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US 7,442,953 B2Granted
Wavelength selective photonics device
AssigneeQuantum Semiconductor LLC
InventorCarlos J. R. P. Augusto
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device comprising a number of different wavelength-selective active-layers arranged in a vertical stack, having band-alignment and work-function engineered lateral contacts to said active-layers, consisting of a contact-insulator and a conductor-insulator. Photons of different energies are selectively absorbed in or emitted by the active-layers. Contact means are arranged separately on the lateral sides of the vertical stack for injecting charge carriers into the photon-emitting layers and extracting charge carriers generated in the photon-absorbing layers. The device can be used for various applications for light emission or light absorption. The stack of active layers may also include top and bottom electrodes whereby the device can also be operated as a FET device.
Claims52
An opto-electronic device comprising:
- a crystalline substrate;
- an insulator layer coextensive with a top surface of the crystalline substrate;
- an epitaxial stack of alternating photon-active semiconductor layers and electrical-insulator layers above a central part of the top surface of the insulator layer;
- first contact means formed on a first edge part of the top surface of the insulator layer, said first contact means extending parallel with a direction of epitaxial deposition and being in contact with one side wall of at least one active semiconductor layer for at least one of injecting charge carriers into and extracting charge carriers from the active semiconductor layer(s) associated therewith;
- and
- second contact means formed on a second edge part of the top surface of the insulator layer, said second contact means extending parallel with the direction of epitaxial deposition and being in contact with a second side wall of at least one active semiconductor layer for at least one of extracting charge carriers from and injecting charge carriers into the active semiconductor layer(s) associated therewith;
- wherein at least one of said first contact means and said second contact means comprise at least one barrier layer between a conductive material and the semiconductor active layer.
4 more elements
An opto-electronic device comprising:
- a crystalline substrate;
- a bottom electrode on the top surface of the crystalline substrate;
- an insulator layer on the top surface of the bottom electrode;
- an epitaxial stack of alternating photon-active semiconductor layers and electrical-insulator layers above a central part of the top surface of the insulator layer;
- first contact means formed on a first edge part of the top surface of the insulator layer, said first contact means extending parallel with a direction of epitaxial deposition and being in contact with one side wall of at least one active semiconductor layer for at least one of injecting charge carriers into and extracting charge carriers from the active semiconductor layer(s) associated therewith;
- second contact means formed on a second edge part of the top surface of the insulator layer, said second contact means extending parallel with the direction of epitaxial deposition and being in contact with a second side wall of at least one active semiconductor layer for at least one of extracting charge carriers from and injecting charge carriers into the active semiconductor layer(s) associated therewith;
- and
- a top electrode on the top surface of the upper layer of the epitaxial stack:
- wherein at least one of said first contact means and said second contact means interfaces with at least one semiconductor active layer region with reduced thickness with respect to its thickness at a center of the device.
6 more elements
An opto-electronic device comprising:
- a crystalline silicon substrate;
- an insulator layer coextensive with a top surface of the crystalline substrate;
- an epitaxial stack of alternating photon-active semiconductor layers and electrical-insulator layers above a central part of the top surface of the insulator layer;
- first contact means formed on a first edge part of the top surface of the insulator layer, said first contact means extending parallel with a direction of epitaxial deposition and being in contact with one side wall of at least one active semiconductor layer for at least one of injecting charge carriers into and extracting charge carriers from the active semiconductor layer(s) associated therewith;
- and
- second contact means formed on a second edge part of the top surface of the insulator layer, said second contact means extending parallel with the direction of epitaxial deposition and being in contact with a second side wall of at least one active semiconductor layer for at least one of extracting charge carriers from and injecting charge carriers into the active semiconductor layer(s) associated therewith;
- wherein at least one of said first contact means and said second contact means interfaces with at least one semiconductor active layer region with reduced thickness with respect to its thickness at a center of the device.
4 more elements
An opto-electronic device comprising:
- a crystalline substrate;
- a bottom electrode on the top surface of the crystalline substrate;
- an insulator layer on the top surface of the bottom electrode;
- an epitaxial stack of alternating photon-active semiconductor layers and electrical-insulator layers above a central part of the top surface of the insulator layer;
- first contact means formed on a first edge part of the top surface of the insulator layer, said first contact means extending parallel with a direction of epitaxial deposition and being in contact with one side wall of at least one active semiconductor layer for at least one of injecting charge carriers into and extracting charge carriers from the active semiconductor layer(s) associated therewith;
- second contact means formed on a second edge part of the top surface of the insulator layer, said second contact means extending parallel with the direction of epitaxial deposition and being in contact with a second side wall of at least one active semiconductor layer for at least one of extracting charge carriers from and injecting charge carriers into the active semiconductor layer(s) associated therewith;
- and
- a top electrode on the top surface of the upper layer of the epitaxial stack:
- wherein at least one of said first contact means and said second contact means comprise at least one barrier layer between a conductive material and the semiconductor active layer.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.