US4275403A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Electro-luminescent semiconductor device
Assignee: US Philips Corp
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Filing: 1977-11-25
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Granted: 1981-06-23
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Expires: 1997-11-25
Abstract
Abstract An electro-luminescent semiconductor device having a plurality of electro-luminescent integrated diodes is provided in the present invention to be individually optically isolated from one another. By this construction data display and optical coding can be established in a device in accordance with the present invention.
Inventors
- 👤 Jacques Lebailly
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 10:10
CPC Classifications
H; H05; H05B; H05B33/00; H05B33/12; H05B33/22; H10; H10H; H10H29/00; H10H29/10; H10H29/14; H10H29/142; H10P; H10P95/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
115 words
A monolithic semiconductor device comprising a semi-insulating substrate having resistivity reduced by absorption of emitted radiation, a layer of monocrystalline semiconductor material on said substrate, at least two electroluminescent elements formed separately at least partially in said layer, said electro-luminescent elements formed of two regions of different conductivity type having a pn junction between said regions, electrode means for establishing emissive radiation from said pn junctions, optical separating zones adjacent said electroluminescent elements and extending across the entire thickness of said layer to prevent emissive radiation from passing laterally in said layer, said optical separating zones having a width at least equal to three times the diffusion length of free charge carriers in said substrate.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
115 words
A monolithic semiconductor device comprising a semi-insulating substrate having resistivity reduced by absorption of emitted radiation, a layer of monocrystalline semiconductor material on said substrate, at least two electroluminescent elements formed separately at least partially in said layer, said electro-luminescent elements formed of two regions of different conductivity type having a pn junction between said regions, electrode means for establishing emissive radiation from said pn junctions, optical separating zones adjacent said electroluminescent elements and extending across the entire thickness of said layer to prevent emissive radiation from passing laterally in said layer, said optical separating zones having a width at least equal to three times the diffusion length of free charge carriers in said substrate.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
A semiconductor device as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of said optical separating zones includes an electrical isolation element.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
A semiconductor device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a region disposed between at least one of said electro-luminescent elements and said substrate, said optical separating zone extending down to at least said region.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
A semiconductor device as defined in claim 1, wherein said optical separating zones include a layer disposed between each one of said electro-luminescent elements and said substrate.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
66 words
A semiconductor device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a second layer of monocrystalline semiconductor material disposed on said semiconductor layer, said second layer being of opposite conductivity type to said semiconductor layer, and said semiconductor layer comprising all of the first ones of said conductivity regions of said electro-luminescent elements and said second semiconductor layer comprising all of the second ones of said regions.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
A semiconductor device as defined in claim 1, wherein said substrate consists of material highly absorbent to said emitted radiation, whereby said substrate can strongly absorb said emitted radiation.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
A semiconductor device as defined in claim 1, wherein a portion of said optical separation zones extend into said substrate and has a minimum width of at least six times the absorption length of said emitted radiation in said substrate.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
A semiconductor device as defined in claim 1, wherein said electro-luminescent elements are separated by grooves individually containing an electrically insulating layer disposed at the respective walls of said grooves.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
45 words
A semiconductor device as defined in claim 1, wherein said semiconductor layer consists of an epitaxial layer containing both conductivity regions of said electro-luminescent elements and said optical separating zones consist of highly doped diffused zones of conductivity type opposite that of said epitaxial layer.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
A semiconductor device as defined in claim 1, wherein at least two spaced-apart optical separating zones are disposed between adjacent ones of said electro-luminescent elements.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
96 words
A semiconductor device as defined in claim 1, wherein said electro-luminescent elements are arranged in rows and columns individually containing a plurality of said electro-luminescent elements, certain ones of said electro-luminescent elements disposed in one of said rows and columns being optically isolated and electrically insulated from each other by said optical separating zones being of electrically insulating material and other ones of said electro-luminescent elements disposed in the other one of said rows and columns being optically isolated from and electrically connected to each other by said optical separating zones being of low electrical resistivity.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
31 words
A semiconductor device as defined in claim 1, wherein said optical separating zones consist essentially of a material having a forbidden band width below the photon energy of said emitted radiation.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
30 words
A semiconductor device as recited in claim 1, wherein second ones of said regions are diffused into said semiconductor layer and have a conductivity type opposite that of said layer.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
A semiconductor device as defined in claim 1, comprising means for electrically isolating said electro-luminescent elements from each other.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
25 words
A semiconductor device as defined in claim 14, wherein said means comprise a rectifying junction defined by one of said regions and said semiconductor layer.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
16 words
A semiconductor device as defined in claim 15, comprising means for reverse biasing said rectifying junction.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
18 words
A semiconductor device as defined in claim 1, wherein said optical separating zones comprise diffused doping impurity material.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
22 words
A semiconductor device as defined in claim 1, wherein said substrate consists essentially of semiconductor material highly doped to one conductivity type.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
22 words
A semiconductor device as defined in claim 18, wherein said substrate and said semiconductor layer consist essentially of the same semiconductor material.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
15 words
A semiconductor device as defined in claim 19, wherein said semiconductor material is gallium phosphide.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
28 words
A semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said optically separating zones comprise a material having a smaller band gap than the material of said monocrystalline layer.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
14 words
A semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said substrate comprises gallium arsenide.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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