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US4815087A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

High speed stable light emitting semiconductor device with low threshold current

Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd
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Filing: 1986-05-15
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Granted: 1989-03-21
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Expires: 2006-05-15
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Abstract

Abstract A highly efficient light emitting semiconductor device which is stable at high speeds and has a low threshold current comprising a first semiconductor layer of a first conductive type; a second semiconductor layer of the second conductive type which is different from the first conductive type; an active layer composed of laminated semiconductor layers of the quantum well structure interposed between the first and second semiconductor layers and having a narrower effective energy band gap than the first and second semiconductor layers and a diffraction grading formed in either one of the first or second semiconductor layers.

Inventors

  • 👤 Hideki Hayashi

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-27 15:27
CPC Classifications
B; B82; B82Y; B82Y20/00; H; H01; H01S; H01S5/00; H01S5/10; H01S5/12; H01S5/125; H01S5/11; H01S5/30; H01S5/34; H01S5/343; H01S5/34313; H01S5/3434; H01S5/34306

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim 182 words
A light emitting double heterojunction semiconductor device of injection type comprising: a first semiconductor layer of a first conductive type; a second semiconductor layer of a second conductive type which is different from the first conductive type; an active layer composed of laminated semiconductor layers of the quantum well structure interposed and extended beneath the first and second semiconductor layers and having a narrower effective energy band gap than those of the first and second semiconductor layers; a first electrode formed on the surface of the first semiconductor layer opposite a surface facing the active layer and a second electrode formed on the surface of the second semiconductor layer opposite a surface facing the active layer such that a portion of the active layer sandwiched between the first and second electrodes forms an active region for laser oscillation: and a pair of diffraction gratings formed in either one of the first and second semiconductor layers such that a grating is positioned at each side of the active region, whereby said active layer functions as the active region and as a waveguide region.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 182 words
A light emitting double heterojunction semiconductor device of injection type comprising: a first semiconductor layer of a first conductive type; a second semiconductor layer of a second conductive type which is different from the first conductive type; an active layer composed of laminated semiconductor layers of the quantum well structure interposed and extended beneath the first and second semiconductor layers and having a narrower effective energy band gap than those of the first and second semiconductor layers; a first electrode formed on the surface of the first semiconductor layer opposite a surface facing the active layer and a second electrode formed on the surface of the second semiconductor layer opposite a surface facing the active layer such that a portion of the active layer sandwiched between the first and second electrodes forms an active region for laser oscillation: and a pair of diffraction gratings formed in either one of the first and second semiconductor layers such that a grating is positioned at each side of the active region, whereby said active layer functions as the active region and as a waveguide region.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 58 words
A light emitting double heterojunction semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first electrode is formed on a predetermined area of the outer surface of either one of the first and second semiconductor layers, said diffraction gratings being formed in said one of said first and second semiconductor layers at opposite sides of said predetermined area.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 66 words
A light emitting double heterojunction semiconductor device as claimed in claim 2, wherein either one of the first and second semiconductor layers is composed of two semiconductor layers of the same conductive type of which the energy band gaps are different from each other, the interface of these two semiconductor layers being formed to present a regular waveform at said portions to thereby form diffraction gratings.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 84 words
A light emitting double heterojunction semiconductor device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first semiconductor layer is composed of a buffer layer formed on a semiconductor substrate of the same conductive type as the first semiconductor layer, the second electrode being formed on the outer surface of the semiconductor substrate, and wherein the second semiconductor layer is composed of a cladding layer and a contact layer of the same conductive type with each other, the first electrode being formed on the contact layer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 23 words
A light emitting double heterojunction semiconductor devices as claimed in claim 4, wherein the diffraction grating is formed in said second semiconductor layer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 43 words
A light emitting double heterojunction semiconductor device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the cladding layer is composed of two semiconductor layers of which the energy band gaps are different from each other and the diffraction grating is formed at the interface therebetween.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 42 words
A light emitting double heterojunction semiconductor device as claimed in claim 4, the buffer layer is composed of two semiconductor layers of which the energy band gaps are different from each other and the diffraction grating is formed at the interface therebetween.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 39 words
A light emitting double heterojunction semiconductor device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the active layer is composed of two kinds of thin semiconductor layers having a different energy band gap from each other and laminated on each other.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 20 words
A light emitting double heterojunction semiconductor device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the semiconductor substrate is composed of InP.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 30 words
A light emitting double heterojunction semiconductor device as claimed in claim 9, said active layer is composed of laminated layers of InP and In 0 .53 Ga 0 .47 As.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 37 words
A light emitting double heterojunction semiconductor device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the active layer is composed of laminated layers of In 0 .52 Ga 0 .48 As and In 0 .53 Ga 0 .47 As.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 30 words
A light emitting double heterojunction semiconductor device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the semiconductor layers between which the diffraction grating is formed are composed respectively of InP and InGaAsP.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 20 words
A light emitting double heterojunction semiconductor devices as claimed in claim 4, wherein the semiconductor substrate is composed of GaAs.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 30 words
A light emitting double heterojunction semiconductor device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the active layer is composed of laminated layers of GaAs and Al x Ga 1-x As (0<×<1).
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 39 words
A light emitting double heterojunction semiconductor devices as claimed in claim 14, wherein the semiconductor layers between which the diffraction grating is formed are composed respectively of Al x Ga 1-x As and Al y Ga 1-x As (x≠y).
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 119 words
A light emitting double heterojunction semiconductor device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a semiconductor substrate on which the first semiconductor layer is formed as the buffer layer and a second electrode is formed on the outer surface of the semiconductor substrate, said second semiconductor layer being composed of a cladding layer and a contact lay of the same conductive type with each other, a first electrode being formed on the outer surface of the contact layer, and wherein the contact layer is formed only on a predetermined surface area of the cladding layer and the cladding layer presents regular waveform at the outer surface area which is not covered by the contact layer, whereby forming diffraction gratings.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 43 words
A light emitting double heterojunction semiconductor devices as claimed in claim 16, wherein the cladding layer is composed of two semiconductor layers of which the energy band gaps are different from each other and the diffraction grating is formed at the interface therebetween.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 22 words
A light emitting double heterojunction semiconductor device as claimed in anyone of claim 16, wherein the semiconductor substrate is composed of InP.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 30 words
A light emitting double heterojunction semiconductor device as claimed in claim 18, the active layer is composed of laminated layers of InP and In 0 .53 Ga 0 .47 As.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 37 words
A light emitting double heterojunction semiconductor device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the active layer is composed of laminated layers of In 0 .52 Al 0 .48 As and In 0 .53 Ga 0 .47 As.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 22 words
A light emitting double heterojunction semiconductor device as claimed in anyone of claim 16, wherein the semiconductor substrate is composed of GaAs.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 39 words
A light emitting double heterojunction semiconductor device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the semiconductor layers between which the diffraction grating is formed are composed respectively of Al x Ga 1-x As and Al y Ga 1-y As (x≠y).

References Cited (Backward Citations)

JPS60145692A Cited
JPS60189981A Cited
JPS61190992A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1992-03-20 1992-09-19 1993-03-21 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1996-03-20 1996-09-19 1997-03-21 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2000-03-20 2000-09-19 2001-03-21 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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