Abstract: An exhaust gas treatment assembly for an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine includes a housing having a circumferential wall and at least one base wall which in an external circumferential region is connected to the circumferential wall. In a housing interior space, which is defined by the circumferential wall and the base wall, at least one exhaust gas treatment unit is positioned so as to be removable from the housing. At least one base wall is an interchangeable base wall which is releasably connected to the circumferential wall via a connection assembly. The connection assembly includes a first connection portion, a first axial support portion, and on the base wall includes a second connection portion which via at least one connection member is releasably connected to the first connection portion and a second axial support portion is supported on the first axial support portion.

Abstract: A semiconductor device has a layered structure. The semiconductor device includes a metallic layer of thickness 1-100 nm, with a thickness optimized to absorb light in a wavelength range of operation. The device further includes an adjacent semiconductor layer additionally adjacent to an ohmic electrical contact, wherein the interface between the metallic layer and the semiconductor layer is electrically rectifying and energy selective. The device further includes a reflective back surface positioned opposite to the semiconductor layer relative to incident light providing broadband reflection in the wavelength range of operation. The semiconductor layer includes a quantum well adjacent to the metallic layer, wherein the energy selectivity is provided by the quantum well allowing charge carrier tunneling from the metallic layer.

Abstract: A ballistic carrier spectral sensor includes a photon absorption region to generate photo-generated carriers from incident light; a first potential barrier region adjacent the photon absorption region and having an adjustable height defining a minimum energy of the photo-generated carriers required to pass therethrough; a second potential barrier region having an adjustable height defining a minimum energy of the photo-generated carriers required to pass therethrough; a spillage well region disposed between the first potential barrier region and the second potential barrier region and configured to collect photo-generated carriers having an energy lower than that required to pass through the second potential barrier region; and a collection region adjacent the second potential barrier region and configured to collect carriers that cross the second potential barrier region.

Abstract: A photovoltaic energy harvesting (PVEH) device comprises a single-junction photovoltaic cell. The photovoltaic cell includes a light converting element made of a wide band-gap III-V active material spectrally matched to an ambient light source, a light receiving side that is free from front metal contact gridlines, and at least one discrete metal contact element placed on the light receiving side that realizes power extraction. The active material of the light converting element may be made of (Al)GaInP compounds. The active material of the light converting element may be spectrally matched to ambient light in the form of at least one of an artificial light source and natural sunlight, and combinations thereof. The PVEH device may have a plurality of photovoltaic cells inter-connected in series to achieve a higher open-circuit voltage. A total fractional power loss due to series resistance, shunt resistance and contact shading is less than 20%.

Abstract: A resonant tunneling device includes a first semiconductor material with an energy difference between valence and conduction bands of Eg1, and a second semiconductor material with an energy difference between valence and conduction bands of Eg2, wherein Eg1 and Eg2 are different from one another. The device further includes an energy selectively transmissive interface connecting the first and second semiconductor materials.

Abstract: A non-close-packed vertical junction photovoltaic device includes a substrate, a two-dimensional array of elongate nanostructures extending substantially perpendicularly from a surface of the substrate, and a thin film solar cell disposed over the nanostructures such that the thin film solar cell substantially conforms to the topography of the nanostructures. An average separation of nearest neighbor solar cell coated nanostructures is greater than zero and less than a vacuum wavelength of light corresponding to a band gap of absorption. The thin film solar cell may include an active region that conforms to the elongate nanostructures, a first electrode that conforms to a surface of the active region, and a second electrode. A separation of opposing outer surfaces of the first electrode extending along adjacent elongate nanostructures is greater than zero and less than the vacuum wavelength of the light corresponding to the band gap of the active region.

Abstract: A resonant tunneling device includes a first semiconductor material with an energy difference between valence and conduction bands of Eg1, and a second semiconductor material with an energy difference between valence and conduction bands of Eg2, wherein Eg1 and Eg2 are different from one another. The device further includes an energy selectively transmissive interface connecting the first and second semiconductor materials.

Abstract: A multi-junction photovoltaic structure which includes a first photovoltaic sub-cell having at least one junction, a second photovoltaic sub-cell having at least one junction and having a band gap smaller than a smallest band gap of the first photovoltaic sub-cell, and an interlayer that provides optical coupling between the first and second photovoltaic cells, wherein the interlayer has a physical thickness substantially similar or less than a vacuum wavelength of light corresponding to a smallest band gap of the second photovoltaic sub-cell.

Abstract: An InGaAsN solar cell includes an InGaAsN structure having a bandgap between 1.0 eV to 1.05 eV, and a depletion region width of at least 1.0 ?m.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a continuous wave semiconductor laser diode in the (Al,Ga,In)N materials system comprises: growing, in sequence, a first cladding region (4), a first optical guiding region (5), an active region (6), a second optical guiding region (7) and a second cladding region (8). Each of the first cladding region (4), the first optical guiding region (5), the active region (6), the second optical guiding region (7) and the second cladding region (8) is deposited by molecular beam epitaxy.

Abstract: A III-nitride compound device which has a layer of AlInN (7) having a non-zero In content, for example acting as a current blocking layer, is described. The layer of AlInN (7) has at least aperture defined therein. The layer of AlInN (7) is grown with a small lattice-mismatch with an underlying layer, for example an underlying GaN layer, thus preventing added crystal strain in the device. By using optimised growth conditions the resistivity of the AlInN is made higher than 102 ohm·cm thus preventing current flow when used as a current blocking layer in a multilayer semiconductor device with layers having smaller resistivity. As a consequence, when the AlInN layer has an opening and is placed in a laser diode device, the resistance of the device is lower resulting in a device with better performance.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor light-emitting device comprises selectively etching a semiconductor layer structure (16) fabricated in a nitride materials system and including an aluminum-containing cladding region or an aluminum-containing optical guiding region (5). The etching step forms a mesa (17), and also exposes one or more portions of the aluminum-containing cladding region or the aluminum-containing optical guiding region (5). The or each exposed portion of the aluminum-containing cladding region or the aluminum-containing optical guiding region (5) is then oxidized to form a current blocking layer (18) laterally adjacent to and extending laterally from the mesa. When an electrically conductive contact layer (11) is deposited, the current blocking layer (18) will prevent the contact layer (11) from making direct contact with the buffer layer (3).

Abstract: A method of growing a semiconductor layer structure comprises growing a first semiconductor layer and incorporating hydrogen into the first semiconductor layer. One or more further semiconductor layers are then grown over the first semiconductor layer to form a semiconductor layer structure. A selected portion of the first semiconductor layer is then annealed so as to change the electrical resistance of the selected portion of the first semiconductor layer. The electrical resistance of the one or more further semiconductor layers that have been grown over the first semiconductor layer is not significantly changed by the annealing step. The invention may be used, for example, to create a current aperture in a semiconductor layer within a semiconductor layer structure.

Abstract: A method of modifying the optical properties of a processed nitride semiconductor light-emitting device initially comprises disposing the processed nitride semiconductor light-emitting device in a vacuum chamber. One or more nitride semiconductor layers are then grown by molecular beam epitaxy thereby to modify the optical properties of the processed light-emitting device. Activated nitrogen, for example from a plasma source, is supplied to the vacuum chamber during growth of the nitride semiconductor layer(s). The use of activated nitrogen reduces the growth temperature required for the growth of the nitride semiconductor layer(s), as the need for thermal activation of a nitrogen species is eliminated. Moreover, use of a growth method such as, for example, plasma-assisted MBE to grow the nitride semiconductor layer(s) allows much more precise control of their thickness and composition.

Abstract: A method of growing a semiconductor layer structure comprises growing a first semiconductor layer and incorporating hydrogen into the first semiconductor layer. One or more further semiconductor layers are then grown over the first semiconductor layer to form a semiconductor layer structure. A selected portion of the first semiconductor layer is then annealed so as to change the electrical resistance of the selected portion of the first semiconductor layer. The electrical resistance of the one or more further semiconductor layers that have been grown over the first semiconductor layer is not significantly changed by the annealing step. The invention may be used, for example, to create a current aperture in a semiconductor layer within a semiconductor layer structure.

Abstract: A semiconductor light-emitting device and a method of manufacture thereof A method of manufacturing a semiconductor light-emitting device comprises selectively etching a semiconductor layer structure (16) fabricated in a nitride materials system and including an aluminium-containing cladding region or an aluminium-containing optical guiding region (5). The etching step forms a mesa (17), and also exposes one or more portions of the aluminium-containing cladding region or the aluminium-containing optical guiding region (5). The or each exposed portion of the aluminium-containing cladding region or the aluminium-containing optical guiding region (5) Is then oxidised to form a current blocking layer (18) laterally adjacent to and extending laterally from the mesa. When an electrically conductive contact layer (11) is deposited, the current blocking layer (18) will prevent the contact layer (11) from making direct contact with the buffer layer (3).

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor light-emitting device is provided. The method includes the step of depositing an electrically conductive material on one or more selected portions of the surface of a semiconductor wafer including a substrate and a layer structure, the layer structure having at least a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type and a second semiconductor conductivity layer of a second conductivity type different from the first conductivity type, the first layer being between the second layer and the substrate, such that the electrically conductive material forms a contact to the first semiconductor layer. The method further includes the step of dicing the wafer to form a plurality of light-emitting devices, each light-emitting device having a respective part of the electrically conductive material.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a continuous wave semiconductor laser diode in the (Al,Ga,In)N materials system comprises: growing, in sequence, a first cladding region (4), a first optical guiding region (5), an active region (6), a second optical guiding region (7) and a second cladding region (8). Each of the first cladding region (4), the first optical guiding region (5), the active region (6), the second optical guiding region (7) and the second cladding region (8) is deposited by molecular beam epitaxy.