Abstract: A method including: providing a transistor structure that includes a base region of first semiconductor type between semiconductor emitter and collector regions of second semiconductor type; providing, in the base region, at least one region exhibiting quantum size effects; providing emitter, base, and collector electrodes respectively coupled with emitter, base, and collector regions; applying electrical signals, including a high frequency electrical signal component, with respect to the emitter, base, and collector electrodes to produce output spontaneous light emission from the base region, aided by the quantum size region, the output spontaneous light emission including a high frequency optical signal component representative of the high frequency electrical signal component; providing an optical cavity for the light emission in the region between the base and emitter electrodes; and scaling the lateral dimensions of the optical cavity to control the speed of light emission response to the high frequency

Abstract: A method for producing an optical output in substantially linear relationship with an input electrical AC signal, including the following steps: providing a light-emitting transistor having emitter, base, and collector regions, the light-emitting transistor producing light emission from its base region in response to electrical signals applied with respect to the emitter, base, and collector regions; applying a signal derived from the input signal to the light-emitting transistor; deriving a feedback signal from an electrical operating signal of the light-emitting transistor; applying a predistortion factor to the derived feedback signal to produce a predistorted feedback signal; and combining the predistorted feedback signal with the input signal to produce the signal derived from thr input signal; whereby the light emission comprises an optical output in substantially linear relationship with the input signal.

Abstract: A method for producing a high frequency optical signal component representative of a high frequency electrical input signal component, includes the following steps: providing a semiconductor transistor structure that includes a base region of a first semiconductor type between semiconductor emitter and collector regions of a second semiconductor type; providing, in the base region, at least one region exhibiting quantum size effects; providing emitter, base, and collector electrodes respectively coupled with the emitter, base, and collector regions; applying electrical signals, including the high frequency electrical signal component, with respect to the emitter, base, and collector electrodes to produce output spontaneous light emission from the base region, aided by the quantum size region, the output spontaneous light emission including the high frequency optical signal component representative of the high frequency electrical signal component; providing an optical cavity for the light emission in the regi

Abstract: A two terminal semiconductor device for producing light emission in response to electrical signals, includes: a terminal-less semiconductor base region disposed between a semiconductor emitter region and a semiconductor collector region having a tunnel junction adjacent the base region; the base region having a region therein exhibiting quantum size effects; an emitter terminal and a collector terminal respectively coupled with the emitter region and the collector region; whereby application of the electrical signals with respect to the emitter and collector terminals, causes light emission from the base region. Application of the electrical signals is operative to reverse bias the tunnel junction. Holes generated at the tunnel junction recombine in the base region with electrons flowing into the base region, resulting in the light emission. The region exhibiting quantum size effects is operative to aid recombination.

Abstract: A field-effect transistor device, including: a semiconductor heterostructure comprising, in a vertically stacked configuration, a semiconductor gate layer between semiconductor source and drain layers, the layers being separated by heterosteps; the gate layer having a thickness of less than about 100 Angstroms; and source, gate, and drain electrodes respectively coupled with said source, gate, and drain layers. Separation of the gate by heterosteps, rather than an oxide layer, has very substantial advantages.

Abstract: A method for implementing an electro-optical logic function responsive to first and second logical inputs, includes the following steps: providing, as an output stage, a light-emitting transistor having an electrical input port and an optical output port; and providing, as an input stage, a circuit for receiving the first and second logical inputs and producing a control signal that is coupled with the electrical input port of the output stage.

Abstract: A method for producing wide bandwidth laser emission responsive to high frequency electrical input signals, including the following steps: providing a heterojunction bipolar transistor device having collector, base, and emitter regions; providing at least one quantum size region in the base region, and enclosing at least a portion of the base region in an optical resonant cavity; coupling electrical signals, including the high frequency electrical input signals, with respect to the collector, base and emitter region, to cause laser emission from the transistor device; and reducing the operating beta of the transistor laser device to enhance the optical bandwidth of the laser emission in response to the high frequency electrical signals.

Abstract: A method for increasing the speed of a bipolar transistor, includes the following steps: providing a bipolar transistor having emitter, base, and collector regions; providing electrodes for coupling electrical signals with the emitter, base, and collector regions; and adapting the base region to enhance stimulated emission to the detriment of spontaneous emission, so as to reduce carrier recombination lifetime in the base region.

Abstract: A two terminal semiconductor device for producing light emission in response to electrical signals, includes: a terminal-less semiconductor base region disposed between a semiconductor emitter region and a semiconductor collector region having a tunnel junction adjacent the base region; the base region having a region therein exhibiting quantum size effects; an emitter terminal and a collector terminal respectively coupled with the emitter region and the collector region; whereby application of the electrical signals with respect to the emitter and collector terminals, causes light emission from the base region. Application of the electrical signals is operative to reverse bias the tunnel junction. Holes generated at the tunnel junction recombine in the base region with electrons flowing into the base region, resulting in the light emission. The region exhibiting quantum size effects is operative to aid recombination.

Abstract: A two terminal semiconductor device for producing light emission in response to electrical signals, includes: a terminal-less semiconductor base region disposed between a semiconductor emitter region and a semiconductor collector region having a tunnel junction adjacent the base region; the base region having a region therein exhibiting quantum size effects; an emitter terminal and a collector terminal respectively coupled with the emitter region and the collector region; whereby application of the electrical signals with respect to the emitter and collector terminals, causes light emission from the base region. Application of the electrical signals is operative to reverse bias the tunnel junction. Holes generated at the tunnel junction recombine in the base region with electrons flowing into the base region, resulting in the light emission. The region exhibiting quantum size effects is operative to aid recombination.

Abstract: A semiconductor light-emitting transistor device, including: a bipolar pnp transistor structure having a p-type collector, an n-type base, and a p-type emitter; a first tunnel junction coupled with the collector, and a second tunnel junction coupled with the emitter; and a collector contact coupled with the first tunnel junction, an emitter contact coupled with the second tunnel junction, and a base contact coupled with the base; whereby, signals applied with respect to the collector, base, and emitter contacts causes light emission from the base by radiative recombination in the base.

Abstract: A method for producing an optical output in substantially linear relationship with an electrical AC signal, includes the following steps: providing a light-emitting transistor having emitter, base, and collector regions, and associated respective emitter, base, and collector terminals, the transistor having a light-emitting output port; applying the AC signal to a first input port defined across a given one of the terminals and a common one of the terminals; applying an amplified version of the AC signal to a second input port defined across a further one of the terminals and the common one of the input terminals; and selecting an amplification of the amplified version of the AC signal to substantially cancel a nonlinearity characteristic of the light emitting transistor.

Abstract: A method for producing an optical output in substantially linear relationship with an input electrical AC signal, including the following steps: providing a light-emitting transistor having emitter, base, and collector regions, the light-emitting transistor producing light emission from its base region in response to electrical signals applied with respect to the emitter, base, and collector regions; applying a signal derived from the input signal to the light-emitting transistor; deriving a feedback signal from an electrical operating signal of the light-emitting transistor; applying a predistortion factor to the derived feedback signal to produce a predistorted feedback signal; and combining the predistorted feedback signal with the input signal to produce the signal derived from thr input signal; whereby the light emission comprises an optical output in substantially linear relationship with the input signal.

Abstract: A method for producing light emission from a two terminal semiconductor device with improved efficiency, includes the following steps: providing a layered semiconductor structure including a semiconductor drain region comprising at least one drain layer, a semiconductor base region disposed on the drain region and including at least one base layer, and a semiconductor emitter region disposed on a portion of the base region and comprising an emitter mesa that includes at least one emitter layer; providing, in the base region, at least one region exhibiting quantum size effects; providing a base/drain electrode having a first portion on an exposed surface of the base region and a further portion coupled with the drain region, and providing an emitter electrode on the surface of the emitter region; applying signals with respect to the base/drain and emitter electrodes to obtain light emission from the base region; and configuring the base/drain and emitter electrodes for substantial uniformity of voltage distrib

Abstract: A method for producing a high frequency optical signal component representative of a high frequency electrical input signal component, includes the following steps: providing a semiconductor transistor structure that includes a base region of a first semiconductor type between semiconductor emitter and collector regions of a second semiconductor type; providing, in the base region, at least one region exhibiting quantum size effects; providing emitter, base, and collector electrodes respectively coupled with the emitter, base, and collector regions; applying electrical signals, including the high frequency electrical signal component, with respect to the emitter, base, and collector electrodes to produce output spontaneous light emission from the base region, aided by the quantum size region, the output spontaneous light emission including the high frequency optical signal component representative of the high frequency electrical signal component; providing an optical cavity for the light emission in the regi

Abstract: A method for producing light emission from a semiconductor device includes the following steps: providing a semiconductor base region disposed between a semiconductor emitter region and a semiconductor collector region that forms a tunnel junction adjacent the base region; providing, in the base region, a region exhibiting quantum size effects; providing an emitter terminal, a base terminal, and a collector terminal respectively coupled with the emitter region, the base region, and the collector region; and applying electrical signals with respect to the emitter terminal, the base terminal and the collector terminal to produce light emission from the base region.

Abstract: A semiconductor light emitting device, including: a heterojunction bipolar light-emitting transistor having a base region between emitter and collector regions; emitter, base, and collector electrodes for coupling electrical signals with the emitter, base, and collector regions, respectively; and a quantum size region in the base region; the base region including a first base sub-region on the emitter side of the quantum size region, and a second base sub-region on the collector side of the quantum size region; and the first and second base sub-regions having asymmetrical band structures.

Abstract: A method for producing light emission from a semiconductor structure, including the following steps: providing a semiconductor structure that includes a first semiconductor junction between an emitter region of a first conductivity type and a base region of a second conductivity type opposite to that of the first conductivity type, and a second semiconductor junction between the base region and a drain region; providing, within the base region, a region exhibiting quantum size effects; providing an emitter electrode coupled with the emitter region; providing a base/drain electrode coupled with the base region and the drain region; and applying signals with respect to the emitter and base/drain electrodes to obtain light emission from the semiconductor structure.

Abstract: A method for controlling operation of a transistor includes the following steps: providing a bipolar transistor having emitter, base and collector regions; applying electrical signals to the transistor to produce light emission from the transistor; effecting photon-assisted tunneling of carriers in the transistor with self-generated photons of the light emission, and controlling operation of the transistor by controlling the photon-assisted tunneling.

Abstract: A method for producing wide bandwidth laser emission responsive to high frequency electrical input signals, including the following steps: providing a heterojunction bipolar transistor device having collector, base, and emitter regions; providing at least one quantum size region in the base region, and enclosing at least a portion of the base region in an optical resonant cavity; coupling electrical signals, including the high frequency electrical input signals, with respect to the collector, base and emitter region, to cause laser emission from the transistor device; and reducing the operating beta of the transistor laser device to enhance the optical bandwidth of the laser emission in response to the high frequency electrical signals.