Electro-optical SLS devices for operating at new wavelength ranges

Patent · Tue Aug 19 00:00:00 EDT 1986

OSTI ID:5335485

Osbourn, G C

An intrinsic semiconductor electro-optical device is described comprising a pair of spaced electrodes operably connected to a p-n junction intrinsically responsive, when cooled, to electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range of 8-12 ..mu..m and which consists of semiconductor materials of the III-V family. The radiation responsive p-n junction comprises a strained-layer superlattice (SLS) of alternating layers of two different III-V semiconductors. The two semiconductors when in bulk form have mismatched lattice constants, whereby a total strain is imposed on each pair of alternating semiconductor layers in the SLS structure, the proportion of the total strain which acts on each layer of the pair being inversely proportional to the ratio of the layer thicknesses of each layer in the pair. A first of the alternating III-V semiconductor layer is InAs/sub 1-x/Sb/sub x/ wherein x is about 0.5-0.7, and the second of the alternating layers comprising a III-V semiconductor having a lattice constant larger that the lattice constant of the first layers. The strain resulting from the mismatch of lattice constants and the ratio of layer thickness is effective to narrow the bandgaps of the first III-V layers, thereby changing the intrinsic radiation absorption characteristics of the layers when cooled to include wavelengths in the 8-12 ..mu..m region which are larger than those to which the individual layers would be responsive, when cooled and in bulk form.

• Assignee: Dept. of Energy, Washington, DC
• Patent Number(s): US 4607272
• OSTI ID: 5335485
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: Filed date 6 Oct 1983
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ANTIMONY COMPOUNDS
ABSORPTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
INDIUM ARSENIDES
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
ELECTRO-OPTICAL EFFECTS
ELECTRODES
P-N JUNCTIONS
COOLING
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
GRADED BAND GAPS
LAYERS
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
STRAINS
THICKNESS
WAVELENGTHS
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
ARSENIDES
DIMENSIONS
INDIUM COMPOUNDS
JUNCTIONS
MATERIALS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PNICTIDES
RADIATIONS
SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTIONS
420800* - Engineering- Electronic Circuits & Devices- (-1989)
360603 - Materials- Properties