Semiconductor device and method of using the same

A semiconductor device comprising:

• a quantum well lamination structure having at least one quantum well layer and at least two barrier layers alternately laminated, the quantum well layer forming a quantum well for electron and hole and the barrier forming a potential barrier for electron and hole, the quantum well layer having a ground level and a second heavy hole level on the valence band side;
• an n-type semiconductor layer in contact with one surface of said quantum well lamination structure;
• and
• a p-type semiconductor layer in contact with the other surface of said quantum well lamination structure,
• wherein a value of an overlap integral of a wave function of electron at the ground level on the conduction band side of the quantum well layer and a wave function of hole at the second heavy hole level on the valence band side reduced as the reverse bias voltage is increased, over the whole range from a state that the bias voltage is not applied between said n-type semiconductor layer and said p-type semiconductor layer to a state with a certain reverse bias voltage being applied.

A semiconductor device comprising:

• a quantum well lamination structure having at least one quantum well layer and at least two barrier layers alternately laminated, the quantum well layer forming a quantum well for electron and hole and the barrier layer forming a potential barrier to electron and hole, the quantum well lamination structure having a ground level and a second heavy hole level on the valence band side of the quantum well layer;
• an n-type semiconductor layer in contact with one surface of said quantum well lamination structure;
• a p-type semiconductor layer in contact with the other surface of said quantum well lamination structure;
• and
• voltage applying means for selectively applying a first bias voltage or a second bias voltage across said n-type semiconductor layer and said p-type semiconductor layer,
• wherein a difference between a transition wavelength between a ground level for electron on a conduction band side of the quantum well layer and the first heavy hole level on the valence band side and a transition wavelength between the ground level for electron on the conduction band side of the quantum well layer and a second heavy hole level on the valance band side is 40 nm or smaller over the whole range from a state applied with the first bias voltage to a state applied with the second bias voltage.

A semiconductor device comprising:

• a quantum well lamination structure having at least one quantum well layer and at least two barrier layers alternately laminated, the quantum well layer forming a quantum well for electron and hole and the barrier layer forming a potential barrier to electron and hole, the quantum well lamination structure having a ground level and a second heavy hole level on the valence band side of the quantum well layer;
• an n-type semiconductor layer in contact with one surface of said quantum well lamination structure;
• a p-type semiconductor layer in contact with the other surface of said quantum well lamination structure;
• and
• voltage applying means for selectively applying a first bias voltage or a second bias voltage across said n-type semiconductor layer and said p-type semiconductor layer,
• wherein a value of an overlap integral of a wave function of electron at the ground level on the conduction band side of the quantum well layer and a wave function of the second heavy hole level on the valence band side reduces as the reverse bias voltage is increased, over the whole range from a state applied with the first bias voltage to a state applied with the second bias voltage.

A method for using a semiconductor device,

• the semiconductor device comprising:
• a quantum well lamination structure having at least one quantum well layer and at least two barrier layers alternately laminated, the quantum well layer forming a quantum well for electron and hole and the barrier layer forming a potential barrier to electron and hole, the quantum well lamination structure having a ground level and a second heavy hole level on the valence band side of the quantum well layer;
• an n-type semiconductor layer in contact with one surface of said quantum well lamination structure;
• and
• a p-type semiconductor layer in contact with the other surface of said quantum well lamination structure,
• wherein a difference between a transition wavelength between a ground level for electron on a conduction band side of the quantum well layer and the first heavy hole level on the valence band side and a transition wavelength between the ground level for electron on the conduction band side of the quantum well layer and a second heavy hole level on the valence band side is 40 nm or smaller over the whole range from a state applied with a first bias voltage across said n-type semiconductor layer and said p-type semiconductor layer to a state with a second bias voltage larger than the first bias voltage, the second bias voltage being a reverse voltage,
• the method comprising the step of applying a light flux to said quantum well structure and switching between a state that the light flux is transmitted by applying the first bias voltage and a state that the light flux is not transmitted by applying the second bias voltage.

A method of using a semiconductor device,

• the semiconductor device comprising:
• a quantum well lamination structure having at least one quantum well layer and at least two barrier layers alternately laminated, the quantum well layer forming a quantum well for electron and hole and the barrier layer forming a potential barrier for electron and hole, the quantum well lamination structure having a ground level and a second heavy hole level on the valence band side of the quantum well layer;
• an n-type semiconductor layer in contact with one surface of said quantum well lamination structure;
• and
• a p-type semiconductor layer in contact with one surface of said quantum well lamination structure,
• wherein a value of an overlap integral of a wave function of electron at the ground level on the conduction band side of the quantum well layer and a wave function of second heavy hole level on the valence band side reduces as the reverse bias voltage is increased, over the whole range from a state applied with a first bias voltage to a state applied with a second bias voltage larger than the first bias voltage, the second bias voltage being a reverse voltage,
• the method comprising the step of applying a light flux to said quantum well structure and switching between a state that the light flux is transmitted by applying the first bias voltage and a state that the light flux is not transmitted by applying the second bias voltage.