Title: Infrared emitting device and method

Abstract

An infrared emitting device and method. The infrared emitting device comprises a III-V compound semiconductor substrate upon which are grown a quantum-well active region having a plurality of quantum-well layers formed of a ternary alloy comprising InAsSb sandwiched between barrier layers formed of a ternary alloy having a smaller lattice constant and a larger energy bandgap than the quantum-well layers. The quantum-well layers are preferably compressively strained to increase the threshold energy for Auger recombination; and a method is provided for determining the preferred thickness for the quantum-well layers. Embodiments of the present invention are described having at least one cladding layer to increase the optical and carrier confinement in the active region, and to provide for waveguiding of the light generated within the active region. Examples have been set forth showing embodiments of the present invention as surface- and edge-emitting light emitting diodes (LEDs), an optically-pumped semiconductor laser, and an electrically-injected semiconductor diode laser. The light emission from each of the infrared emitting devices of the present invention is in the midwave infrared region of the spectrum from about 2 to 6 microns.

Inventors:

Kurtz, Steven R ^[1]; Biefeld, Robert M ^[1]; Dawson, L Ralph ^[1]; Howard, Arnold J ^[1]; Baucom, Kevin C ^[1]

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+ Show Inventor Affiliations

1. Albuquerque, NM

Issue Date:

Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1997

Research Org.:

Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)

OSTI Identifier:

870928

Patent Number(s):

5625635

Assignee:

Sandia Corporation ()

Patent Classifications (CPCs):

B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B82 - NANOTECHNOLOGY B82Y - SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES

H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

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B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B82 - NANOTECHNOLOGY B82Y - SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES

B82Y20/00 - Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals

H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

H01L33/06 - within the light emitting region, e.g. quantum confinement structure or tunnel barrier

H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01S - DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT

H01S3/0941 - of a laser diode
H01S5/3211 - {characterised by special cladding layers, e.g. details on band-discontinuities}
H01S5/343 - in AIIIBV compounds, e.g. AlGaAs-laser {, InP-based laser}
H01S5/34306 - {emitting light at a wavelength longer than 1000nm, e.g. InP based 1300 and 1500nm lasers}

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DOE Contract Number:  

AC04-94AL85000

Resource Type:

Patent

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

infrared; emitting; device; method; comprises; iii-v; compound; semiconductor; substrate; grown; quantum-well; active; region; plurality; layers; formed; ternary; alloy; comprising; inassb; sandwiched; barrier; lattice; constant; larger; energy; bandgap; preferably; compressively; strained; increase; threshold; auger; recombination; provided; determining; preferred; thickness; embodiments; described; cladding; layer; optical; carrier; confinement; provide; waveguiding; light; generated; examples; set; forth; surface-; edge-emitting; diodes; leds; optically-pumped; laser; electrically-injected; diode; emission; devices; midwave; spectrum; microns; ternary alloy; emitting diodes; emitting diode; iii-v compound; light emission; quantum-well layer; quantum-well layers; lattice constant; semiconductor laser; alloy comprising; semiconductor substrate; active region; device comprises; diode laser; barrier layer; compound semiconductor; light emitting; barrier layers; light generated; semiconductor diode; cladding layer; set forth; layers formed; carrier confinement; energy band; emitting device; infrared emitting; energy bandgap; quantum-well active; emitting light; infrared region; /372/257/