Broadband light-emitting diode

Patent · Tue Jul 14 00:00:00 EDT 1998

OSTI ID:871709

Fritz, Ian J ^[1]; Klem, John F ^[2]; Hafich, Michael J ^[1]

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1. Albuquerque, NM
2. Sandia Park, NM

A broadband light-emitting diode. The broadband light-emitting diode (LED) comprises a plurality of III-V compound semiconductor layers grown on a semiconductor substrate, with the semiconductor layers including a pair of cladding layers sandwiched about a strained-quantum-well active region having a plurality of different energy bandgaps for generating light in a wavelength range of about 1.3-2 .mu.m. In one embodiment of the present invention, the active region may comprise a first-grown quantum-well layer and a last-grown quantum-well layer that are oppositely strained; whereas in another embodiment of the invention, the active region is formed from a short-period superlattice structure (i.e. a pseudo alloy) comprising alternating thin layers of InGaAs and InGaAlAs. The use a short-period superlattice structure for the active region allows different layers within the active region to be simply and accurately grown by repetitively opening and closing one or more shutters in an MBE growth apparatus to repetitively switch between different growth states therein. The broadband LED may be formed as either a surface-emitting LED or as an edge-emitting LED for use in applications such as chemical sensing, fiber optic gyroscopes, wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) fiber-optic data links, and WDM fiber-optic sensor networks for automobiles and aircraft.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000
• Assignee: Sandia Corporation (Albuquerque, NM)
• Patent Number(s): US 5780867
• OSTI ID: 871709
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

broadband
light-emitting
diode
led
comprises
plurality
iii-v
compound
semiconductor
layers
grown
substrate
including
pair
cladding
sandwiched
strained-quantum-well
active
region
energy
bandgaps
generating
light
wavelength
range
3-2
embodiment
comprise
first-grown
quantum-well
layer
last-grown
oppositely
strained
formed
short-period
superlattice
structure
pseudo
alloy
comprising
alternating
ingaas
ingaalas
allows
simply
accurately
repetitively
closing
shutters
growth
apparatus
switch
therein
surface-emitting
edge-emitting
applications
chemical
sensing
fiber
optic
gyroscopes
wavelength-division-multiplexed
wdm
fiber-optic
data
links
sensor
networks
automobiles
aircraft
chemical sensing
emitting diode
light-emitting diode
iii-v compound
quantum-well layer
wavelength range
semiconductor substrate
active region
fiber optic
semiconductor layer
compound semiconductor
lattice structure
optic sensor
cladding layer
semiconductor layers
broadband light-emitting
comprising alternating
energy band
superlattice structure
energy bandgap
generating light
layers including
quantum-well active
growth apparatus
fiber-optic sensor
band light
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