Abstract: A known method of manufacturing, for example, lasers comprises the deposition, on a substrate (1), of semiconductor layers from a gas (3) which includes at least two reactive components, such as TMG and arsine to form GaAs. The substrates (1) are arranged, within a reactor (10), on a supporting plate (2), heated and, preferably, rotated about their own center and the center of the supporting plate (2). Arsine (4) is supplied centrally above the supporting plate (2), and TMG (5) is supplied directly around said arsine, but separated therefrom, said TMG terminating at a larger distance from the supporting plate (2). These gases (4, 5) then flow sideways across the supporting plate (2) covered with substrates (1) and are discharged at the side thereof. Such a method results in a good homogeneity of the properties of the deposited semiconductor layer, which is crucial to many semiconductor devices.

Abstract: A radiation-emitting semiconductor diode of a buried hetero type having an active layer situated between two InP cladding layers with a confinement layer of limited Al content disposed between the active layer and one or both of the InP cladding layers. The active region has an emission wavelength above 1 .mu.m and forms part, together with the separate confinement layer and the InP cladding layers, of a strip-shaped region which is surrounded by a current-blocking third cladding layer of InP. The separate confinement layer(s) of the inventive diode includes a semiconductor material with a most 30% aluminum, and preferably at most 20% aluminum, or an aluminum-free semiconductor material. The diode has reduced starting current increases over time so as to increase the life of the diode. A method of manufacturing such a diode is also provided.

Abstract: A semiconductor diode laser (1) with a monitor diode (2) includes a semiconductor body with a substrate (4) and a superimposed layer structure (5) having an active layer (6) and a pn junction (7) with which radiation (24) can be generated. The monitor diode (2) is separated from the diode laser by a groove (10) which extends into the substrate (4) and of which one of the walls forms an end face of the laser. The groove (10) and the monitor diode (2) are present at the side where the main radiation beam (24) emerges, while the active layer (6) extends over at most only a small portion, preferably at most 20%, of the length of the monitor diode (2). The length in the monitor diode over which absorption takes place is preferably smaller than the absorption length for the emitted laser radiation.

Abstract: A tunable semiconductor diode laser with distributed reflection (DBR semiconductor laser) having a wide wavelength range is a suitable transmitter or local oscillator in a receiver in heterodyne and coherent optical glass fiber communication systems. Such a diode includes, in addition to the Bragg section in which the Bragg reflection takes place, an active section in which the radiation-emitting active region is present. When such a semiconductor diode laser is further provided with a so-called phase section, tuning is possible over a large wavelength range within one oscillation mode. A laser which is continuously tunable over the whole wavelength range is obtained by provided a mechanism by which the intensity of radiation which is reflected at the junction between the active section and the phase section is made low with respect to the intensity of the radiation which returns from the phase section to the active section.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser of the double hetero-junction type has a current-limiting buried blocking layer with a second active layer and an additional passive layer provided above the first layer. As a result, the threshold current required for laser operation is less strongly dependent upon temperature. At the same time, the radiation intensity versus current strength characteristic of the laser above the threshold current is substantially straight, without the presence of "kinks".

Abstract: An electroluminescent semiconductor device such as a semiconductor laser has epitaxial monocrystalline layers (3 to 6), including an active layer (4), grown on a substrate (2). The epitaxial layers are etched in the presence of an etching mask (8) to form nonplanar mirror surfaces (9) which in the longitudinal direction bound active regions (10). To form flat and parallel mirrors (12) an epitaxial monocrystalline protective layer (11) is grown from the gaseous phase on the mirror surfaces after etching. The etching can be carried out in two stages using different etchants. With the first etchant the etched layers taken on a swallow-tail profile and then with the second etchant they take on a concave profile.

Abstract: A semiconductor injection laser includes two contact regions on two oppositely-located major surfaces of the semiconductor body. One of these contact regions is divided into two sub-contact regions which are separated by a gap, and the active zone of the laser can be moved in a direction transverse to that of the laser beam by controlling the current distribution between the two sub-contact regions in order to move the laser beam.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a device in which a surface of a body is provided with a gold layer masking against a proton bombardment, in which the gold pattern is formed by means of a photoetching process, the gold pattern is removed after the subsequent proton bombardment of the body. The masking gold layer is obtained by providing on the body a quantity of gold simultaneously with a quantity of an addition which is small as compared with the quantity of gold.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device for generating laser beams is disclosed in which the mirror faces of the device are subjected to an oxidation treatment which includes an electrolytic oxidation step.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a body having a gold pattern in which an etchant-resistant and electrically insulating masking layer is provided locally on the surface of a gold layer present on the body and parts of the surface of the gold layer not covered by the masking layer are subjected to a chemical etching treatment in an etching bath in which the gold pattern is formed. According to the invention, the gold layer during the chemical etching treatment is given a potential with respect to an electrode in the etching bath and this potential is adjusted to a value such that the etch rate is maintained at a rate no higher than the rate of the chemical etching treatment.

Abstract: A semiconductor device having a p-n junction for emitting incoherent radiation. According to the invention, one or several diodes are obtained in the same semiconductor body and starting from a substrate having a diffused or epitaxial layer of opposite conductivity types, by dividing the layer into one or more active regions by one or more grooves and bounding said islands by a cleavage plane at right angles to the p-n junction. Of the grooves, at least a part extends substantially parallel to the second surface. The body and preferably also the grooves are covered with an insulating layer in which a contact window is provided on the active regions and an electrode layer is provided over substantially the whole surface. As a result, small diodes having a large surface brightness are obtained on a body of handleable dimensions having a flat surface with a comparatively low current consumption.