Abstract: A memory array formed on a single chip is provided with at least one redundant column (or row) of memory cells in addition to "standard" number of columns and rows where the spare column (or row) of cells is designed to be substituted for a standard column (or row) found to have defective cells. Programmable non-volatile electrically alterable elements are connected to the column (or rows) conductors of the standard and redundant columns (or rows) of cells for selectively disconnecting from the memory circuit a standard column (or rows) containing defective cells and substituting therefor a redundant column (or row) of cells.

Abstract: A III-V quaternary alloy photodiode comprises an n-type III-V binary alloy body; a III-V quaternary alloy layer chosen to have about the same lattice constant as that of said body grown on a major surface of said body; an electrically insulating layer grown on said quaternary alloy layer and having an opening therein extending through said second layer; a p-type layer of the same III-V binary alloy as said body, grown on said quaternary alloy layer in the area contiguous with the opening in said electrically insulating layer; a p-type region in said quaternary alloy layer in the region contiguous with the opening in said electrically insulating layer; and electrically conducting layers overlying a portion of said p-type binary alloy layer and of a second major surface of said body to provide electrical contact to the photodiode. The III-V quaternary alloy layer may be of n-type conductivity, electrically insulating, or have n-type and electrically insulating regions.

Abstract: In an optical memory device, such as an optical video disk, an injection laser is used as the source of the light, as the detector of the light reflected from the memory element and as the detector for controlling the proper focus of the light on the memory element. The light reflected from the memory element is fed back into the injection laser and variations in certain characteristics of the injection laser, such as the optical output at constant current, the electrical current through the laser at constant voltage and the voltage drop across the laser at constant current, are used to read the memory device and to maintain the focus.

Abstract: In making a laser diode by a method which includes epitaxially depositing a plurality of layers of a semiconductor material on a substrate, the final outermost layer deposited is of a material which has a band-gap lower than the preceding adjacent layer, which readily accepts a conductivity modifier, which can be selectively etched from the preceding adjacent layer and which preferably has a lattice parameter substantially equal to that of the preceding adjacent layer. A conductivity modifier is then diffused along a narrow stripe into and through the outermost layer, into the preceding adjacent layer. The outermost layer is then etched away to expose the surface of the preceding adjacent layer and a metal contact is applied to the exposed surface.

Abstract: A light emitting diode includes a substrate having a body of single crystalline semiconductor material, preferably a Group III-V compound or alloy thereof, on a surface of the substrate. The body includes a window layer directly on the substrate and one or more other layers on the window layer. The layers of the body are of appropriate conductivety types to form a recombination region in which light can be generated. The substrate has an opening therethrough to the window layer. The window layer is of a material which is substantially transparent to the light generated in the recombination region and is of a thickness, 15 to 30 microns, to provide rigidity to the diode.

Abstract: An injection laser diode is at one end of an optical fiber to direct modulated optical radiation into the fiber. At the other end of the fiber is a detector, such as a semiconductor photodetector, for the modulated radiation. Between the other end of the optical fiber and the detector is a reflecting shutter which is adapted to periodically reflect some of the radiation, at a lower frequency rate, back along the optical fiber to the injection laser. The radiation reflected back into the injection laser causes a variation in the characteristics of the laser so that the laser operates as a detector for the reflected radiation.

Abstract: A body of semiconductor material of an injection laser device, capable of operating at a power level up to a few milliwatts per micrometer of emitting width, has two opposed facet surfaces. On at least one of the facet surfaces is a protection layer of an insulating material having an optical thickness equal to approximately one-half the vacuum wavelength of the optical radiation emitted by the device.

Abstract: A p-n junction silicon semiconductor device passivated with a first layer of oxygen-doped polycrystalline silicon and a second layer of silicon nitride, is treated to provide contact openings through to the silicon substrate by first depositing an undoped polycrystalline silicon layer over the silicon nitride layer, coating with photoresist, exposing and developing the photoresist to provide an opening to the polycrystalline silicon layer, etching through said latter layer with a particular etchant solution that etches large diameter openings at a faster rate than small diameter openings, and etching through the passivating layers whereby the desired contact opening is etched through to the substrate but pinhole openings less than about 2 microns in diameter in the photoresist layer are not propagated through the passivating layers.

Abstract: The P type conductivity layer or layers of an electroluminescent device includes zinc as the primary conductivity modifier, and germanium as the secondary conductivity modifier. The combination of zinc and germanium provide an electroluminescent device having improved reliability. In the method of fabricating the P type conductivity layer, the zinc and germanium are simultaneously introduced into the layer during deposition of the layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser capable of fundamental lateral mode operation, includes a region of high conductivity in the form of a stripe in a semiconductor body and at a contacting surface of the body. The high conductivity region is between and contiguous to a pair of spaced regions also in the body and at the contacting surface. The pair of spaced regions are of a lower conductivity than the high conductivity region. The low and high conductivity regions are in electrical contact with a stripe contact and provide a focused current distribution from the stripe contact which is compatible with fundamental lateral mode operation of the laser.

Abstract: A diamond body and an oxide substrate are simultaneously sputter-etched such that the diamond body is cleaned and a layer of the sputtered oxide is deposited on the clean surface of the diamond body, then a metallic layer is deposited on the oxide layer. This provides a metallized diamond body whose metallic layer will adhere to the body.

Abstract: A semiconductor device has a body of a semiconductor material wherein arsenic, As, is a constituent component of the material. A passivation layer of a material selected from the group consisting of arsenic sulfide, As.sub.2 S.sub.3, arsenic selenide, As.sub.2 Se.sub.3, and arsenic telluride, As.sub.2 Te.sub.3, is on surfaces of the body.

Abstract: A semiconductor electroluminescent device includes a body having a pair of spaced end surfaces, at least one of which is capable of emitting light generated in the body and a recombination region in the body extending from one end surface to the other end surface. The body also includes a pair of spaced contacting surfaces which are approximately perpendicular to the end surfaces. On one of the contacting surfaces is a stripe contact which includes a plurality of spaced, parallel electrically conductive sub-stripes extending from one of the end surfaces to the other end surface with insulation between the sub-stripes. The sub-stripes may be conductive films on the surface of the body or conductive regions within the body. The width of the sub-stripes and the spacing therebetween along the end surfaces, are such that the stripe contact provides a substantially uniform current density at the recombination region of the device.

Abstract: A body of semiconductor material having a first surface and a second surface spaced from the first surface includes a first layer along the first surface, a second layer along the second surface, a third layer between and contiguous to the first and second layers. The third layer is of a conductivity type opposite that of the first and second layers so as to form first and second P-N junctions respectively therebetween. The thickness of the third layer is at least twice the minority carrier diffusion length of the semiconductor material, so that carriers generated within the third layer have a high probability of being collected by one of the P-N junctions. The body includes means for electrically connecting the first and second P-N junctions and means for transferring the carriers collected at the first P-N junction to a portion of the first surface.

Abstract: A semiconductor device has one surface of P type conductivity material having a wide energy bandgap and a large crystal lattice parameter. Applied to the P type surface of the semiconductor device is a degenerate region of semiconductor material, preferably a group III-V semiconductor material, having a narrower energy bandgap. The degenerate region is doped with tin to increase the crystal lattice of the region to more closely approximate the crystal lattice of the one surface of the semiconductor device. The degenerate region is compensatingly doped with a P type conductivity modifier. An electrical contact is applied to one surface of the degenerate region forming an ohmic contact with the semiconductor device.

Abstract: A body of single crystalline semiconductor material has a first region of one conductivity type spaced from a second region of an opposite conductivity type with a third region between and contiguous to each of the first and second regions. The junctions between the third and each of the first and second regions are heterojunctions. At the peak emission wavelength of the third region the index of refraction of each of the first and second regions is at least 3% less than the index of refraction of the third region. Furthermore, each of the first and second regions has an energy band gap greater than that of the third region, with the difference in the energy band gap being greater than 0.1 eV. The thickness of the third region between heterojunctions is less than 0.125 microns.

Abstract: A lateral bipolar transistor includes spaced emitter and collector regions in a substrate, arranged so that lateral current will flow in a zone of the substrate relatively remote from a surface thereof. The emitter and collector regions are shaped or positioned to provide a shorter distance between them at the desired location for current flow.

Abstract: An electroluminescent semiconductor device having an optical axis includes two cylindrical surface segments spaced from and opposite each other. One of the cylindrical surface segments is the light emitting surface with a center of curvature C.sub.1 and a focal point, f, on the optical axis. The other cylindrical surface segment is a light reflecting surface having a center of curvature C.sub.2 on the optical axis. The electroaluminescent device has a pair of flat surfaces, spaced from each other and substantially perpendicular to the light emitting and reflecting surfaces. On one of the flat surfaces is a first electrical contact. On a portion of the opposite flat surface is a second electrical contact which is positioned along the optical axis on or between the center of curvature C.sub.1 and the focal point f. Light is generated in the electroluminescent device in the area of the second contact. Preferably, if the focal point f and center of curvature C.sub.

Abstract: A body of semiconductor material of a solar cell device has a surface a portion of which is exposed to incident solar radiation, and a surface opposite the incident surface. At the incident surface and in the body is a first region having a bandgap energy greater than 2.1 eV and thus is substantially transparent to solar radiation. Spaced from the first region and at the opposite surface is a second region which is of a material having a bandgap energy in the range of 1.5 eV to 1.9 eV. Between and in contact with both first and second regions is a third region of a material having a bandgap energy less than either the first or second regions. The third region is the most active region of the device, and the second region is substantially transparent to solar radiation not absorbed by the third region. The junction between the third region and each of the first and second regions are heterojunctions.

Abstract: A body of semiconductor material in a solar cell device has a means for collecting electron-hole pairs with an incident surface through which solar radiation enters. The collecting means can be a P N junction between two regions of opposite conductivity of the semiconductor body, or a partially transparent metallic film on the semiconductor body providing a metal to semiconductor material surface barrier rectifying junction. On a surface opposite the incident surface of the collecting means is a non-continuous oxide layer. The oxide layer is non-continuous because of openings extending through the oxide layer to the opposite surface. The openings are distributed across the opposite surface. In the openings at the opposite surface and on the oxide layer is a reflecting contact which functions both as an electrical contact and as a reflector to solar radiation in the semiconductor body.