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US4603340A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Semiconductor device having superlattice structure

Assignee: US Philips Corp
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Filing: 1984-05-07
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Granted: 1986-07-29
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Expires: 2004-05-07
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Abstract

Abstract When two indirect only slightly different semiconductor materials having a suitable band gap, for example, AlAs and Al 0 .8 Ga 0 .2 As, are grown epitaxially one onto the other in layers of a few unit cell layers thick, the electronic band structures are folded so that the indirect minimum of the conduction band is displaced from the edge of the Brillouin zone to the center. The two indirect materials then constitute a superlattice with a band transition with a band gap of 2.2 eV.

Inventors

  • 👤 Jan G. Dil

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-02 10:18
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10H; H10H20/00; H10H20/80; H10H20/81; H10H20/811; H10H20/812; B; B82; B82Y; B82Y20/00; H01; H01S; H01S5/00; H01S5/30; H01S5/34; H01S5/343; H01S5/34313; H10D; H10D62/00; H10D62/80; H10D62/81; H10D62/815; H10D62/8161; H10D62/8162; H10D62/8164; H01S5/3432

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim 128 words
A semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor body provided with a superlattice configuration which alternately comprises first layers of an indirect semiconductor material A III -B V and second layers of a mixed crystal (alloy) of the same material, in which one of the elements A and B is partly replaced by an equivalent element C, in which the superlattice exhibits at least in a direction at right angles to the interfaces between the layers a direct band transition due to zone folding, the element C and the concentration thereof being chosen so that the layers have substantially equal lattice constants at least in a direction parallel to the interfaces and the sum of the thicknesses of two successive layers in the superlattice being at most about 5.0 nm.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 128 words
A semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor body provided with a superlattice configuration which alternately comprises first layers of an indirect semiconductor material A III -B V and second layers of a mixed crystal (alloy) of the same material, in which one of the elements A and B is partly replaced by an equivalent element C, in which the superlattice exhibits at least in a direction at right angles to the interfaces between the layers a direct band transition due to zone folding, the element C and the concentration thereof being chosen so that the layers have substantially equal lattice constants at least in a direction parallel to the interfaces and the sum of the thicknesses of two successive layers in the superlattice being at most about 5.0 nm.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 26 words
A semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the layers are constituted by layers each having a thickness of one unit cell layer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 22 words
A semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the layers each have a thickness of two unit cell layers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 35 words
A semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the first layers have a layer thickness of three unit cell layers and the second layers have a thickness of one unit cell layer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 32 words
A semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that the first layers comprise AlAs and the second layers comprise Al 1-x Ga x As, where 0<x<0.45.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 25 words
A semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that the superlattice comprises the active layer of a semiconductor laser.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 37 words
A semiconductor device as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the laser comprises a quantum well laser comprising alternately a number of thin active layers and barrier layers, the active layers each having said superlattice configuration.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3626257A Cited
US4261771A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1989-07-28 1990-01-27 1990-07-29 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1993-07-28 1994-01-27 1994-07-29 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1997-07-28 1998-01-27 1998-07-29 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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