Abstract: There is described a method of manufacturing a semiconductor heterostructure. The method generally has: depositing an epitaxial layer of a first material atop a crystalline substrate, the crystalline substrate having a porous layer of a second material, the porous layer having a pore density above a pore density threshold, the second material different from the first material, heating the semiconductor heterostructure above a temperature threshold, said depositing and said heating diffusing atoms of the first material across the crystalline substrate and into the porous layer, the atoms of the first material at least partially filling voids of the porous layer thereby relieving strain existing between the first material of the epitaxial layer and the second material of the porous layer.

Abstract: An anode for batteries having a columnar nanostructured porous germanium for its active material. This nanostructured porous germanium can be produced with the novel etching method disclosed herein. Such anode can be easily mass-produced with the presented method that requires pre-existing, affordable and easy to integrate equipment. In some embodiments, the produced columnar porous germanium can be directly used as a monolithic anode after its etching nanostructuration for on-chip anodes for example, where the anisotropic nanostructured germanium acts as the active material and where the remaining bulk germanium layer act as the current collector. This can be easily implemented in lithium batteries. The cycle life of such anodes could be extended by a factor of 26 and 1.8 for high rate and high energy applications, respectively.

Abstract: There is described a method of manufacturing an optoelectronic device. The method generally has: etching a wafer of monocrystalline germanium, said etching forming a given density of pores contained within said monocrystalline germanium, with at least some of said pores being exposed at a surface of said wafer; depositing a substrate layer of a given crystalline material onto said surface, said substrate layer closing exposed ones of said pores; heating said wafer and said substrate layer, said heating transforming said pores into cavity-interspersed pillars interconnected to one another within said wafer; making a semiconductor component integral to said substrate layer, including collectively forming said optoelectronic device; and breaking said cavity-interspersed pillars of said wafer thereby freeing said optoelectronic device from a remaining wafer portion of said wafer.

Abstract: An anode for batteries having a columnar nanostructured porous germanium for its active material. This nanostructured porous germanium can be produced with the novel etching method disclosed herein. Such anode can be easily mass-produced with the presented method that requires pre-existing, affordable and easy to integrate equipment. In some embodiments, the produced columnar porous germanium can be directly used as a monolithic anode after its etching nanostructuration for on-chip anodes for example, where the anisotropic nanostructured germanium acts as the active material and where the remaining bulk germanium layer act as the current collector. This can be easily implemented in lithium batteries. The cycle life of such anodes could be extended by a factor of 26 and 1.8 for high rate and high energy applications, respectively.

Abstract: There is described a method of manufacturing a substrate for an optoelectronic device. The method has the steps of: supporting a first layer of a first crystalline material on a second layer of a second crystalline material different from said first crystalline material thereby exposing crystalline defects at a surface of said first layer; etching said first layer using first etching conditions, at least some of said crystalline defects expanding into pores running from said surface of the first layer towards said second layer; and heating said first and second layers up to a first temperature for a first period of time within a given environment, said heating transforming said pores into nanovoids attracting at least some of said crystalline defects away from said surface. In some embodiments, the method has a step of reheating the layers or a step of forming a pore containing region within the first layer.

Abstract: An anode for batteries having a columnar nanostructured porous germanium for its active material. This nanostructured porous germanium can be produced with the novel etching method disclosed herein. Such anode can be easily mass-produced with the presented method that requires pre-existing, affordable and easy to integrate equipment. In some embodiments, the produced columnar porous germanium can be directly used as a monolithic anode after its etching nanostructuration for on-chip anodes for example, where the anisotropic nanostructured germanium acts as the active material and where the remaining bulk germanium layer act as the current collector. This can be easily implemented in lithium batteries. The cycle life of such anodes could be extended by a factor of 26 and 1.8 for high rate and high energy applications, respectively.

Abstract: An optocoupler, an optical interconnect and method of manufacture providing same are provided for coupling an optical signal between a high refractive index waveguide of an integrated circuit and a waveguide external to the integrated circuit. The optocoupler includes a thinned high refractive index waveguide having a thickness configured to exhibit an effective refractive index substantially matching a refractive index of the external waveguide.

Abstract: An optocoupler, an optical interconnect and method of manufacture providing same are provided for coupling an optical signal between a high refractive index waveguide of an integrated circuit and a waveguide external to the integrated circuit. The optocoupler includes a thinned high refractive index waveguide having a thickness configured to exhibit an effective refractive index substantially matching a refractive index of the external waveguide.

Abstract: An epitaxial deposition apparatus comprises a deposition chamber with at least one gas injector having a gas injection surface and a substrate support having a deposition surface; and at least one vacuum pump having a gas aperture in fluid communication with the deposition chamber and facing the gas injection surface of the at least one gas injector, the substrate support being inter-posed between the at least one gas injector and the gas aperture of the at least one vacuum pump. The invention also relates to an epitaxial deposition gas injector and a nozzle for an epitaxial deposition gas injector. Furthermore, the invention relates to a gas supply and handling system for an epitaxial deposition apparatus.