Abstract: A double heterojunction bipolar transistor structure having desirable properties of a low base-emitter turn-on voltage and no electron blocking discontinuities in the base-collector junction. These properties are achieved by selecting base, emitter and collector materials to provide a bandgap profile that exhibits abrupt transitions at the heterojunctions, such that both abrupt transitions are due to transitions in the valence band edge of the bandgap, but not in the conductive band edge of the bandgap.

Abstract: A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a Schottky diode formed from a conductive anode contact, a semiconductor junction layer supporting the conductive contact and a base layer ring formed around at least a portion of the conductive anode contact. In particular, the base layer ring has material removed to form layer material gap (e.g., a vacuum gap) adjacent to the conductive anode contact. A dielectric layer is also provided to form one boundary of the base layer material gap.

Abstract: A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a Schottky diode formed from a conductive anode contact, a semiconductor junction layer supporting the conductive contact and a base layer ring formed around at least a portion of the conductive anode contact. In particular, the base layer ring has material removed to form a base layer material gap (e.g., a vacuum gap) adjacent to the conductive anode contact. A dielectric layer is also provided to form one boundary of the base layer material gap.

Abstract: Reduction in the base to collector capacitance of a heterojunction bipolar transistor, and, improved high frequency performance is achieved using existing materials and processes by undercutting the collector (5) under the base (7) along two parallel sides of the base mesa (7—FIG. 4), and providing a sloped collector edge (5—FIG. 6) along the remaining two parallel sides of the base. The foregoing is accomplished by selective etching and with the four sides of the mesa regions oriented as a non-rectangular parallelogram (7, 9—FIG. 4) in which one pair of sides is in parallel with one of the said [0 0 1] and [0 0 {overscore (1)}] planes of the crystalline structure and the other pair of sides in parallel with one of the [0 1 1] and [0 {overscore (1)} {overscore (1)}] planes of the crystalline structure.

Abstract: A heterojunction bipolar transistor is doped in the sub-collector layer (20) with phosphorus (24). The presence of the phosphorus causes any interstitial gallium (22) to be bonded (26) to the phosphorus (24) and move to a lattice site. The result is that the interstitial gallium does not diffuse to the base layer and thus does not cause the beryllium to be displaced and diffused. Instead of doping with phosphorus, a layer including phosphorus can also be utilized.

Abstract: A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a Schottky diode (100) formed from a conductive anode contact (102), a semiconductor junction layer (104) supporting the conductive contact (102) and a base layer ring (108) formed around at least a portion of the conductive anode contact (102). In particular, the base layer ring (108) has material removed to form a base layer material gap (118) (e.g., a vacuum gap) adjacent to the conductive anode contact (102). A dielectric layer (110) is also provided to form one boundary of the base layer material gap (118).

Abstract: An optical semiconductor device (100) includes an optical semiconductor structure (120) and a light reflector (110) monolithic with the optical semiconductor structure (120). The light reflector (110) is disposed to direct light to and/or from the optical semiconductor structure (120).

Abstract: The invention relates to an integrated circuit structure that includes a substrate wafer having an active device layer disposed on a surface of the substrate wafer and having an electrically conductive element contained therein. The integrated circuit structure further comprises a barrier disposed between the substrate wafer and the active device layer, where the barrier blocks carriers injected into the substrate wafer and reduces low frequency oscillation effect.

Abstract: The performance of a heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) operating at high power is limited by the power that can be dissipated by the device. This, in turn, is limited by the thermal resistance of the device to heat dissipation. In a typical HBT, and especially InP-based HBTs, heat generated during operation is concentrated near the collector-base junction. In order to more efficiently dissipate heat downward through the device to the substrate, both the collector and the sub-collector are formed of InP, which has a substantially lower thermal resistance than other typically used semiconductor materials.

Abstract: Reduction in the base to collector capacitance of a heterojunction bipolar transistor, and, improved high frequency performance is achieved using existing materials and processes by undercutting the collector (5) under the base (7) along two parallel sides of the base mesa (7—FIG. 4), and providing a sloped collector edge (5—FIG. 6) along the remaining two parallel sides of the base. The foregoing is accomplished by selective etching and with the four sides of the mesa regions oriented as a non-rectangular parallelogram (7, 9—FIG. 4) in which one pair of sides is in parallel with one of the said [0 0 1] and [0 0 {overscore (1)}] planes of the crystalline structure and the other pair of sides in parallel with one of the [0 1 1] and [0 {overscore (1)} {overscore (1)}] planes of the crystalline structure.

Abstract: A photodiode for an input light signal comprising an absorption layer having an absorption coefficient which is less than the absorption coefficient of InGaAs when measured at a wavelength of 1.55 &mgr;m. First and a second cladding layer are disposed on opposite sides of the absorption layer leaving exposed a side of the absorption layer. Positively and negatively polarized contact layers are disposed on the first and second cladding layers respectively. The input light signal is directed into the exposed side of the absorption layer and the absorption layer absorbs the input light signal and photo-generates therefrom carriers. The contact layers collect the carriers and generate therefrom photocurrent.

Abstract: A photodetector having improved responsivity includes first, second and third contact layers and first and second absorption layers. The first and second absorption layers are disposed on opposite sides of the first contact layer. The second contact layer is disposed on the first absorption layer and the third contact layer is disposed on the second absorption layer. The first contact layer has a first polarity. The second and third contact layers have a second polarity which is opposite the first polarity. Preferably, the first and second absorption layers are each made of a material having approximately equivalent electrical characteristics and the second and third contact layers are interconnected. Alternatively, one absorption layer is responsive to a first wavelength and another absorption layer is responsive to a second wavelength.