Abstract: An imaging sensor for imaging scenes based on both shortwave infrared and midwave infrared radiation is disclosed. The imaging sensor comprises pixels that include a photodiode that is selectively sensitive to shortwave infrared radiation based upon its bias voltage.

Abstract: A photodiode array includes a p-side electrode provided on each p-type region formed by selective diffusion and an n-side electrode connected to a non-growth part of an InP substrate and extends to the top surface side of an epitaxial multilayer. A wall surface of an edge at the non-growth part side of the epitaxial multilayer is a smooth surface. A lattice defect density in a portion of the edge of the epitaxial multilayer is higher than a lattice defect density in the inside of the epitaxial multilayer. Furthermore, the non-growth part of the InP substrate to which the n-side electrode is connected has a flat surface continuous from the inside of the InP substrate.

Abstract: A composite material is described. The composite material comprises semiconductor nanocrystals, and organic molecules that passivate the surfaces of the semiconductor nanocrystals. One or more properties of the organic molecules facilitate the transfer of charge between the semiconductor nanocrystals. A semiconductor material is described that comprises p-type semiconductor material including semiconductor nanocrystals. At least one property of the semiconductor material results in a mobility of electrons in the semiconductor material being greater than or equal to a mobility of holes. A semiconductor material is described that comprises n-type semiconductor material including semiconductor nanocrystals. At least one property of the semiconductor material results in a mobility of holes in the semiconductor material being greater than or equal to a mobility of electrons.

Abstract: An infrared photodetector including a layer structure of an intermediate layer, and a quantum dot layer having a narrower band gap than the intermediate layer and including a plurality of quantum dots alternately stacked, and detecting photocurrent generated when infrared radiation is applied to the layer structure to thereby detect the infrared radiation, the infrared photodetector further including a first barrier layer provided on one side of the quantum dot layer and having a larger band gap than the intermediate layer; and a second barrier layer provided on the other side of the quantum dot layer and having a larger band gap than the intermediate layer.

Abstract: A quantum dot infrared photodetector includes a quantum dot structure including intermediate layers, and a quantum dot layer sandwiched between the intermediate layers and including quantum dots whose energy potential is low for carriers, the intermediate layers and the quantum dots being formed of a III-V compound semiconductor with the V element being As, and an AlAs layer being provided on one of the interfaces between the intermediate layers and the quantum dot layer including the quantum dots and covering at least the quantum dots.

Abstract: According to various embodiments, a photodetector including a first contact layer, a second contact layer, an active region, and a photonic crystal resonant cavity is disclosed. The photonic crystal resonant cavity can operate as a resonant structure to enhance the response of the photodetector at one or more wavelengths. In various embodiments, the photodetectors including a photonic crystal resonant cavity can, for example, demonstrate increased responsivity and quantum efficiency, lower the operating temperature, and/or be used to form a hyperspectral detector.

Abstract: An electro-optical device can include a plurality of nanocrystals positioned between a first electrode and a second electrode.

Abstract: A nanowire according to the present invention includes: a nanowire body made of a first material; and a plurality of semiconductor particle made of a second material and being contained in at least a portion of the interior of the nanowire body.

Abstract: An infrared detector having a hole barrier region adjacent to one side of an absorber region, an electron barrier region adjacent to the other side of the absorber region, and a semiconductor adjacent to the electron barrier.

Abstract: The subject invention comprises the realization of a superlattice photodiode with polyimide surface passivation. Effective surface passivation of type-II InAs/GaSb superlattice photodiodes with cutoff wavelengths in the long-wavelength infrared is presented. A stable passivation layer, the electrical properties of which do not change as a function of the ambient environment, nor time, can be realized by a solvent-based surface preparation, vacuum desorption, and the application of an insulating polyimide layer.

Abstract: A dual band imager includes a radiation absorbing layer for absorbing light of a first wavelength coupled to a readout circuit (ROIC), and at least one radiation detector for detecting light of a second wavelength coupled to the ROIC via a corresponding opening extending through the radiation absorbing layer.

Abstract: The field of the invention is that of photodetectors (10), and more precisely so-called quantum well photodetectors operating in the medium infrared, known by the acronym QWIP standing for Quantum Well Infrared Photodetector. It is an object of the invention to increase the detectivity of the detectors by significantly reducing the surface area of the detection zone while conserving the incident flux. This result is obtained by arranging a structure (4) or grating on the active zone (31) of the photodetector (10), which couples the incident wave and confines it on the active zone (31). The major features of this structure (4) or this grating are that it comprises patterns or grooves having a first spatial frequency and a second spatial frequency, and also comprising a central defect.

Abstract: This semiconductor photodetector consists of a diode with at least two heterojunctions comprising two external layers, a first layer with a given kind or type of doping and a second layer with a kind or type of doping opposite to that of the first layer, the bandgap width of these two layers being determined as a function of the energy and hence the wavelength or wavelength band that they are each intended to detect, these two layers being separated from each other by an intermediate layer having the same kind or type of doping as one of said first and second layers, said diode being subjected to a bias voltage of adjustable value between the two external layers. The bandgap width of the intermediate layer is greater than that of the layer that has the same type of doping as layer.

Abstract: An n-type Group III nitride semiconductor stacked layer structure including a first n-type layer which includes a layer containing n-type impurity atoms at a high concentration and a layer containing n-type impurity atoms at a low concentration, a second n-type layer containing n-type impurity atoms at an average concentration smaller than that of the first n-type layer, the second n-type layer neighboring the layer containing n-type impurity atoms at a low concentration in the first n-type layer.

Abstract: A photovoltaic wire is presented where the active layers coat a metallic wire, preferably aluminum. The active layers are an array of doped silicon nanowires electrically attached to the metallic wire that extend from the surface of the wire into a layer of semiconducting polymer, preferably polyaniline. The surface of the polymer is coated with a transparent conductor to complete the photovoltaic circuit.

Abstract: Nano-particles are provided with control circuitry to form a programmable mask. The optical characteristics of the nano-particles change to provide patterned light. Such patterned light can be used for example to expose a photoresist on a semiconductor wafer for photolithography.

Abstract: An optically coupled resonator includes a resonator body having at least one resonator sidewall and a laterally offset photodiode formed in a semiconductor substrate adjacent to the resonator body. The resonator is driven by an electric field generated between the laterally offset photodiode and the resonator body when an incident light strikes the photodiode. A device including an optically coupled resonator and a method of operating an optically coupled resonator are also disclosed.

Abstract: A voltage supply is connected to provide a variable bias voltage to a plurality of optical quantum tunneling photodetectors to thereby vary the spectral response of the photodetectors and thus detect radiation.

Abstract: Segmented semiconductor nanowires are manufactured by removal of material from a layered structure of two or more semiconductor materials in the absence of a template. The removal takes place at some locations on the surface of the layered structure and continues preferentially along the direction of a crystallographic axis, such that nanowires with a segmented structure remain at locations where little or no removal occurs. The interface between different segments can be perpendicular to or at angle with the longitudinal direction of the nanowire.

Abstract: The present invention provides a core/multishell semiconductor nanocrystal comprising a core and multiple shells, which exhibits a type-I band offset and high photoluminescence quantum yield providing bright tunable emission covering the visible range from about 400 nm to NIR over 1600 nm.

Abstract: An improved photodiode and method of producing an improved photodiode comprising doping an InAs layer of an InAs/GaSb region situated on top of an InAs/GaSb:Be superlattice and below an InAs:Si/GaSb regions such that the quantum efficiency of the photodiode increases and dominant dark current mechanisms change from diffusion to band-to-band tunneling as the InAs layer is doped with Beryllium.

Abstract: The subject invention comprises the realization of P-on-N type II InAs/GaSb superlattice photodiodes. A high-quality InAsSb layer lattice-mismatched to GaSb is used as a buffer to prepare the surface of the substrate prior to superlattice growth. The InAsSb layer also serves as an effective n-contact layer. The contact layer has been optimized to improve device performance, most notably performance that is similar to traditional N-on-P structures.

Abstract: An active layer having a p-type quantum dot structure is disposed over a lower cladding layer made of semiconductor material of a first conductivity type. An upper cladding layer is disposed over the active layer. The upper cladding layer is made of semiconductor material, and includes a ridge portion and a cover portion. The ridge portion extends in one direction, and the cover portion covers the surface on both sides of the ridge portion. A capacitance reducing region is disposed on both sides of the ridge portion and reaching at least the lower surface of the cover portion. The capacitance reducing region has the first conductivity type or a higher resistivity than that of the ridge portion, and the ridge portion has a second conductivity type. If the lower cladding layer is an n-type, the capacitance reducing region reaches at least the upper surface of the lower cladding layer.

Abstract: A novel detection pixel micro-structure allowing the simultaneous and continuous detection of several discrete optical frequencies. A focal plane array comprises a plurality of multi-spectral detection pixels and a connecting platform to electrically connect the pixels. Each of the multi-spectral detection pixels form a resonant optical structure that comprises at least two periodic latticed dielectric reflectors, and at least one optical cavity between the said latticed dielectric reflectors. The latticed dielectric reflectors create a plurality of photonic bandgaps in the spectral response of the pixel. In addition, each optical cavity of the pixel comprises at least two optical resonant modes, corresponding to localized Bloch modes supported by the pixel dielectric structure, wherein each optical resonant mode is localized maximally at, and minimally away from, the optical cavity.

Abstract: A field effect transistor (FET) includes a semiconductor region of a first conductivity type and a well region of a second conductivity type extending over the semiconductor region. A gate electrode is adjacent to but insulated from the well region, and a source region of the first conductivity type is in the well region. A heavy body region is in electrical contact with the well region, and includes a material having a lower energy gap than the well region.

Abstract: In a photoelectric conversion device, in a contact between a p-type semiconductor 3a and an electrode 2, an n-type semiconductor 6 of a conductivity type opposite to that of the p-type semiconductor is provided between the p-type semiconductor 3a and the electrode 2. The existence of the n-type semiconductor 6 allows a recombination rate of photo-generated carriers excited by incident light to be effectively reduced, and allows a dark current component to be effectively prevented from being produced. Therefore, it is possible to improve photoelectric conversion efficiency as well as to stabilize characteristics. Further, a tunnel junction is realized by increasing the concentration of a doping element in at least one or preferably both of the p-type semiconductor 3a and the n-type semiconductor 6 in a region where they are in contact with each other, thereby keeping ohmic characteristics between the semiconductor and the electrode good.

Abstract: A semiconductor photodetector (1) for detecting short duration laser light pulses of predetermined wavelength in a light signal (2) comprises a micro-resonator (3) of vertical Fabry-Perot construction having a Bragg mirror pair, namely, a front mirror (5) and a rear mirror (6) with an active region (8) located between the front and rear mirrors (5,6). An N-type substrate (11) supports the rear mirror (6). The light signal (2) is directed into the active region (8) through the front mirror (5) while a pump beam (17) is directed into the active region (8) at an end (18) thereof. The spacing between the front and rear mirrors (5,6) is such as to cause light of the predetermined wavelength to resonate between the mirrors (5,6).

Abstract: A back-surface-electrode type semiconductor laser of GaN-based compound has low electric resistance and high light emitting efficiency, and includes negative electrodes made of Al having a contact surface that contacts with the n-type GaN substrate. The back-surface-electrode type semiconductor laser has GaN-based compound layers laminated on an n-type GaN substrate with an area of reversal of polarity with low electric resistance and a negative electrode is disposed on the side opposite to the side of GaN-based compound layer of the GaN substrate so as to come in contact with the area of reversal of polarity.

Abstract: A light source is provided including an LED component having an emitting surface, which may include: i) an LED capable of emitting light at a first wavelength; and ii) a re-emitting semiconductor construction which includes a second potential well not located within a pn junction having an emitting surface; or which may alternately include a first potential well located within a pn junction and a second potential well not located within a pn junction; and which additionally includes a converging optical element.

Abstract: A light source having a die, a substrate, and a housing is disclosed. The die has a semiconducting light emitting device thereon, the die having a top surface and a bottom surface, light being emitted through the top surface. The die is characterized by a maximum dimension. The substrate has a top surface bonded to the bottom surface of the die. The substrate includes a plurality of electrical traces connected to the die that are used to power the light emitting device. The housing includes a reflector having a reflective inner wall facing the die and an aperture through which light reflected from the inner wall exits the housing. The aperture lies in a plane normal to the top surface of the die and has a height that is less than the maximum dimension of the die. The die is encapsulated in a transparent layer of material.

Abstract: Disclosed is a photoelectric surface including: a first group III nitride semiconductor layer that produces photoelectrons according to incidence of ultraviolet rays; and a second group III nitride semiconductor layer provided adjacent to the first group III nitride semiconductor layer and made of a thin-film crystal having c-axis orientation in a thickness direction, the second group III nitride semiconductor layer having an Al composition higher than that of the first group III nitride semiconductor layer.

Abstract: A light emitting diode (LED) package and process of making the same includes a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate that is composed of two silicon based materials and an insulation layer interposed therebetween. The two silicon based materials of silicon-on-insulator substrate are etched to form a reflective cavity and an insulation trench, respectively, for dividing the silicon-on-insulator substrate into contact surfaces of positive and negative electrodes. A plurality of metal lines are then formed to electrically connect the two silicon based materials such that the LED chip can be mounted on the reflective cavity and electrically connected to the corresponding electrodes of the silicon-on-insulator substrate by the metal lines. Thus the properties of heat resistance and heat dispersal can be improved and the process can be simplified.

Abstract: SiGe quantum wells where the well material has a lowest conduction band energy minimum at k=0 (the ? point of the first Brillouin zone) are provided. Quantum well structures that satisfy this condition have “Kane-like” bands at and near k=0 which can provide physical effects useful for various device applications, especially optical modulators. In the Si1-xGex material system, this condition on the band structure is satisfied for x greater than about 0.7. The quantum well barrier composition may or may not have Kane-like bands. Optical modulators including such SiGe quantum wells can be operated at temperatures other than room temperature. Such temperature control is preferred for providing optical modulators that operate in the telecommunication C band (˜1530 nm to ˜1565 nm).

Abstract: A sensor chip for use in a sensor for detecting the localized plasmon resonance state of a metal particle surface by light and analyzing properties of a sample present near metal particles. The sensor chip includes a support with a plurality of pits individually and independently formed in one surface thereof so that they extend toward an interior thereof, and metal particle rods respectively held in the plurality of pits so that an end surface of each rod is exposed at the one surface of the support and a longitudinal side surface of each rod is covered with the support.

Abstract: Planar AWG circuits and systems are disclosed that use air trench bends to increase planar circuit compactness.

Abstract: Semiconductor electrooptic medium shows behavior different from a medium based on quantum confined Stark Effect. A preferred embodiment has a type-II heterojunction, selected such, that, in zero electric field, an electron and a hole are localized on the opposite sides of the heterojunction having a negligible or very small overlap of the wave functions, and correspondingly, a zero or a very small exciton oscillator strength. Applying an electric field results in squeezing of the wave functions to the heterojunction which strongly increases the overlap of the electron and the hole wave functions, resulting in a strong increase of the exciton oscillator strength. Another embodiment of the novel electrooptic medium includes a heterojunction between a layer and a superlattice, wherein an electron and a hole in the zero electric field are localized on the opposite sides of the heterojunction, the latter being effectively a type-II heterojunction.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for acquiring physical information, method for manufacturing semiconductor device including array of a plurality of unit components for detecting physical quantity distribution, light-receiving device and manufacturing method therefor, and solid-state imaging device and manufacturing method therefore are provided. The method for acquiring physical information uses a device for detecting a physical distribution, the device including a detecting part for detecting an electromagnetic wave and a unit signal generating part for generating a corresponding unit signal on the basis of the quantity of the detected electromagnetic wave.

Abstract: A device and method are disclosed for detecting light. The device includes a photodetector having at least one superlattice layer operative to generate an electrical signal in response to light incident thereon and one or more lenslets for directing light onto the photodetector.

Abstract: A method for the environment heat conversion in coherent electromagnetic energy by a super radiant quantum decay and a thermal excitation of a system of electrons is disclosed. A semiconductor device is also disclosed comprising a system of n-i-p-n transistors, a double array of quantum dots on the two sides of the thin i-layer of the n-i emitter, a system of intermediate n and p layers separating the active quantum region from the n and respectively p regions by potential barriers, a metal front electrode, a heat absorber in intimate contact with this electrode, a semitransparent rear electrode forming with the front electrode a Fabry-Perot resonator tuned with the electron quantum transition frequency through the i-layer, and an output semitransparent mirror of the same transparency as the transparency of the rear electrode, by this forming with the rear electrode a total transmission Fabry-Perot resonator.

Abstract: At least one or more dark current reducing layers having a quantum well structure are provided at an end portion in a stacking direction of an infrared detecting section in which quantum dot layers are stacked.

Abstract: A spin coherent, single photon detector has a body of semiconductor material with a quantum well region formed in barrier material in the body. The body has a first electrode forming an isolation electrode for defining, when negatively energized, an extent of the quantum well in the body and a second electrode positioned above a location where an electrostatic quantum dot is defined in said quantum well when positively energized. The quantum well occurs in three layers of material: a central quantum well layer and two outer quantum well layers, the two outer quantum well layers having a relatively low conduction band minimum and the barrier having a relatively high conduction band minimum while the central quantum well layer having a conduction band minimum between the relatively high and relatively low conduction band minimums.

Abstract: An optical semiconductor device includes an active layer having a quantum well structure including alternately stacked well layers and barrier layers with a larger band gap than the well layers. The band gap of each of the well layers and the barrier layers is constant, each well layer is uniformly provided with compression strain and each barrier layer is provided with large extension strain in a center portion thereof along the thickness direction and small extension strain in portions thereof in the vicinity of the well layers.

Abstract: An electronic device may include first and second integrated circuits including respective first and second active optical devices establishing an optical communications link therebetween. The first active optical device may include a superlattice including a plurality of stacked groups of layers. Each group of layers of the superlattice may include a plurality of stacked base semiconductor monolayers defining a base semiconductor portion and an energy band-modifying layer thereon. Also, the energy-band modifying layer may include at least one non-semiconductor monolayer constrained within a crystal lattice of adjacent base semiconductor portions.

Abstract: A device comprising a number of different wavelength-selective active-layers arranged in a vertical stack, having band-alignment and work-function engineered lateral contacts to said active-layers, consisting of a contact-insulator and a conductor-insulator. Photons of different energies are selectively absorbed in or emitted by the active-layers. Contact means are arranged separately on the lateral sides of the vertical stack for injecting charge carriers into the photon-emitting layers and extracting charge carriers generated in the photon-absorbing layers. The device can be used for various applications for light emission or light absorption. The stack of active layers may also include top and bottom electrodes whereby the device can also be operated as a FET device.

Abstract: An optical device has an electrically insulating first barrier layer disposed over a first electrode layer, a photoconductive layer disposed over the first barrier layer, and a carrier confining layer disposed over the photoconducting layer. The carrier confining layer defines a volume throughout which a plurality of carrier traps are dispersed. Further, an electrically insulating second barrier layer is disposed over the carrier confining layer, a light blocking layer is disposed over the second barrier layer for blocking light of a selected wavelength band. A reflective layer is disposed over the light blocking layer for reflecting light within the selected wavelength band, a birefringent or dispersive layer is disposed over the reflective layer, and an optically transmissive second electrode layer is disposed over the birefringent or dispersive layer. A method is also disclosed, as are additional layers intervening between those detailed above.

Abstract: An artificial amorphous semiconductor material, and a junction made from the material, has a plurality of crystalline semiconductor material quantum dots substantially uniformly distributed and regularly spaced in three dimensions through a matrix of dielectric material or thin layers of dielectric materials. The material is formed by first forming a plurality of layers of dielectric material comprising a compound of a semiconducting material, and forming alternating layers as layers of stoichiometric dielectric material and layers of semiconductor rich dielectric material respectively. The material is then heated causing quantum dots to form in the semiconductor rich layers of dielectric material in a uniform and regularly spaced distribution in three dimensions through the dielectric material.

Abstract: An avalanche photodiode (APD) includes an anode layer, a cathode layer, an absorption layer between the anode layer and the cathode layer, a first multiplying stage between the absorption layer and the cathode layer, a second multiplying stage between the first multiplying stage and the cathode layer, and a carrier relaxation region between the first and second multiplying stages. Each multiplying stage includes, in the direction of drift of electrons, a first layer that is doped with acceptors, a second layer that is substantially undoped, a third layer that is doped with acceptors, a fourth layer that is substantially undoped, and a fifth layer that is doped with donors.

Abstract: An integrated circuit may include at least one active optical device including a superlattice including a plurality of stacked groups of layers. Each group of layers of the superlattice may include a plurality of stacked base semiconductor monolayers defining a base semiconductor portion and an energy band-modifying layer thereon. The energy-band modifying layer may include at least one non-semiconductor monolayer constrained within a crystal lattice of adjacent base semiconductor portions. The integrated circuit may further include a waveguide coupled to the at least one active optical device.

Abstract: A light-emitting device includes a GaN substrate; a n-type AlxGa1-xN layer on a first main surface side of the GaN substrate; a p-type AlxGa1-xN layer positioned further away from the GaN substrate compared to the n-type AlxGa1-xN layer; a multi-quantum well (MQW) positioned between the n-type AlxGa1-xN layer and the p-type AlxGa1-xN layer. In this light-emitting device, the p-type AlxGa1-xN layer side is down-mounted and light is emitted from the second main surface, which is the main surface of the GaN substrate opposite from the first main surface. hemispherical projections are formed on the second main surface of the GaN substrate.

Abstract: A method for making a multiple-wavelength opto-electronic device which may include providing a substrates and forming a plurality of active optical devices to be carried by the substrate and operating at different respective wavelengths. Moreover, each optical device may include a superlattice comprising a plurality of stacked groups of layers, and each group of layers may include a plurality of stacked semiconductor monolayers defining a base semiconductor portion and at least one non-semiconductor monolayer thereon.