Semiconductor junction device for generating optical radiation

Claim 1

A SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, COMPRISING: (A) A BODY OF GROUP III-GROUP V SEMICONDUCTOR COMPOUND HAVING A FIRST ZONE OF ONE CONDUCTIVITY TYPE AND A SECOND ZONE OF AN OPPOSITE CONDUCTIVITY TYPE CONTIGUOUS TO AND FORMING A RECTIFYING JUNCTION WITH SAID FIRST ZONE, AND HAVING MEANS FOR EMITTING PHOTONS IN THE OPTICAL REGION OF THE ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM WHEN FORWARD BIASED, (B) SAID SECOND ZONE DEFINING A FIRST, INNER, RELATIVELY DEEP, LOW RESISTIVITY REGION SPACED FROM THE PERIPHERY OF SAID RECTIFYING JUNCTION AND A SECOND, SHALLOW, HIGH RESISTIVITY REGION LATERALLY SURROUNDING SAID FIRST REGION AND SEPARATING SAID FIRST REGION FROM SAID PERIPHERY, (C) MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID FIRST ZONE AND ONLY TO SAID FIRST REGION IN SAID SECOND ZONE, EFFECTING FORWARD BIASING OF SAID RECTIFYING JUNCTION, AND EMISSION, FROM SAID BODY, OF SAID PHOTONS IN SAID OPTICAL REGION OF THE ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM, (D) A PORTION OF THE MAJOR FACE OF SAID BODY OPPOSITE SAID FIRST REGION BEING UNOBSTRUCTED BY ANY MATERIAL THAT WILL NOT TRANSMIT PHOTONS, WHEREBY SAID SECOND HIGH RESISTANCE REGION ALLEVIATES ADVERSE DEGRADATION OF THE PHOTON EMITTING PROPERTY OF SAID PORTION OF SAID SURFACE OF (D) AND INDUCES A MORE NEARLY LINEAR EMISSION OF PHOTONS IN PROPORTION TO DEGREE OF FORWARD BIASING ACROSS SAID JUNCTION.