EP0335553A2 — Self-scanning light-emitting element array

Claim 1

Independent Claim 95 words

A self-scanning light-emitting element array comprising: an array of light-emitting elements, turn-on threshold levels of which are able to be controlled; coupling means for coupling the elements in an array direction so that an ON light-emitting element has an influence to change the threshold level of a light-emitting element which is to be turned on next; and drive means, connected to said light-emitting elements to supply parallel drive pulses thereto, for transferring a turn-on in the array direction at an interval of drive pulses while propagating a change in threshold level in the array direction.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 95 words

A self-scanning light-emitting element array comprising: an array of light-emitting elements, turn-on threshold levels of which are able to be controlled; coupling means for coupling the elements in an array direction so that an ON light-emitting element has an influence to change the threshold level of a light-emitting element which is to be turned on next; and drive means, connected to said light-emitting elements to supply parallel drive pulses thereto, for transferring a turn-on in the array direction at an interval of drive pulses while propagating a change in threshold level in the array direction.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 20 words

An array according to claim 1, wherein said light-emitting elements are arrayed in one of linear, two-dimensional and three-dimensional constitution.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 51 words

An array according to claim 1, wherein said drive means comprises a plurality of phases of drive lines for supplying drive pulses of different phases, the light-emitting element which is turned on and the adjacent light-emitting element whose threshold level is changed to be turned on next belonging to different phases.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 31 words

An array according to claim 3, wherein a trailing edge of a drive pulse of a given phase sequentially overlaps a leading edge of a drive pulse of the next phase.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 28 words

An array according to claim 3, wherein said drive means is constituted by two phases, said light-emitting elements alternately belonging to first and second phases along the array.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 29 words

An array according to claim 5, wherein said coupling means has directivity for regulating the shift direction of the change in threshold level to one direction of the array.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 58 words

An array according to claim 3, wherein said drive means is constituted by three phases, the light-emitting elements belonging to the respective phases are repetitively arranged in the order of first, second, and third phases, and a phase order of the drive pulses supplied in correspondence with the respective phases determines the shift direction of the turn-on operation.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 32 words

An array according to claim 1, wherein the influence given to the next light-emitting elements through said coupling means is effected in forward and backward light-emitting elements in the element array direction.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 29 words

An array according to claim 1, wherein said coupling means has directivity, and the influence given to the next light-emitting element is stronger in one direction of the array.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 29 words

An array according to claim 1, wherein said coupling means has directivity, and the influence given to the next light-emitting element is transferred in one direction of the array.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 46 words

An array according to claim 1, 8,9 or 10, wherein the influence caused by said coupling means is given to a plurality of light-emitting elements in the element array direction so that the influence is attenuated as a light-emitting element is apart from an ON element.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 46 words

An array according to claim 1, 8, 9 or 10, further comprising means for transferring the influence caused by said coupling means to only a next light-emitting element to be turned on next and blocking the influence from being transferred to a next adjacent light-emitting element.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 14 words

An array according to claim 1, wherein said coupling means comprises light coupling means.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 27 words

An array according to claim 13, wherein light emitted from the light-emitting element is incident in a larger amount on the adjacent light-emitting element in one direction.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 22 words

An array according to claim 1, wherein said coupling means comprises electrical coupling means for connecting control electrodes of said light-emitting elements.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 17 words

An array according to claim 15, further comprising means for shielding light coupling between adjacent light-emitting elements.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 12 words

An array according to claim 15, wherein said coupling means comprises resistors.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 12 words

An array according to claim 15, wherein said coupling means comprises diodes.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 14 words

An array according to claim 10 or 15, wherein said coupling means comprises transistors.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 92 words

An array according to claim 15, wherein said light-emitting elements are divided into a plurality of blocks each including at least two adjacent light-emitting elements, said at least two adjacent light-emitting elements being connected to be simultaneously turned on in each block, and said coupling means directly couples control electrodes of said light-emitting elements between one block and a block next thereto, and does not couple the control electrodes within each block so as not topropagate a change in threshold level by the direct coupling to a next to the next block.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 54 words

An array according to claim 1, wherein said drive means comprises luminance control means for receiving an image signal for causing light-emitting elements at desired positions in the array to emit light and increasing current on a drive pulse supply line for increasing a light-emission luminance of the light-emitting elements at the desired positions

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 28 words

An array according to claim 21, wherein said luminance control means is connected to supply light emission pulses corresponding to said image signal to said drive supply means.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 52 words

An array according to claim 22, wherein said drive means is constituted by polyphases, said light-emitting elements are arrayed in an order of the polyphases, and said luminance control means are coupled parallel with respect to the polyphases so that the light-emission pulses are parallelly supplied to drive lines of the polyphases.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 42 words

An array according to claim 22 or 23, wherein the drive pulse has a voltage level associated with the threshold level, and the light-emission pulse has a current level corresponding to a light-emission luminance of the light-emission element which is turned on.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 40 words

An array according to claim 1, wherein the element array has a single start light-emitting element at a leading end portion thereof, the start light-emitting element being turned on in response to a one-shot pulse at the beginning of self-scanning.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 34 words

An array according to claim 1, wherein each of said light-emitting elements comprises a negative resistor element having a structure wherein a plurality of semiconductor layers of p and n conductivity types are stacked.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 36 words

An array according to claim 1, further comprising a light deflector element, arranged in a light output path of each of said light-emitting elements, for deflecting a direction of output light in the element array direction.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 55 words

An array according to claim 27, wherein said light deflector comprises a pair of current injection electrodes arranged at two sides of the light output path, currents having symmetrical magnitudes being injected to said current injection electrodes so as to form a gradient refractive index distribution in a widthwise direction of the light output path.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 50 words

An array according to claim 28, wherein waveforms of the currents applied to said current injection electrodes of said light deflector are ramp-shaped waveforms having opposite gradient directions, so that output light from the light-emitting element is deflected to the left and right about the center of the output path.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 102 words

An array according to claim 29, wherein each of said current injection electrodes of said light deflector has a thyristor structure, each of two thyristor arrays constituted by the thyristors comprises a structure equivalent to said coupling means and said drive means provided to said light-emitting element array so as to shift a turn-on operation in the array direction, and said drive means of said light deflector supplies drive pulses synchronous with the drive pulses from said drive means of said light-emitting elements to said thyristor arrays and supplies the ramp waveform currents superposed on the drive pulses to said thyristor arrays.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 21 words

An array according to any one of claims 27 to 30, wherein each of said light-emitting elements comprises a laser thyristor.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 24 words

An array according to claim 27, wherein said light deflector comprises a dielectric crystal prism for controlling a refractive index with an electric field.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 27 words

An array according to claim 32, wherein a ramp voltage synchronous with a turn-on shift of said light-emitting element array is supplied to said dielectric crystal prism.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 23 words

An array according to claim 1, wherein said light-emitting element array is a light-emission source of a light spot scanning type image sensor.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 22 words

An array according to claim 1, wherein said light-emitting element array is a scanning type image light-emission source of an optical printer.

Claim 37

Dependent Claim 19 words

An array according to claim 1, wherein said light-emitting element array is a line segment of a two-dimensional display.

Claim 38

Independent Claim 114 words

A method of driving a light-emitting element array, comprising: chain-coupling a plurality of light-emitting elements so that a light-emitting element which is turned on influences an adjacent light-emitting element to be turned on next to change a threshold level; performing polyphase-drive so that the light-emitting element which is turned on and the adjacent light-emitting element to be turned on next are driven by drive pulses of different phases; controlling a valid direction and a valid range of the influence so that the influence of changing the threshold level is validated in a next one phase; and sequentially transferring a turn-on operation in one direction of the element array in a switching period of phases.

Claim 39

Independent Claim 114 words

A method of driving a light-emitting element array, comprising: chain-coupling a plurality of light-emitting elements so that a light-emitting element which is turned on influences an adjacent light-emitting element to be turned on next to change a threshold level; performing polyphase-drive so that the light-emitting element which is turned on and the adjacent light-emitting element to be turned on next are driven by drive pulses of different phases; controlling a valid direction and a valid range of the influence so that the influence of changing the threshold level is validated in a next one phase; and sequentially transferring a turn-on operation in one direction of the element array in a switching period of phases.

Claim 40

Dependent Claim 33 words

A method according to claim 37, wherein the drive pulses are supplied so that propagation of the influence caused by the chain-coupling has directivity in the array direction of the light-emitting element array.

Claim 41

Dependent Claim 65 words

A method according to claim 37, wherein the chain-coupling is made so that the influence of changing the threshold level is attenuated as a light-emitting element is apart from the light-emitting element which is turned on, and the drive pulses associated with the threshold level are supplied to said light-emitting elements, so that a valid range of the influence is limited to an adjacent phase.

Claim 42

Dependent Claim 47 words

A method according to claim 39, wherein the drive pulse associated with the threshold level has a level higher than the changed threshold level of the adjacent light-emitting element to be turned on next and lower than the changed threshold level of a next adjacent light-emitting element.

Claim 43

Dependent Claim 26 words

A method according to claim 37, wherein a transfer direction of the turn-on operation is determined in accordance with a phase switching order of three-phase drive.

Claim 44

Dependent Claim 34 words

A method according to claim 37, wherein light-emission control of emission/non-emission or low-luminance/high-luminance is performed at every light-emitting elements which are turned on in synchronism with the drive pulse for transferring the turn-on operation.

Claim 45

Dependent Claim 115 words

A self-scanning light-emitting element array comprising: an array of light-emitting elements, turn-on threshold levels of which are able to be controlled by external light; transparent coupling portions, arranged between adjacent light-emitting elements, for causing part of light emitted from a light-emitting element which is turned on to be incident on a light-emitting element adjacent to said ON light-emitting element so as to change a threshold level of the adjacent light-emitting element to be turned on next: and drive means, connected to said light-emitting elements to supply parallel drive pulses thereto, for transferring a turn-on operation in the array direction at interval of drive pulses while propagating a change in threshold level in the array direction.

Claim 46

Dependent Claim 115 words

A self-scanning light-emitting element array comprising: an array of light-emitting elements, turn-on threshold levels of which are able to be controlled by external light; transparent coupling portions, arranged between adjacent light-emitting elements, for causing part of light emitted from a light-emitting element which is turned on to be incident on a light-emitting element adjacent to said ON light-emitting element so as to change a threshold level of the adjacent light-emitting element to be turned on next: and drive means, connected to said light-emitting elements to supply parallel drive pulses thereto, for transferring a turn-on operation in the array direction at interval of drive pulses while propagating a change in threshold level in the array direction.

Claim 47

Dependent Claim 87 words

An array according to claim 43, wherein said drive means is constituted by three phases, light-emitting elemcnts belonging to the respective phases are arrayed in an order of first, second and third phases and are connected to common drive lines corresponding to the three phases, and said light-emitting elements are driven in the order of the first, second and third phases in response to three-phase drive pulses in which a trailing edge of one pulse overlaps a leading edge of the next pulse in the order named.

Claim 48

Dependent Claim 20 words

An array according to claim 43, wherein said transparent coupling portions serve as insulating layers between the adjacent light-emitting elements.

Claim 49

Dependent Claim 59 words

An array according to claim 43, wherein each of said transparent coupling portions arranged between the adjacent light-emitting elements has light barriers arranged at two sides of a light propagation path, so that light emitted from an ON light-emitting element is incident on a next light-emitting element and is not incident on a next to the next light-emitting element.

Claim 50

Dependent Claim 16 words

An array according to claim 43, wherein said transparent coupling portions have transparency and light-absorption properties.

Claim 51

Dependent Claim 105 words

A self-scanning light-emitting element array comprising: an array of light-emitting elements, turn-on threshold levels of which are able to be electrically controlled; a resistor network for coupling control electrodes for controlling threshold levels of said light-emitting elements in an element array direction, so that a light-emitting element which is turned on changes the threshold level of an adjacent light-emitting element to be turned on next; and drive means, connected to said light-emitting elements to supply parallel drive pulses thereto, for transferring a turn-on operation in the array direction at an interval of drive pulses while propagating a change in threshold level in the array direction.

Claim 52

Dependent Claim 105 words

A self-scanning light-emitting element array comprising: an array of light-emitting elements, turn-on threshold levels of which are able to be electrically controlled; a resistor network for coupling control electrodes for controlling threshold levels of said light-emitting elements in an element array direction, so that a light-emitting element which is turned on changes the threshold level of an adjacent light-emitting element to be turned on next; and drive means, connected to said light-emitting elements to supply parallel drive pulses thereto, for transferring a turn-on operation in the array direction at an interval of drive pulses while propagating a change in threshold level in the array direction.

Claim 53

Dependent Claim 87 words

An array according to claim 48, wherein said drive means is constituted by three phases, light-emitting elements belonging to the respective phases are arrayed in an order of first, second and third phases and are connected to common drive lines corresponding to the three phases, and said light-emitting elements are driven in the order of the first, second and third phases in response to three-phase drive pulses in which a trailing edge of one pulse overlaps a leading edge of the next pulse in the order named.

Claim 54

Dependent Claim 31 words

An array according to claim 48, wherein each of said light-emitting elements comprises an element in which a plurality of layers of semiconductors of p and n conductivity types are stacked.

Claim 55

Dependent Claim 46 words

An array according to claim 50, wherein said control electrodes are coupled through said resistor network using a semiconductor of a second conductivity type as the control electrode contacting a semiconductor of a first conductivity type connected to a drive line for supplying the drive pulse.

Claim 56

Dependent Claim 20 words

An array according to claim 51, further comprising load resistors for coupling said control electrodes to a constant voltage line.

Claim 57

Dependent Claim 36 words

An array according to claim 51, wherein said resistor network comprises one resistor layer which is bonded to said control electrodes and a conductor of said constant voltage line and extends in the element array direction.

Claim 58

Dependent Claim 17 words

An array according to claim 53, wherein said resistor layer comprises a p- or n-type semiconductor layer.

Claim 59

Dependent Claim 33 words

An array according to claim 49, wherein said control electrode coupled to said resistor network corresponds to a semiconductor layer of each of said multilayered light-emitting elements, for injecting a gate current thereto.

Claim 60

Dependent Claim 122 words

An array according to claim 50, wherein each of said light-emitting elements comprises a first transistor connected to a drive voltage source, and a second transistor which is positively feedback coupled to said first transistor in a form of a thyristor, a base and a collector of said first transistor being respectively connected to a collector and a base of said second transistor so that a base current of said second transistor is increased as a base current of said first transistor is increased, and said control electrodes of said light-emitting elements are coupled through said resistor network with an arrangement using the base of said second transistor as the control electrode for injecting a gate current to a thyristor structure element.

Claim 61

Dependent Claim 80 words

An array according to claim 50, wherein each of said light-emitting elements comprises a semiconductor of a second conductivity type to which a common bias voltage is applied, and a semiconductor of a first conductivity type contacting said semiconductor of the second conductivity type as a part of a multilayered structure, and said control electrodes of said light-emitting elements are coupled through said resistor network with an arrangement using said semiconductor of the first conductivity type as the control electrode.

Claim 62

Dependent Claim 46 words

An array according to claim 57, wherein a layer of the semiconductor of the first conductivity type extends in the element array direction of said light-emitting elements, and an internal resistance of said semiconductor layer is used as said resistor network for coupling said light-emitting elements.

Claim 63

Dependent Claim 37 words

An array according to claim 58, wherein a width of said semiconductor layer of the first conductivity type in a direction perpendicular to the element array direction is decreased to adjust a resistance of said resistor network.

Claim 64

Dependent Claim 159 words

A self-scanning light-emitting element array comprising: an array of light-emitting elements, turn-on threshold levels of which are able to be electrically controlled, said array being divided into blocks each consisting of a plurality of light-emitting elements; coupling means for directly coupling control electrodes for controlling threshold levels of said light-emitting elements between adjacent blocks so that a block which is turned on changes the threshold level of an adjacent block to be turned on next, said control electrodes of the light-emitting elements in one block being not directly coupled so that a change in threshold level caused by the direct coupling is not transferred to a next to the next block; and drive means for supplying parallel drive pulses of a plurality of phases to said blocks which are assigned to the respective phases, and transferring a turn-on operation in the array direction at an interval drive pulses while propagating a change in threshold level in the array direction.

Claim 65

Dependent Claim 159 words

A self-scanning light-emitting element array comprising: an array of light-emitting elements, turn-on threshold levels of which are able to be electrically controlled, said array being divided into blocks each consisting of a plurality of light-emitting elements; coupling means for directly coupling control electrodes for controlling threshold levels of said light-emitting elements between adjacent blocks so that a block which is turned on changes the threshold level of an adjacent block to be turned on next, said control electrodes of the light-emitting elements in one block being not directly coupled so that a change in threshold level caused by the direct coupling is not transferred to a next to the next block; and drive means for supplying parallel drive pulses of a plurality of phases to said blocks which are assigned to the respective phases, and transferring a turn-on operation in the array direction at an interval drive pulses while propagating a change in threshold level in the array direction.

Claim 66

Dependent Claim 31 words

An array according to claim 60, wherein each of said light-emitting elements comprises an element in which a plurality of layers of semiconductors of p and n conductivity types are stacked.

Claim 67

Dependent Claim 84 words

An array according to claim 61, wherein semiconductors of a second conductivity type, each contacting a semiconductor of a first conductivity type which is connected to a line to which the drive pulse of the corresponding phase is supplied, are connected to each other in one block, and the semiconductors of the first conductivity type, each contacting the semiconductor of the second conductivity type to which a bias voltage common to said light-emitting elements is applied, are connected to each other between adjacent blocks.

Claim 68

Dependent Claim 86 words

An array according to claim 62, wherein said drive means is constituted by three phases, the blocks belonging to the respective phases are arrayed in the order of first, second and third phases and are connected to common drive lines corresponding to the three phases, and said blocks are driven in the order of the first, second and third phases in response to three-phase drive pulses in which a trailing edge of one pulse overlaps a leading edge of the next pulse in the order named.

Claim 69

Dependent Claim 108 words

A self-scanning light-emitting element array comprising: an array of light-emitting elements, turn-on threshold levels of which are able to be electrically controlled; a coupling element, having electrical directivity and interconnecting in an element array direction control electrodes for controlling threshold levels of said light-emitting elements, so that a light-emitting element which is turned on changes the threshold level of an adjacent light-emitting element to be turned on next; and drive means, connected to said light-emitting elements to supply parallel drive pulses thereto, for transferring a turn-on operation in the array direction at an interval of drive pulses while propagating a change in threshold level in one array direction.

Claim 70

Dependent Claim 108 words

A self-scanning light-emitting element array comprising: an array of light-emitting elements, turn-on threshold levels of which are able to be electrically controlled; a coupling element, having electrical directivity and interconnecting in an element array direction control electrodes for controlling threshold levels of said light-emitting elements, so that a light-emitting element which is turned on changes the threshold level of an adjacent light-emitting element to be turned on next; and drive means, connected to said light-emitting elements to supply parallel drive pulses thereto, for transferring a turn-on operation in the array direction at an interval of drive pulses while propagating a change in threshold level in one array direction.

Claim 71

Dependent Claim 72 words

An array according to claim 64, wherein said drive means is constituted by two phases, the light-emitting elements belonging to the respective phases are alternately arranged and are connected to common drive lines corresponding to the respective phases, and said light-emitting elements are alternately driven in first and second phases in response to two-phase drive pulses in which a trailing edge of one pulse overlaps a leading edge of the next pulse.

Claim 72

Dependent Claim 13 words

An array according to claim 64, wherein said coupling element comprises a diode.

Claim 73

Dependent Claim 31 words

An array according to claim 64, wherein each of said light-emitting elements comprises an element in which a plurality of layers of semiconductors of p and n conductivity types are stacked.

Claim 74

Dependent Claim 78 words

An array according to claim 67, wherein a semiconductor of a second conductivity type contacting a semiconductor of a first conductivity type connected to a line for supplying the corresponding drive pulse is used as each of said control electrodes, and said semiconductor of the first conductivity type is locally formed on said semiconductor of the second conductivity type to constitute a diode as said coupling element, said diode interconnecting said control electrode of an adjacent light-emitting element.

Claim 75

Dependent Claim 24 words

An array according to claim 68, further comprising load resistors for coupling said control electrodes of said light-emitting elements to a constant voltage line.

Claim 76

Dependent Claim 17 words

An array according to claim 64, wherein said coupling element is a base-emitter junction of a transistor.

Claim 77

Dependent Claim 129 words

A self-scanning light-emitting element array comprising: an array of light-emitting elements, turn-on threshold levels of which are able to be electrically controlled; coupling means, consisting of transistors each of which is current-mirror connected to one transistor element constituting each of said light-emitting elements, an output electrode of the current-mirror transistor being connected to a control electrode, for controlling a threshold level of an adjacent light-emitting element, so that a light-emitting element which is turned on changes the threshold level of an adjacent light-emitting element to be turned on next; and drive means, connected to said light-emitting elements to supply parallel drive pulses thereto, for transferring a turn-on operation in the array direction at an interval of drive pulses while shifting a change in threshold level in the array direction.

Claim 78

Dependent Claim 129 words

A self-scanning light-emitting element array comprising: an array of light-emitting elements, turn-on threshold levels of which are able to be electrically controlled; coupling means, consisting of transistors each of which is current-mirror connected to one transistor element constituting each of said light-emitting elements, an output electrode of the current-mirror transistor being connected to a control electrode, for controlling a threshold level of an adjacent light-emitting element, so that a light-emitting element which is turned on changes the threshold level of an adjacent light-emitting element to be turned on next; and drive means, connected to said light-emitting elements to supply parallel drive pulses thereto, for transferring a turn-on operation in the array direction at an interval of drive pulses while shifting a change in threshold level in the array direction.

Claim 79

Dependent Claim 72 words

An array according to claim 69, wherein said drive means is constituted by two phases, the light-emitting elements belonging to the respective phases are alternately arranged and are connected to common drive lines corresponding to the respective phases, and said light-emitting elements are alternately driven in first and second phases in response to two-phase drive pulses in which a trailing edge of one pulse overlaps a leading edge of the next pulse.

Claim 80

Dependent Claim 24 words

An array according to claim 69, further comprising a load resistor between the output electrode of the current-mirror transistors and a constant voltage line.

Claim 81

Dependent Claim 122 words

An array according to claim 71, wherein each of said light-emitting elements comprises a first transistor connected to a drive voltage source, and a second transistor which is positively feedback coupled to said first transistor in a form of a thyristor, a base and a collector of said first transistor being respectively connected to a collector and a base of said second transistor so that a base current of said second transistor is increased as a base current of said first transistor is increased, the base of the current-mirror transistors is directly coupled to the base of said second transistor, and the output electrode of each current-mirror transistor is directly coupled to the base of the first transistor in a next element.

Claim 82

Dependent Claim 31 words

An array according to claim 71, wherein each of said light-emitting elements comprises an element in which a plurality of layers of semiconductors of p and n conductivity types are stacked.

Claim 83

Dependent Claim 168 words

An array according to claim 75, wherein each of said light-emitting elements comprises a semiconductor of a second conductivity type to which a bias voltage common to said light-emitting elements is applied, and a semiconductor of a first conductivity type, contacting said semiconductor of the second conductivity type as a portion of a multilayered structure, said semiconductor of the first conductivity type being locally formed on said semiconductor of the second conductivity type to serve as an output electrode region of the current-mirror transistors, and each of said light-emitting elements further comprises another semiconductor of the first conductivity type which is connected to a line to which the corresponding drive pulse is applied, and another semiconductor of the second conductivity type, contacting said another semiconductor of the first conductivity type as another portion of a multilayered structure, said another semiconductor of the second conductivity type serving as the control electrode, the output electrode region of each current-mirror transistor being connected to the control electrode in a next element.

Claim 84

Dependent Claim 44 words

An array according to claim 48, 60, 64 or 71, wherein a portion of an electrode conductor of each of said light-emitting elements extends to an isolation groove formed between adjacent light-emitting elements so as to shield light coupling between the adjacent light-emitting elements.

Claim 85

Dependent Claim 20 words

An array according to claim 48, 60, 64 or 71, wherein each of said light-emitting elements comprises a light-emitting thyristor.

Claim 86

Dependent Claim 20 words

An array according to claim 48, 60, 64 or 71, wherein each of said light-emitting elements comprises a laser thyristor.

Claim 87

Dependent Claim 67 words

An array according to claim 48, 60, 64 or 71, wherein each of said light-emitting elements comprises a thyristor structure, said semiconductor of the first conductivity type connected to the line to which the corresponding drive pulse is applied serves as an anode, and said semiconductor of the second conductivity type to which the bias voltage common to said light-emitting elements is applied serves as a cathode.

Self-scanning light-emitting element array

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag