Patents by Inventor Yoshinori Yamauchi

Yoshinori Yamauchi has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7858410
    Abstract: A surface emitting semiconductor laser which can perform laser oscillation in a single peak beam like that in a single lateral mode and a manufacturing method which can easily manufacture such a laser at a high yield are provided. When a surface emitting semiconductor laser having a post type mesa structure is formed on an n-type semiconductor substrate, a mesa portion is formed and up to a p-side electrode and an n-side electrode are formed. Thereafter, a voltage is applied across the p-side and n-side electrodes and the laser is subjected to a steam atmosphere while extracting output light, thereby forming an Al oxide layer onto a p-type AlwGa1-wAs layer as a top layer of a p-type DBR layer and forming refractive index distribution like that of a concave lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Watanabe, Hironobu Narui, Yuichi Kuromizu, Yoshinori Yamauchi, Yoshiyuki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7791085
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a semiconductor light emitting apparatus that includes: a semiconductor light emitting device having a first semiconductor laminate structure including a light emitting region, and a light outgoing window permitting the light emitted from the light emitting region to go out therethrough in the lamination direction; a light transmitting part provided in a region corresponding to the light emitting region; a metal part provided in a region, corresponding to an outer peripheral region of the light emitting region, of the first semiconductor laminate structure; and a semiconductor light detector having a second semiconductor laminate structure including a light absorbing layer for absorbing a part of the light incident from the lamination direction. In the apparatus, the semiconductor light emitting device, a layer including the light transmitting part and the metal part, and the semiconductor light detector are integrally formed in the state of being laminated in this order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Rintaro Koda, Takahiro Arakida, Yoshinori Yamauchi, Norihiko Yamaguchi, Yuji Masui
  • Publication number: 20100177799
    Abstract: A surface light emitting semiconductor laser element, comprises a substrate, a lower reflector including a semiconductor multi-layer disposed on the substrate, an active layer disposed on the lower reflector, an upper reflector including a semiconductor multi-layer disposed on the active layer, a compound semiconductor layer having a first opening for exposing the upper reflector and extending over the upper reflector, and a metal film having a second opening for exposing the upper reflector disposed inside of the first opening and extending over the compound semiconductor layer, wherein the metal film and the compound semiconductor layer constitute a complex refractive index distribution structure where a complex refractive index is changed from the center of the second opening towards the outside. A method of emitting laser light in a single-peak transverse mode is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2010
    Publication date: July 15, 2010
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshiaki WATANABE, Hironobu NARUI, Yuichi KUROMIZU, Yoshinori YAMAUCHI, Yoshiyuki TANAKA
  • Patent number: 7684453
    Abstract: A surface light emitting semiconductor laser element, comprises a substrate, a lower reflector including a semiconductor multi-layer disposed on the substrate, an active layer disposed on the lower reflector, an upper reflector including a semiconductor multi-layer disposed on the active layer, a compound semiconductor layer having a first opening for exposing the upper reflector and extending over the upper reflector, and a metal film having a second opening for exposing the upper reflector disposed inside of the first opening and extending over the compound semiconductor layer, wherein the metal film and the compound semiconductor layer constitute a complex refractive index distribution structure where a complex refractive index is changed from the center of the second opening towards the outside. A method of emitting laser light in a single-peak transverse mode is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Watanabe, Hironobu Narui, Yuichi Kuromizu, Yoshinori Yamauchi, Yoshiyuki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7675956
    Abstract: A Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser capable of being easily and inexpensively manufactured and stabilizing the polarization direction of laser light in one direction is provided. The VCSEL includes a semiconductor lamination structure including a first multilayer film reflector, an active layer having a light emitting region, and a second multilayer film reflectors, in this order over a substrate from the substrate side. The semiconductor lamination structure has a pair of grooves provided with a region opposed to the light emitting region in between, and one or a plurality of first oxidation layers including a first non-oxidation region provided at least in a region opposed to the light emitting region and a first oxidation region provided on each side face of the pair of grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Maeda, Masaki Shiozaki, Norihiko Yamaguchi, Yoshinori Yamauchi, Takahiro Arakida
  • Publication number: 20090285253
    Abstract: A semiconductor light emitting device includes a first-conductivity-type first multilayer film reflecting mirror, and a second-conductivity-type second multilayer film reflecting mirror; a cavity layer; and a first conductive section, a second conductive section, and a third conductive section. The cavity layer has a stacked configuration including a first-conductivity-type or undoped first cladding layer, an undoped first active layer, a second-conductivity-type or undoped second cladding layer, a second-conductivity-type first contact layer, a first-conductivity-type second contact layer, a first-conductivity-type or undoped third cladding layer, an undoped second active layer, and a second-conductivity-type or undoped fourth cladding layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2009
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yuji Masui, Takahiro Arakida, Yoshinori Yamauchi, Rintaro Koda, Tomoyuki Oki, Naoki Jogan
  • Publication number: 20090194837
    Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor light receiving element capable of reducing capacity while minimizing increase in travel time of carriers. The semiconductor light receiving element includes a semiconductor stacked structure including a first conductivity type layer, a light absorbing layer, and a second conductivity type layer having a light incidence plane in order. The semiconductor light receiving element has an oxidation layer including a non-oxidation region and an oxidation region in a stacking in-plane direction in the light absorbing layer or between the first conductivity type layer and the light absorbing layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2009
    Publication date: August 6, 2009
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshinori Yamauchi, Takahiro Arakida, Rintaro Koda, Norihiko Yamaguchi, Yuji Masui, Tomoyuki Oki
  • Publication number: 20090137076
    Abstract: A surface emitting semiconductor laser which can perform laser oscillation in a single peak beam like that in a single lateral mode and a manufacturing method which can easily manufacture such a laser at a high yield are provided. When a surface emitting semiconductor laser having a post type mesa structure is formed on an n-type semiconductor substrate, a mesa portion is formed and up to a p-side electrode and an n-side electrode are formed. Thereafter, a voltage is applied across the p-side and n-side electrodes and the laser is subjected to a steam atmosphere while extracting output light, thereby forming an Al oxide layer onto a p-type AlwGa1-wAs layer as a top layer of a p-type DBR layer and forming refractive index distribution like that of a concave lens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2008
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Watanabe, Hironobu Narui, Yuichi Kuromizu, Yoshinori Yamauchi, Yoshiyuki Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20090129417
    Abstract: A surface-emitting laser diode capable of being manufactured easily at low cost, and capable of stabilizing the polarization direction of laser light in one direction and achieving higher output is provided. A light emission section 20 in which a lower first DBR mirror layer 12, a lower second DBR mirror layer 13, a lower spacer layer 14, an active layer 15 including a light emission region 15A, an upper spacer layer 16, a current confinement layer 17, an upper DBR mirror layer 18 and a contact layer 19 are laminated in this order is included on a substrate 10. The lower first DBR mirror layer 12 includes an oxidation section 30 nonuniformly distributed in a direction rotating around the light emission region 15A in a periphery of a region corresponding to the light emission region 15A. The oxidation section 30 includes a pair of multilayer films 31 and 32, and is formed by oxidizing a low refractive index layer 12A.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2007
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Maeda, Masaki Shiozaki, Norihiko Yamaguchi, Yoshinori Yamauchi
  • Publication number: 20090098675
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor light-emitting device includes steps of forming a vertical cavity structure including a layer to be oxidized on a semiconductor substrate, and then forming a circular groove having a depth which penetrates at least the layer to be oxidized from an upper surface of the vertical cavity structure, thereby forming a columnar mesa whose side face is surrounded by the groove, oxidizing the layer to be oxidized from the side face of the mesa, thereby forming a current confinement layer, and forming a mask layer covering at least a central region of the upper surface of the mesa and exposing at least an edge of the upper surface and the side face of the mesa to an external, and then etching at least the edge of the upper surface and the side face of the mesa by using the mask layer as a mask.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2008
    Publication date: April 16, 2009
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yuji Masui, Takahiro Arakida, Yoshinori Yamauchi, Rintaro Koda, Tomoyuki Oki
  • Patent number: 7515623
    Abstract: A surface emitting semiconductor laser which can perform laser oscillation in a single peak beam like that in a single lateral mode and a manufacturing method which can easily manufacture such a laser at a high yield are provided. When a surface emitting semiconductor laser having a post type mesa structure is formed on an n-type semiconductor substrate, a mesa portion is formed and up to a p-side electrode and an n-side electrode are formed. Thereafter, a voltage is applied across the p-side and n-side electrodes and the laser is subjected to a steam atmosphere while extracting output light, thereby forming an Al oxide layer onto a p-type AlwGa1-wAs layer as a top layer of a p-type DBR layer and forming refractive index distribution like that of a concave lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Watanabe, Hironobu Narui, Yuichi Kuromizu, Yoshinori Yamauchi, Yoshiyuki Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20090032908
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device capable of largely increasing the yield and a semiconductor device manufactured by using the method is provided. After a semiconductor layer is formed on a substrate, as one group, a plurality of functional portions with at least one parameter value different from each other is formed in the semiconductor layer for every unit chip area. Then, a subject that is changed depending on the parameter value is measured and evaluated and after that, the substrate is divided for every chip area so that a functional portion corresponding with a given criterion as a result of the evaluation is not broken. Thereby, at least one functional portion corresponding with a given criterion can be formed by every chip area by appropriately adjusting each parameter value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2007
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yuji Masui, Takahiro Arakida, Yoshinori Yamauchi, Kayoko Kikuchi, Rintaro Koda, Norihiko Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20080279241
    Abstract: A light-emitting element includes a mesa structure in which a first compound semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, an active layer, and a second compound semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type are disposed in that order, wherein at least one of the first compound semiconductor layer and the second compound semiconductor layer has a current constriction region surrounded by an insulation region extending inward from a sidewall portion of the mesa structure; a wall structure disposed so as to surround the mesa structure; at least one bridge structure connecting the mesa structure and the wall structure, the wall structure and the bridge structure each having the same layer structure as the portion of the mesa structure in which the insulation region is provided; a first electrode; and a second electrode disposed on a top face of the wall structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2008
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Oki, Yuji Masui, Yoshinori Yamauchi, Rintaro Koda, Takahiro Arakida
  • Patent number: 7438872
    Abstract: A steam oxidation apparatus is provided which is capable of ensuring a desirable controllability and reproducibility of the steam oxidation of an object-to-be-oxidized housed in the reactor, by suppressing condensation of the steam in the steam-accompanied inert gas supplied to the reactor. The steam oxidation apparatus 78 is an apparatus used for forming the current confinement structure into the surface-emitting laser element by subjecting the high-Al-content layer to steam oxidation, and is equipped with a reactor 42 for the steam oxidation, a steam-accompanied inert gas system for supplying a steam-accompanied inert gas to the reactor 42, an inert gas system for supplying an inert gas to the reactor 42, a reactor bypass pipe 52 for allowing the steam-accompanied inert gas system and inert gas system to bypass the reactor, and an exhaust system for discharging exhaust gas from the reactor 42.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Tanaka, Hironobu Narui, Yoshinori Yamauchi, Yoshiaki Watanabe, Sadao Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20080240194
    Abstract: A VSCEL capable of being easily and inexpensively manufactured and of stabilizing the polarization direction of laser light in one direction is provided. The Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser includes a semiconductor lamination structure including a first multilayer film reflector, an active layer having a light emitting region, and a second multilayer film reflector in this order over a substrate from the substrate side. The semiconductor lamination structure has a pair of grooves provided with a region opposed to the light emitting region in between, and one or a plurality of first oxidation layers including a first non-oxidation region provided at least in a region opposed to the light emitting region and a first oxidation region provided on each side face of the pair of grooves.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2008
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Maeda, Masaki Shiozaki, Norihiko Yamaguchi, Yoshinori Yamauchi, Takahiro Arakida
  • Patent number: 7423294
    Abstract: A semiconductor light-emitting device includes: a semiconductor light-emitting element including a first conductive type semiconductor layer, an active layer including a light-emitting region, and a second conductive type semiconductor layer in this order; a filter having a transmission characteristic in which the transmittance in a direction parallel to the optical axis of induced emission light of light outputted from the semiconductor light-emitting element is higher than the transmittance in a direction different from the optical axis; and a semiconductor photodetector including a light-absorbing layer, the light-absorbing layer absorbing a part of light passing through the filter, wherein the filter and the semiconductor photodetector are laminated in this order on the second conductive type semiconductor layer of the semiconductor light-emitting element, and are formed with the semiconductor light-emitting element as one unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Rintaro Koda, Takahiro Arakida, Yoshinori Yamauchi, Yuji Masui, Norihiko Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 7388893
    Abstract: A plurality of vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser devices each having a different lasing wavelength are arrayed by a simple structure and a manufacturing process without increasing device resistance. Each vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser device comprises a layered structure including an active layer and a current confinement layer. The area of current confinement portion in the laminate structures is set corresponding to a wavelength of laser light emitted from each vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser device. Thereby, the plurality of vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser devices emits laser light with different lasing wavelengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Watanabe, Hironobu Narui, Yoshinori Yamauchi, Yuichi Kuromizu, Yoshiyuki Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20080117947
    Abstract: The present invention provides a laser diode realizing improved light detection precision. The laser diode includes a stack structure in which a first semiconductor layer of a first conduction type, an active layer, and a second semiconductor layer of a second conduction type are included in this order; a photodetection layer; and a plurality of light absorption layers provided on the corresponding position of antinodes or nodes of standing waves of light output from the active layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Publication date: May 22, 2008
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yuji Masui, Takahiro Arakida, Yoshinori Yamauchi, Norihiko Yamaguchi, Rintaro Koda, Tamoyuki Oki
  • Publication number: 20070278475
    Abstract: A semiconductor light-emitting device includes: a semiconductor light-emitting element including a first conductive type semiconductor layer, an active layer including a light-emitting region, and a second conductive type semiconductor layer in this order; a filter having a transmission characteristic in which the transmittance in a direction parallel to the optical axis of induced emission light of light outputted from the semiconductor light-emitting element is higher than the transmittance in a direction different from the optical axis; and a semiconductor photodetector including a light-absorbing layer, the light-absorbing layer absorbing a part of light passing through the filter, wherein the filter and the semiconductor photodetector are laminated in this order on the second conductive type semiconductor layer of the semiconductor light-emitting element, and are formed with the semiconductor light-emitting element as one unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2007
    Publication date: December 6, 2007
    Inventors: Rintaro Koda, Takahiro Arakida, Yoshinori Yamauchi, Yuji Masui, Norihiko Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20070120133
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a semiconductor light emitting apparatus that includes: a semiconductor light emitting device having a first semiconductor laminate structure including a light emitting region, and a light outgoing window permitting the light emitted from the light emitting region to go out therethrough in the lamination direction; a light transmitting part provided in a region corresponding to the light emitting region; a metal part provided in a region, corresponding to an outer peripheral region of the light emitting region, of the first semiconductor laminate structure; and a semiconductor light detector having a second semiconductor laminate structure including a light absorbing layer for absorbing a part of the light incident from the lamination direction. In the apparatus, the semiconductor light emitting device, a layer including the light transmitting part and the metal part, and the semiconductor light detector are integrally formed in the state of being laminated in this order.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2006
    Publication date: May 31, 2007
    Inventors: Rintaro Koda, Takahiro Arakida, Yoshinori Yamauchi, Norihiko Yamaguchi, Yuji Masui