US3852797A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electroluminescent semiconductor device
Assignee: US Philips Corp
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Filing: 1973-03-07
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Granted: 1974-12-03
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Expires: 1993-03-07
Abstract
Abstract Electroluminescent semiconductor device with brightness control comprising an electroluminescent diode and three transistor regions one of which is made from a material having a forbidden band distance which is smaller than the energy of the radiation emitted by the diode, and one region separates the diode optically from a photoconductive region which is destined to receive radiation other than that of the diode.
Inventors
- 👤 J Lebailly
- 👤 J Dubois
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 21:57
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10H; H10H20/00; H10H20/80; H10H20/81; H10H20/813; H10D; H10D99/00; H10F; H10F55/00; H10F55/10; H10F55/15; H10F55/155; H10F99/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
161 words
A MONOLITHIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE COMPRISING FOUR SUCCESSIVE REGIONS OF ALTERNATELY P AND N CONDUCTIVITY TYPE WHICH TOGETHER CONSITTUTE THREE P-N JUNCTIONS, THE FIRST P-N JUNCTION BEETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND ONES OF SAID REGIONS HAVING ELECTROLUMINSCENT PROPERTIES AND SAID FIRST REGION AND A FOURTH ONE OF SAID REGIONS COMPRISING OHMIC CONTACT ELECTRODES, A SECOND ONE OF SAID REGIONSS COMPRISING AT LEAST TWO ZONES, A FIRST ONE OF SAID ZONES ADJOINING SAID FIRST REGION AND HAVING THE SAME COMPOSITION AS SAID FIRST REGION AND A SECOND ONE OF SAID ZONES ADJOINING A THIRD ONE OF SAID REGIONS AND SUBSTANTIALLY ISOLATING OPTICALLY SAID THIRD REGION FROM THE FIRST JUNCTION, SAID SECOND ZONE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A MATERIAL HAVING A FORBIDDEN ENERGY BANDGAP CORRESPONDING TO AN ENERY LEVEL WHICH IS SMALLER THAN THE ENERGY OF THE PHOTONS EMITTED BY SAID FIRST JUNCTION, AND SAID THIRD REGION CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A MATERIAL HAVING PHOTOCONDUCTIVE PROPERTIES AND COMPRISING A SURFACE THAT ADMITS PHOTONS ORIGINATING OUTSIDE THE DEVICE.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
161 words
A MONOLITHIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE COMPRISING FOUR SUCCESSIVE REGIONS OF ALTERNATELY P AND N CONDUCTIVITY TYPE WHICH TOGETHER CONSITTUTE THREE P-N JUNCTIONS, THE FIRST P-N JUNCTION BEETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND ONES OF SAID REGIONS HAVING ELECTROLUMINSCENT PROPERTIES AND SAID FIRST REGION AND A FOURTH ONE OF SAID REGIONS COMPRISING OHMIC CONTACT ELECTRODES, A SECOND ONE OF SAID REGIONSS COMPRISING AT LEAST TWO ZONES, A FIRST ONE OF SAID ZONES ADJOINING SAID FIRST REGION AND HAVING THE SAME COMPOSITION AS SAID FIRST REGION AND A SECOND ONE OF SAID ZONES ADJOINING A THIRD ONE OF SAID REGIONS AND SUBSTANTIALLY ISOLATING OPTICALLY SAID THIRD REGION FROM THE FIRST JUNCTION, SAID SECOND ZONE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A MATERIAL HAVING A FORBIDDEN ENERGY BANDGAP CORRESPONDING TO AN ENERY LEVEL WHICH IS SMALLER THAN THE ENERGY OF THE PHOTONS EMITTED BY SAID FIRST JUNCTION, AND SAID THIRD REGION CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A MATERIAL HAVING PHOTOCONDUCTIVE PROPERTIES AND COMPRISING A SURFACE THAT ADMITS PHOTONS ORIGINATING OUTSIDE THE DEVICE.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
70 words
A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein material of said first region and of the first zone of the second region on the one hand and, on the other hand, material of the second zone of the second region and of the third and fourth regions consist essentially of common constituents in different respective concentrations and belong in the same crystal system, said materials having relatively close crystal parameters.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
43 words
A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said second region further comprises a buffer zone disposed between and adjoining said first and second zones and comprising constituents whose concentrations vary gradually between the values of the respective concentration level in said zones.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thickness of said second zone is equal to at least three times the absorption distance 1/ Alpha for the radiation emitted by the first junction.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
63 words
A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said device comprises a face from which there emanates the radiation emitted by the first junction and said third region surface is disposed opposite to said face, said zones and regions of said device being layers present one above the other, and said fourth region extending across a smaller distance than the other said regions.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said device comprises a face from which there emanates the radiation emitted by Said first junction and said surface is disposed at said face.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said device comprises a face from which there emanates the radiation emitted by said first junction and said surface is disposed beside said face.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
46 words
A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first region and said first zone of said second region consist essentially of a highly doped material having a direct band structure, said first zone constituting an absorbing layer for the radiation emitted by the first junction.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
A device as claimed in claim 1, consisting essentially of both at least one of gallium, aluminum, and indium and at least one of arsenic and phosphorus.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
93 words
A device as claimed in claim 9, wherein said first region comprises a zinc-doped epitaxial deposit consisting of essentially of gallium arsenide having the formula GaAs1 xPx, in which 0 < x < 0.4, said first zone of said second region comprising a tellurium-doped epitaxial deposit consisting essentially of gallium arsenide phosphide wherein the phosphide proportion varies between x and 9, said second zone of said second region consisting essentially of tellurium-doped gallium arsenide, said third region consisting essentially of zinc-doped gallium arsenide and said fourth region consisting essentially of tin-doped gallium arsenide.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-12-02 | 1978-06-03 | 1978-12-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-12-02 | 1982-06-03 | 1982-12-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-12-02 | 1986-06-03 | 1986-12-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |