Optoelectronics research in the former Soviet Union

Technical Report · Fri May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1992

OSTI ID:10175200

Casey, Jr, H C; Bishop, S G; Eichen, E; Kazarinov, R F; Taylor, H F

Optoelectronics research in the former USSR has been examined in the areas of epitaxial layer growth and device processing photonic devices such as semiconductor lasers and photodetectors, high-speed lasers, the integration of photonic devices and transistors for optoelectronic integrated circuits (OEICs), optical amplifiers, optoelectronic switching and optical communications. These devices are largely prepared with III-V compound semiconductors. This assessment by a panel of US experts is based on a review of the translated Soviet technical literature, supplemented by information from recent visits to the former USSR. The majority of optoelectronic devices were fabricated on wafers prepared by liquid-phase epitaxy. The Soviet low-temperature growth techniques at 500{degrees} to 550{degrees}C permitted growth of Al{sub x}Ga{sub l-x}As/GaAs heterostructure laser structures with layer thicknesses less than 100 A, and threshold currents of 1 mA. These semiconductor laser properties are competitive with structures grown in the West by the more reproducible epitaxial growth techniques of molecular-beam epitaxy and metal-organic chemical-vapor deposition. The strongest area of optoelectronic device research has been semiconductor lasers. Their work includes both Al{sub x}Ga{sub l-x}As/GaAs and Ga{sub x}In{sub 1-x}As{sub y}P{sub l-y}/InP heterostructure lasers. There is less strength in photodetectors. Theoretical work on heterojunction bipolar transistors and metal-semiconductor field-effect transistors is very good. A lack of electron-beam lithography and plasma-etching processes for III-V compound semiconductor devices has delayed the integration of high-quality discrete lasers, transistors, and photodetectors into OEICS; Soviet researchers have been active in optoelectronic switching.

• Research Organization: Science Applications International Corp., McLean, VA (United States). Foreign Applied Sciences Assessment Center
• OSTI ID: 10175200
• Report Number(s): FASAC-TAR-92040080; ON: TI92040080
• Resource Relation: Other Information: PBD: May 1992
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
SEMICONDUCTOR LASERS
USSR
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
LIQUID PHASE EPITAXY
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
ALUMINIUM ARSENIDES
INDIUM PHOSPHIDES
INTEGRATED CIRCUITS
PHOTODETECTORS
AMPLIFIERS
SWITCHING CIRCUITS
426000
360606
COMPONENTS
ELECTRON DEVICES AND CIRCUITS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES