Abstract:
A conductive element (50) with a lateral oxidation barrier is provided for the control of lateral oxidation processes in semiconductor devices such as lasers, vertical cavity surface emitting lasers and light emitting diodes. The oxidation barrier is formed through modification of one or more layers which initially were receptive to oxidation. The quality of material (26) directly below the oxidation barrier may be preserved. Related applications include the formation of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers on non-GaAs substrates and on GaAs substrates.
Abstract:
Several methods are used in novel ways with newly identified and viable parameters to decrease the peak transition energies of the pseudomorphic InGaAs/GaAs heterostructures. These techniques, taken separately or in combination, suffice to permit operation of light-emitting devices at wavelengths of 1.3 mu m or greater of light-emitting electro-optic devices. These methods or techniques, by example, include: (a) utilizing new superlattice structures (58) having high In concentrations in the active region, (b) utilizing strain compensation (56, 64) to increase the usable layer thickness for quantum wells with appropriately high In concentrations, (c) utilizing appropriately small amounts of nitrogen (N) in the pseudomorphic InGaAsN/GaAs laser structure (60), and (d) use of nominal (111) oriented substrates (52) to increase the usable layer thickness for quantum wells with appropriately high In concentrations.
Abstract:
An improved aperture (10) is provided. The aperture (10) comprises: at least a first layer (12); the first layer (12) being oxidized in a laterally oriented first region (14); the first layer (12) being modified within a laterally oriented second region (16), the second region (16) being oxidized less than the first region (14); a second layer (18) deposited in communication with the first layer (12), the second layer (18) being oxidized less than the first layer (12); and a non-planar boundary (22) having top and bottom boundary surfaces and side walls (28) connecting the top and bottom boundary surfaces, the top boundary surface defined as a top surface of the second layer (18) above the laterally oriented first region (14) and the bottom boundary surface defined as a bottom surface of the laterally oriented second region (16), the first and second regions (14, 16) defining the aperture (10).
Abstract:
A lens (38, 56, 70, 98, 82) including an oxidized region (16) having at least one oxidized layer (14, 18, 12, 40, 44, 50, 54, 66, 64, 68, 71, 72, 74, 76, 81, 86) which is adjacent to the non-oxidized layer (24, 30, 34, 46, 48, 65, 77) is provided. The lens (38, 56, 70, 98, 82) is used in optical devices such as a light emitting device and a vertical cavity surface emitting laser.
Abstract:
An improved semiconductor structure is provided. The semiconductor structure comprises a first layer, the first layer having a restricted growth surface having a region with a transverse dimension D, the first layer having a first lattice constant L1; a first, last and at least one intermediate transition layers, the transition layers forming a transition region, the transition region disposed above the first layer, the transition region having a vertical tickness T, and where at least one of the transition layers has lattice constants between L1 and a second lattice constant L2 where the first transition layer has a lattice constant closer to the L1 than L2 and the last transition layer has a lattice constant closer to the L2 than L1; and a second layer disposed on the transition region, the second layer having the second lattice constant L2; wherein: the transition region has an average fractional change in lattice constant characterized by kappa where kappa = (D/T) {(L2 - L1)/L1}, where 0 /=2 mu m.
Abstract:
An improved light emitting device (10) comprises: a first conductive layer (16) having a first conductivity type; a light emitting material (20) disposed above the first conductive layer and in electrical communication therewith; a current aperture region (24) comprising at least one layer of oxidizable material, the oxidizable material having a first region (36) which is non-oxidized surrounded by a second region (34) which is oxidized in order to form a current aperture in the oxidizable material, the current aperture region (24) further comprising a third region (36) being non-oxidized and at least adjacent to the second region (34), the current aperture region (24) disposed above the light emitting material and in electrical communication therewith; a second conductive layer (28) having a second conductivity type, the second conductive layer being disposed above the current aperture region (24) and in electrical communication therewith; at least one electrically conductive channel (38, 12) for providing electrical communication to the light emitting material, the channel extending through the third region of the oxidizable material. Additionally, a method for constructing the light emitting device (10) is also provided.