor device comprising:
- (a) a transparent substrate;
- and
- (b) a semiconductor layer disposed on the substrate and including a lower-refractive-index portion therein, the lower-refractive-index portion having an outer surface that is substantially planar and an inner surface that is curved to define a lens within the semiconductor layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.