Carrier confinement in light-emitting group IV semiconductor devices

A semiconductor device, comprising:

• a first region comprising a first Group IV semiconductor having a bandgap and doped with a first dopant of a first electrical conductivity type;
• a second region comprising a second Group IV semiconductor having a bandgap and doped with a second dopant of a second electrical conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type;
• a first regular array of spaced-apart local crystal modifications in the first region and inducing in the first Group IV semiconductor overlapping strain fields that increase the bandgap of the first Group IV semiconductor and create an energy band barrier against transport of minority carriers across the first region;
• and
• a second regular array of spaced-apart local crystal modifications in the second region and inducing in the second Group IV semiconductor overlapping strain fields that increase the bandgap of the second Group IV semiconductor and create an energy band barrier against transport of minority carriers across the second region.