An optical element device

Claim 2

An optical element device comprising: a p-i-n type structure semiconductor optical element having a quantum well structure for a light absorption layer; an external resistance serially connected to said semiconductor optical element to induce a voltage at between both ends thereof by photocurrent generated by incident light; and said photocurrent flowing through said resistor being one representing bistability property against the wavelength of said incident light, or one indicating characteristics drastically changing in some wavelength of incident light.

Claim 3

An optical element device comprising: a first conductive type semiconductor layer in which first conductive type impurities are doped; an intrinsic layer in which a multiple quantum well light absorption layer is buried produced on a surface of said first conductive type semiconductor layer; a second conductive type semiconductor layer in which second conductive type impurities are doped, produced on a surface of said intrinsic layer; a first electrode provided with an optical window for incident light, produced on a surface of said second conductive type semiconductor layer; a second electrode produced on the other surface of said first conductive type semiconductor layer; and a resistor connected between said first electrode and said second electrode so that a photocurrent generated by said incident light flows through said resistor, and said photocurrent being one representing bistability property against wavelength of said incident light or one indicating characteristics drastically changing in some wavelength of said incident light.

Claim 4

An optical element device comprising: a first conductive type semiconductor layer in which first conductive type impurities are doped; an intrinsic layer in which a multiple quantum well light absorption layer is buried produced on a surface of said first conductive type semiconductor layer; a second conductive type semiconductor layer in which second conductive type impurities are doped, produced on a surface of said intrinsic layer; a first electrode provided with an optical window for incident light, produced on a surface of said second conductive type semiconductor layer; a second electrode produced on the other surface of said first conductive type semiconductor layer; and a resistor connected between said first electrode and said second electrode so that a photocurrent generated by said incident light flows through said resistor, and said photocurrent being one representing bistability property against wavelength of said incident light or one indicating characteristics drastically changing in some wavelength of said incident light.

Claim 5

An optical element device as defined in claim 2, which is further provided with a DC power supply which is serially connected with said resistor and gives a reverse bias voltage.

Claim 6

An optical element device which absorbs a part of incident light and transmits the remaining part as an output light, comprising: an optical element of p-i-n structure having a quantum well structure for an optical absorption layer; an external resistor serially connected to said optical element thereby to generate a voltage at between the both ends thereof by light current generated by the incident light; and the output light intensity characteristics being one representing bistability property against wavelength of incident light or one indicating a characteristics drastically changing at some wavelength of incident light.

Claim 7

An optical element device which absorbs a part of incident light and transmits the remaining part as an output light, comprising: an optical element of p-i-n structure having a quantum well structure for an optical absorption layer; an external resistor serially connected to said optical element thereby to generate a voltage at between the both ends thereof by light current generated by the incident light; and the output light intensity characteristics being one representing bistability property against wavelength of incident light or one indicating a characteristics drastically changing at some wavelength of incident light.

Claim 8

An optical element device comprising: a first conductive type semiconductor layer in which first conductive type impurities are doped; an intrinsic layer in which a multi-quantum well optical absorption layer is buried, produced on a surface of said first conductive type semiconductor layer; a second conductive type semiconductor layer in which second conductive type impurities are doped, produced on a surface of said intrinsic layer; a first electrode provided with an optical window for incident light, produced on a surface of said second conductive type semiconductor layer; a second electrode provided with a window for outputting light which has transmitted said first and second conductive type semiconductor layers and said intrinsic layer among said incident light, produced on the other surface of said first conductive type semiconductor layer; and a resistor which is connected between said first and second electrodes and has a resistance value such that the intensity of output light from the output window of said second electrode represents bistability property against the wavelength of incident light or indicates a characteristic drastically changing at some wavelength of incident light.

Claim 9

An optical element device comprising: a first conductive type semiconductor layer in which first conductive type impurities are doped; an intrinsic layer in which a multi-quantum well optical absorption layer is buried, produced on a surface of said first conductive type semiconductor layer; a second conductive type semiconductor layer in which second conductive type impurities are doped, produced on a surface of said intrinsic layer; a first electrode provided with an optical window for incident light, produced on a surface of said second conductive type semiconductor layer; a second electrode provided with a window for outputting light which has transmitted said first and second conductive type semiconductor layers and said intrinsic layer among said incident light, produced on the other surface of said first conductive type semiconductor layer; and a resistor which is connected between said first and second electrodes and has a resistance value such that the intensity of output light from the output window of said second electrode represents bistability property against the wavelength of incident light or indicates a characteristic drastically changing at some wavelength of incident light.

Claim 10

An optical element device as defined in claim 5, which is further provided with a DC power supply serially connected with said resistor and gives a reverse bias voltage.

Claim 11

A light detection element comprising: a light detection element structure having a quantum well structure optical absorption layer in the intrinsic layer between a p-type doped layer and an n-type doped layer, which are laminated in a plurality of stages; a plurality of external resistors serially connected to each of said plurality of light detection element structures thereby to generate a voltage by the photocurrent which is generated by each quantum well absorption layer for the incident light; said plurality of light detection element structures having hysteresis in the respective light absorption property against the wavelength of the indicate light or indicates a characteristics drastically and incontinuously changing at some wavelength by that a voltage generated at said external serial resistor being applied thereto; and said respective light detection elements with quantum well optical absorption layers being one converting the light signals of different wavelengths into electric signals selectively.

Claim 12

A light detection element comprising: a light detection element structure having a quantum well structure optical absorption layer in the intrinsic layer between a p-type doped layer and an n-type doped layer, which are laminated in a plurality of stages; a plurality of external resistors serially connected to each of said plurality of light detection element structures thereby to generate a voltage by the photocurrent which is generated by each quantum well absorption layer for the incident light; said plurality of light detection element structures having hysteresis in the respective light absorption property against the wavelength of the indicate light or indicates a characteristics drastically and incontinuously changing at some wavelength by that a voltage generated at said external serial resistor being applied thereto; and said respective light detection elements with quantum well optical absorption layers being one converting the light signals of different wavelengths into electric signals selectively.

Claim 13

A light detection element as defined in claim 7, wherein said plurality of light detection element structures are constituted such that the absorption wavelength is shorter as is located far from the side which the light comes in.

Claim 14

A light detection element as defined in claim 7, wherein said plurality of light detection element structures have different quantum well structures so that the quantum well structure optical absorption layers convert the light of different wavelength into electric signals.

Claim 15

A light detection element as defined in claim 7, wherein an external resistor serially connected to the respective plurality of light detection element structures have different resistance values so that the quantum well structure optical absorption layers convert the lights of different wavelength into electric signals.

Claim 16

A light detection element as defined in claim 7, which is further provided with a plurality of DC power supplies which are serially connected to the external resistors serially connected to the plurality of light detection element structures, said plurality of DC power supplies have different voltage values, respective quantum well structure optical absorption layers convert the light signals of different wavelength into electric signals.

Claim 17

A light detection element as defined in claim 7, wherein said plurality of light detection element structures respectively have p-i-n semiconductor layers and a quantum well structure optical absorption layer is produced in the i-type semiconductor layer.

Claim 18

A light detection element as defined in claim 12, wherein a separation layer comprising i-type semiconductor layer is provided between said plurality of light detection element structures.

Claim 19

A light detection element as defined in claim 12, wherein said adjacent light detection element structures have reverse lamination order of p-i-n type semiconductor layers and one of p- or n-type semiconductor layer is commonly used.

Claim 20

An optical element device having a first optical element which absorbs light signal of first or longest wavelength among the incident light signals and converts it into a light photocurrent and transmits the light signals of wavelength shorter than said longest wavelength and a second optical element which absorbs light signal of the second longest wavelength which is shorter than the first longest wavelength among the incident light signals and converts it into photocurrent, comprising: said second optical element comprises: a semiconductor substrate in which first conductive type impurities are doped; a second intrinsic layer in which a multiple quantum well optical absorption layer is buried, produced on a surface of said semiconductor substrate; a second semiconductor layer in which second conductive type impurities are doped, produced on a surface of said second intrinsic layer; a second electrode produced on a part of a surface of said second semiconductor layer; a third electrode produced on the other surface of said semiconductor substrate; and said first optical element comprises: a second semiconductor layer and a second electrode; a first intrinsic layer in which a multiple quantum well optical absorption layer is buried, produced on a part of a surface of said second semiconductor layer; a first semiconductor layer in which first conductive type impurities are doped, produced on a surface of said first intrinsic layer; and a first electrode provided with an optical window to which light comes in, produced on a part of a surface of said first semiconductor layer.

Claim 21

An optical element device having a first optical element which absorbs light signal of first or longest wavelength among the incident light signals and converts it into a light photocurrent and transmits the light signals of wavelength shorter than said longest wavelength and a second optical element which absorbs light signal of the second longest wavelength which is shorter than the first longest wavelength among the incident light signals and converts it into photocurrent, comprising: said second optical element comprises: a semiconductor substrate in which first conductive type impurities are doped; a second intrinsic layer in which a multiple quantum well optical absorption layer is buried, produced on a surface of said semiconductor substrate; a second semiconductor layer in which second conductive type impurities are doped, produced on a surface of said second intrinsic layer; a second electrode produced on a part of a surface of said second semiconductor layer; a third electrode produced on the other surface of said semiconductor substrate; and said first optical element comprises: a second semiconductor layer and a second electrode; a first intrinsic layer in which a multiple quantum well optical absorption layer is buried, produced on a part of a surface of said second semiconductor layer; a first semiconductor layer in which first conductive type impurities are doped, produced on a surface of said first intrinsic layer; and a first electrode provided with an optical window to which light comes in, produced on a part of a surface of said first semiconductor layer.

Claim 22

An optical element device as defined in claim 15, wherein said first optical element has a first conductive type second semiconductor layer between said first semiconductor layer and first electrode.

Claim 23

An optical element device as defined in claim 16, wherein said first conductive type second semiconductor layer is provided with an opening at a position corresponding to the optical window of said first electrode.

Claim 24

An optical element device as defined in claim 15, wherein said second optical element is provided with a first conductive type third semiconductor layer between said semiconductor substrate and said second intrinsic layer.

Claim 25

An optical element device as defined in claim 15, which further comprises a first resistor connected between said first electrode and second electrode and a second resistor provided between said second electrode and third electrode.

Claim 26

An optical element device as defined in claim 19, wherein said first resistor has a resistance value representing characteristics changing drastically at first wavelength of incident light and second second resistor has a resistance value representing characteristics changing drastically at second wavelength of incident light.

Claim 27

An optical element device as defined in claim 19, which is further provided with a first DC power supply which is serially connected with said first resistor and gives a reverse bias to said first and second semiconductor layers and a second DC power supply which is serially connected with said second resistor and gives a reverse bias to said semiconductor substrate and said second semiconductor layer.

Claim 28

An optical element device as defined in claim 15, wherein said second optical element has a first conductive type third semiconductor layer between said semiconductor substrate and said second intrinsic layer, a hole for outputting light is provided on said semiconductor substrate and an output window is produced at a position corresponding to said opening of said third electrode.

Claim 29

An optical element device as defined in claim 22, which is further provided with a first resistor connected between said first electrode and said second electrode and a second resistor connected between said second electrode and said third electrode.

Claim 30

An optical element device as defined in claim 23, wherein said first resistor has a resistance value representing characteristics drastically changing a first wavelength of incident light and said second resistor has a resistance value representing characteristics drastically changing at second wavelength of incident light.

Claim 31

An optical element device as defined in claim 23, which is further provided with a first DC power supply which is serially connected with said first resistor and gives a reverse bias to said first and second semiconductor layers and a second DC power supply which is serially connected with said second resistor and gives a reverse bias to said semiconductor substrate and said second semiconductor layer.

Claim 32

An optical element device having a first optical element which absorbs monochromatic light signal of the longest wavelength longer than a critical wavelength among the incident light signals and converts it into photocurrent and transmits the light signals of wavelength shorter than said critical wavelength and a second optical element which absorbs the light of second longest wavelength which is shorter than the critical wavelength among the incident light signals and converts it into photocurrent, comprising: said second optical element comprises: semiconductor substrate in which first conductivity type impurities are doped; a second intrinsic layer in which a multiple quantum well optical absorption layer is buried, produced on a surface of said semiconductor substrate; a second conductive type third semiconductor layer in which second conductive type impurities are doped, produced on a surface of said second intrinsic layer; a fourth electrode produced on a part of a surface of said second conductive type third semiconductor layer; a third electrode produced on the other surface of said semiconductor substrate; and said first optical element comprises: a second semiconductor layer in which first conductive type impurities are doped, produced at a part on a surface of said second conductive type third semiconductor layer via a separation layer comprising a semiconductor layer produced thereon; a first intrinsic layer in which a multi-quantum well optical absorption layer is buried, produced on a part of a surface of said first conductive type semiconductor layer; a first semiconductor layer in which second conductive type impurities are doped, produced on a surface of said first intrinsic layer; a first electrode provided with an optical window produced on a part of a surface of said first semiconductor layer; and a second electrode connected to second semiconductor layer.

Claim 33

An optical element device having a first optical element which absorbs monochromatic light signal of the longest wavelength longer than a critical wavelength among the incident light signals and converts it into photocurrent and transmits the light signals of wavelength shorter than said critical wavelength and a second optical element which absorbs the light of second longest wavelength which is shorter than the critical wavelength among the incident light signals and converts it into photocurrent, comprising: said second optical element comprises: semiconductor substrate in which first conductivity type impurities are doped; a second intrinsic layer in which a multiple quantum well optical absorption layer is buried, produced on a surface of said semiconductor substrate; a second conductive type third semiconductor layer in which second conductive type impurities are doped, produced on a surface of said second intrinsic layer; a fourth electrode produced on a part of a surface of said second conductive type third semiconductor layer; a third electrode produced on the other surface of said semiconductor substrate; and said first optical element comprises: a second semiconductor layer in which first conductive type impurities are doped, produced at a part on a surface of said second conductive type third semiconductor layer via a separation layer comprising a semiconductor layer produced thereon; a first intrinsic layer in which a multi-quantum well optical absorption layer is buried, produced on a part of a surface of said first conductive type semiconductor layer; a first semiconductor layer in which second conductive type impurities are doped, produced on a surface of said first intrinsic layer; a first electrode provided with an optical window produced on a part of a surface of said first semiconductor layer; and a second electrode connected to second semiconductor layer.

Claim 34

An optical element device as defined in claim 26, wherein said first optical element is provided with a second conductive type fourth semiconductor layer between said first semiconductor layer and said first electrode.

Claim 35

An optical element device as defined in claim 27, wherein said second conductive type fourth semiconductor layer is provided with an opening at a position corresponding to an optical window of said first electrode.

Claim 36

An optical element device as defined in claim 26, wherein said second optical element is provided with a first conductive fifth semiconductor layer between said semiconductor substrate and said second intrinsic layer.

Claim 37

An optical element device as defined in claim 26, which is further provided with a first resistor connected between said first electrode and said second electrode and a second resistor connected between said fourth electrode and said third electrode.

Claim 38

An optical element device as defined in claim 30, wherein said first resistor has a resistance value representing characteristics changing drastically at the first wavelength of incident light and said second resistor has a resistance value representing characteristics changing drastically at the second wavelength of incident light.

Claim 39

An optical element device as defined in claim 30, which is further provided with a first DC power supply which is serially connected with said first resistor and gives a reverse bias to said first semiconductor layer and second semiconductor layer and a second DC power supply which is serially connected with said second resistor and gives a reverse bias to said semiconductor substrate and said third semiconductor layer.

Claim 40

An optical element device as defined in claim 26, wherein said second optical element is provided with a first conductivity type fifth semiconductor layer between said semiconductor substrate and said second intrinsic layer, an opening for output light which has transmitted said second intrinsic layer and said fifth semiconductor layer is provided on said semiconductor substrate, and an output window is produced at a position of said third electrode corresponding to said opening.

Claim 41

An optical element device as defined in claim 33, which is further provided with a first resistor connected between said first electrode and said second electrode and a second resistor connected between said fourth electrode and said third electrode.

Claim 42

An optical element device as defined in claim 34, wherein said first resistor has a resistance value representing characteristics drastically changing at the first wavelength of incident light and said second resistor has a resistance value representing characteristics drastically changing at the second wavelength of incident light.

Claim 43

An optical element device as defined in claim 34, which is further provided with a first DC power supply which is serially connected with said first resistor and gives a reverse bias to said first semiconductor layer and said second semiconductor layer and a second DC power supply which is serially connected with said second resistor and gives a reverse bias to said semiconductor substrate and said third semiconductor layer.

Claim 44

A light detection method comprising: a light detection element being constituted such that an external resistor is serially connected to a p-i-n type structure optical element having a quantum well structure for an optical absorption layer so as to generate a voltage by the photocurrent generated by the incident light and such that the absorption characteristics at the wavelength of incident light of said optical element has a hysteresis or changes incontinuously at some wavelength; and selectively converting only a light signal of a particular wavelength longer than a critical wavelength into an electric signal and making signals of wavelength shorter than the critical wavelength, transmit as output signal.

Claim 45

A light detection method comprising: a light detection element being constituted such that an external resistor is serially connected to a p-i-n type structure optical element having a quantum well structure for an optical absorption layer so as to generate a voltage by the photocurrent generated by the incident light and such that the absorption characteristics at the wavelength of incident light of said optical element has a hysteresis or changes incontinuously at some wavelength; and selectively converting only a light signal of a particular wavelength longer than a critical wavelength into an electric signal and making signals of wavelength shorter than the critical wavelength, transmit as output signal.

Claim 46

A light detection method comprising: a plural stage of light detection elements being constituted such that external resistors are serially connected to a plurality of p-i-n type structure optical elements having quantum well structures for optical absorption layers so as to generate a voltage by the photocurrent generated by the incident light and such that the absorption characteristics against the wavelength has a hysteresis or changes incontinuously respectively at different wavelengths; and one element converting quite selectively only the light signal of wavelength longer than the first critical wavelength into electric signals and making signals of wavelengths shorter than the first critical wavelength transmit to the second element; said second element quite selectively converting the light signal of wavelength longer than the second critical wavelength into an electric signal and making signals of wavelengths shorter than the second critical wavelength transmit to the fourth element; and an n-th element quite selectively converting the light signal of wavelength longer than the n-th critical wavelength into an electric signal and making signals of wavelengths shorter than the n-th critical wavelength transmit to the (n+1)th element.

Claim 47

A light detection method comprising: a plural stage of light detection elements being constituted such that external resistors are serially connected to a plurality of p-i-n type structure optical elements having quantum well structures for optical absorption layers so as to generate a voltage by the photocurrent generated by the incident light and such that the absorption characteristics against the wavelength has a hysteresis or changes incontinuously respectively at different wavelengths; and one element converting quite selectively only the light signal of wavelength longer than the first critical wavelength into electric signals and making signals of wavelengths shorter than the first critical wavelength transmit to the second element; said second element quite selectively converting the light signal of wavelength longer than the second critical wavelength into an electric signal and making signals of wavelengths shorter than the second critical wavelength transmit to the fourth element; and an n-th element quite selectively converting the light signal of wavelength longer than the n-th critical wavelength into an electric signal and making signals of wavelengths shorter than the n-th critical wavelength transmit to the (n+1)th element.

Claim 48

A waveguide type photodetector in which a p-i-n diode structure upper electrode including a quantum well structure for an intrinsic layer is divided into multiple segments, a voltage is applied to between the upper electrode of the respective stage and the lower electrode via a resistor, monochromatic light signals are separated to be detected at the respective segments.

Claim 49

A waveguide type photodetector in which a p-i-n diode structure upper electrode including a quantum well structure for an intrinsic layer is divided into multiple segments, a voltage is applied to between the upper electrode of the respective stage and the lower electrode via a resistor, monochromatic light signals are separated to be detected at the respective segments.