Nanostructure optoelectronic device having sidewall electrical contact

A method for forming an optoelectronic device comprising:

• forming a plurality of nanostructures, the nanostructures including photo-active regions, the plurality of nanostructures having tops, bottoms, and sidewalls;
• forming a bottom electrical contact in electrical contact with the bottoms of the plurality of nano structures;
• and
• forming a top electrical contact in electrical and physical contact with sidewalls of the plurality of nanostructures, wherein the top electrical contact leaves a top portion of the plurality of nanostructures exposed to allow light to enter or leave the plurality of nanostructures from the tops of the plurality of nanostructures without passing through the top electrical contact.

An optoelectronic device comprising:

• an array of nanostructures formed from a material that includes one or more semiconductors, the nanostructures including one or more p-n junctions, the nanostructures including photo-active regions associated with the p-n junctions, the nanostructures having tops, bottoms, and sidewalls, the nanostructures have spaces between them;
• a bottom electrical contact in electrical contact with the bottoms of the nanostructures;
• and
• a top electrical contact in electrical and physical contact with the sidewalls of the nanostructures, wherein the top electrical contact is substantially opaque to light having a wavelength that is absorbed or generated by the photo-active regions.

An optoelectronic device comprising:

• a plurality of nanostructures, the nanostructures including p-n junctions, the plurality of nanostructures having tops, bottoms, and sidewalls;
• a first electrical contact in electrical contact with the sidewalls of the plurality of nanostructures, the first electrical contact is on a first side of the p-n junctions;
• and
• a second electrical contact in electrical and physical contact with sidewalls of the plurality of nanostructures, the second electrical contact is on a second side of the p-n junctions that is opposite the first side, the second electrical contact is a top electrical contact, wherein the top electrical contact leaves a top portion of the plurality of nanostructures exposed to allow light to enter or leave the plurality of nanostructures from the tops of the plurality of nanostructures without passing through the top electrical contact, the first electrical contact and second electrical contact are together either an input or an output of the optoelectronic device.