Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
83 words
A method of diffusing silicon into a compound semiconductor comprising: forming a silicon diffusion limiting layer in the body of a compound semiconductor having a surface remote from said layer, said layer having a slower silicon diffusion rate than said semiconductor; disposing a silicon film at each of two spaced apart regions on said surface; and diffusing silicon into said semiconductor from said film at an elevated temperature for sufficient time so that the diffusing silicon penetrates into but not through said layer.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
83 words
A method of diffusing silicon into a compound semiconductor comprising: forming a silicon diffusion limiting layer in the body of a compound semiconductor having a surface remote from said layer, said layer having a slower silicon diffusion rate than said semiconductor; disposing a silicon film at each of two spaced apart regions on said surface; and diffusing silicon into said semiconductor from said film at an elevated temperature for sufficient time so that the diffusing silicon penetrates into but not through said layer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method of diffusing silicon into a compound semiconductor as defined in claim 1, wherein said compound semiconductor comprises Al x Ga 1 As, and said diffusionn limiting layer comprises Al y Ga 1-y As (x<y).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method of diffusing silicon into a compound semiconductor as defined in claim 1, wherein said compound semiconductor comprises In 1-x Ga x As y P 1-y .
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method of diffusing silicon into a compound semiconductor as defined in claim 1, wherein said compound semiconductor comprises (Al x Ga 1-x ) y In 1-y P.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method of diffusing silicon into a compound semiconductor as defined inn claim 2 wherein y≧x+0.3.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
142 words
A method of forming a light confinement region in a semiconductor laser successively including a substrate, a p-type compound semiconductor first cladding layer, a p-type compound semiconductor active layer, and an n-type compound semiconductor second cladding layer comprising: disposing a silicon diffusion limiting layer within said first cladding layer; disposing a layer of silicon at each of two spaced apart regions on said second cladding layer; and diffusing silicon from said silicon layer at an elevated temperature for a sufficient time so that the diffusing silicon penetrates through said second cladding and active layers into said first cladding layer and penetrates into but not through said diffusionn limiting layer to convert regions of said active and first cladding layers to n-type conductivity, leaving p-type regions of said active and first cladding layers between the converted regions that define a light confinement region.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
142 words
A method of forming a light confinement region in a semiconductor laser successively including a substrate, a p-type compound semiconductor first cladding layer, a p-type compound semiconductor active layer, and an n-type compound semiconductor second cladding layer comprising: disposing a silicon diffusion limiting layer within said first cladding layer; disposing a layer of silicon at each of two spaced apart regions on said second cladding layer; and diffusing silicon from said silicon layer at an elevated temperature for a sufficient time so that the diffusing silicon penetrates through said second cladding and active layers into said first cladding layer and penetrates into but not through said diffusionn limiting layer to convert regions of said active and first cladding layers to n-type conductivity, leaving p-type regions of said active and first cladding layers between the converted regions that define a light confinement region.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
48 words
A method as defined in claim 6 wherein said compound semiconductor is Al z Ga 1-z As (O 2 ≦≦ 1), the aluminum concentration is higher said first and second cladding layers than in said active layer, and the aluminum concentration is highest in said diffusion limiting layer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as defined in claim 7 wherein said first cladding layer is Al x Ga 1-x As, said diffusion limiting layer is Al y Ga 1-y As, and y≧x+0.3.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
142 words
A method of forming a light confinement region in a semiconductor laser successively including a compound semiconductor substrate, an n-type compound semiconductor first cladding layer, a compound semiconductor active layer, a p-type compound semiconductor second cladding layer, and a p-type contacting layer comprising: disposing a silicon diffusion limiting layer within said second cladding layer; disposing a layer of silicon at each of two spaced apart regions on said p-type cladding layer; and diffusing silicon from said silicon layer at an elevated temperature for a sufficient time so that the diffusing silicon penetrates through said contacting layer into said first cladding layer and penetrates into but not through said diffusion limiting layer to convert regions of said first cladding layer to n-type conductivity, leaving p-type regions of said contact and first cladding layers between the converted regions that define a light confinement region.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
142 words
A method of forming a light confinement region in a semiconductor laser successively including a compound semiconductor substrate, an n-type compound semiconductor first cladding layer, a compound semiconductor active layer, a p-type compound semiconductor second cladding layer, and a p-type contacting layer comprising: disposing a silicon diffusion limiting layer within said second cladding layer; disposing a layer of silicon at each of two spaced apart regions on said p-type cladding layer; and diffusing silicon from said silicon layer at an elevated temperature for a sufficient time so that the diffusing silicon penetrates through said contacting layer into said first cladding layer and penetrates into but not through said diffusion limiting layer to convert regions of said first cladding layer to n-type conductivity, leaving p-type regions of said contact and first cladding layers between the converted regions that define a light confinement region.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method as defined in claim 9 wherein said compound semiconductor is Al z Ga 1-z As (O≦z≦1), the aluminum concentration is higher said first and second cladding layers than in said active layer, and the aluminum concentration is highest in said diffusion limiting layer.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as defined in claim 10 wherein said second cladding layer is Al x Ga 1-x As, said diffusion limiting layer is Al y Ga 1-y As, and y≧x+0.3.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
91 words
A method as defined in claim 9 wherein the semiconductor laser includes a light guide superlattice layer disposed within the second cladding layer adjacent and on the side of said diffusion limiting layer toward said contacting layer including diffusing silicon through two spaced apart regions of said light guide superlattice layer to disorder and convert regions of said light guide superlattice layer to n-type conductivity when silicon is diffused into said second cladding layer, leaving a p-type region of said light guide superlattice layer as part of the light confinement region.