Semiconductor Patents (Class 372/43.01)
  • Patent number: 8355420
    Abstract: Provides is a semiconductor light-emitting device. The semiconductor light-emitting device includes a first conduction-type cladding layer, an active layer, and a second conduction-type cladding layer, on a substrate. Portions of the substrate and the first conduction-type cladding layer are removed. According to the light-emitting device having the above-construction, damage to a grown epitaxial layer is reduced, and a size of an active layer increases, so that a light-emission efficiency increases. Even when a size of a light-emitting device is small, a short-circuit occurring between electrodes can be prevented. Further, brightness and reliability of the light-emitting device are improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: LG Innotek Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kyong Jun Kim
  • Patent number: 8355417
    Abstract: It is an object of the invention to provide a VCSEL having both a high beam quality or a low M2-factor, respectively, and a reduced mirror thickness which improves the heat dissipation due to the reduced thickness and the production cost. It is suggested to employ a Bragg-reflector in combination with a metal reflector terminating the distal side of the Bragg-reflector as seen from the laser cavity, wherein the metal reflector layer is localized at the center around the optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Philipp H. Gerlach, Michael Miller
  • Patent number: 8355416
    Abstract: A multi-transverse-optical-mode heterojunction diode laser characterized by wavelength control of its output. The wavelength control or the control of multi-transverse-optical-modes may be achieved by, for example, selectively etching a layer to partially remove it and possibly followed by epitaxial regrowth, or by selectively converting a layer to an insulating material of a different refractive index, or by selectively modifying the optical properties of a layer by ion implantation, or by selectively modifying the optical properties of a layer by impurity-induced vacancy disordering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Vega Wave Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Alan R. Sugg, Anthony L. Moretti
  • Patent number: 8355419
    Abstract: A tilted wave semiconductor diode laser containing additional structural elements that improve beam quality is provided. The tilted wave laser includes a narrow active waveguide coupled to a broad passive waveguide, and light generated in the active waveguide leaks to the broad waveguide and propagates in it in the form of a tilted optical wave. The device emits laser light coming out from the broad waveguide in the form of one or two narrow beams. The additional structural elements may include grooves intersecting the narrow waveguide and a stripe that suppress undesired emission from the narrow waveguide; grooves that extend parallel to the stripe that suppress parasitic lateral optical modes; unpumped sections of the stripe that suppress light emission from the narrow waveguide; and facet coatings having distinct reflectance for the light in the narrow and in the broad waveguides thus suppressing emission of light from the narrow waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: PBC Lasers GmbH
    Inventors: Vitaly Shchukin, Nikolai Ledentsov
  • Patent number: 8351472
    Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor light emitting element that can obtain oscillation at desired wavelengths. The semiconductor light emitting element comprises a semiconductor substrate 11, an active layer 12 for emitting and propagating light, which is formed in a stripe shape above the semiconductor substrate 11, buried layers 13a, 13b formed on both lateral sides of the active layer 12, a cladding layer 16 formed above the active layer 12 and the buried layers 13a, 13b, a first electrode 17a formed above the cladding layer 16, and a second electrode 17b formed below the semiconductor substrate 11. The active layer 12 opens on one end facet 14a among the two end facets formed by cleavage so that the active layer 12 makes a predetermined angle to the normal direction of the one end facet 14a.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Anritsu Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Mori, Takashi Nakayama, Atsushi Yamada
  • Patent number: 8351481
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for improved single-mode selection in a quantum cascade laser. In one example, a distributed feedback grating incorporates both index-coupling and loss-coupling components. The loss-coupling component facilitates selection of one mode from two possible emission modes by periodically incorporating a thin layer of “lossy” semiconductor material on top of the active region to introduce a sufficiently large loss difference between the two modes. The lossy layer is doped to a level sufficient to induce considerable free-carrier absorption losses for one of the two modes while allowing sufficient gain for the other of the two modes. In alternative implementations, the highly-doped layer may be replaced by other low-dimensional structures such as quantum wells, quantum wires, and quantum dots with significant engineered intraband absorption to selectively increase the free-carrier absorption losses for one of multiple possible modes so as to facilitate single-mode operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: President and Fellows of Harvard College
    Inventors: Federico Capasso, Benjamin G. Lee, Christian Pflugl, Laurent Diehl, Mikhail A. Belkin
  • Patent number: 8338200
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a frontside-illuminated inverted quantum well infrared photodetector may include providing a quantum well wafer having a bulk substrate layer and a quantum material layer, wherein the quantum material layer includes a plurality of alternating quantum well layers and barrier layers epitaxially grown on the bulk substrate layer. The method further includes applying at least one frontside common electrical contact to a frontside of the quantum well wafer, bonding a transparent substrate to the frontside of the quantum well wafer, thinning the bulk substrate layer of the quantum well wafer, and etching the quantum material layer to form quantum well facets that define at least one pyramidal quantum well stack. A backside electrical contact may be applied to the pyramidal quantum well stack. In one embodiment, a plurality of quantum well stacks is bonded to a read-out integrated circuit of a focal plane array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: L-3 Communications Cincinnati Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: David Forrai, Darrel Endres, Robert Jones, Michael James Garter
  • Patent number: 8335242
    Abstract: Provided is a semiconductor laser device that is free from or suffers less from deterioration resulting from a surge or that is less likely to suffer from deterioration resulting from a surge. The semiconductor laser device has a conductive stem 101, a submount 102 fixed to the stem 101, a nitride semiconductor laser chip 103 mounted on the submount 102, pins 104 and 105 fixed to the stem 101 but insulated therefrom, a wire connecting the pin 104 to a p-electrode of the nitride semiconductor laser chip 103, a wire connecting the pin 105 to an n-electrode of the nitride semiconductor laser chip 103, and a cap 106 enclosing the nitride semiconductor laser chip 103 and the submount 102 and fixed to the stem 101.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigetoshi Ito, Daisuke Hanaoka
  • Patent number: 8335243
    Abstract: An optoelectronic semiconductor body comprises a substrate (10), which has on a first main area (12) an epitaxial semiconductor layer sequence (20), suitable for generating electromagnetic radiation, in a first region (14) and a first trench (24) in a second region (22) adjacent to the first region (14), and at least one second trench (30) arranged outside the first region (14). The invention also relates to an optoelectronic semiconductor body and a method for producing an optoelectronic semiconductor body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH
    Inventors: Stefanie Brüninghoff, Christoph Eichler
  • Publication number: 20120314725
    Abstract: An optical device includes a ridge-like optical waveguide portion, a mesa protector portion that is arranged in parallel to the optical waveguide portion, a resin portion that covers upper parts of the mesa protector portion and is disposed at both sides of the mesa protector portion, an electrode that is disposed on the optical waveguide portion, an electrode pad that is disposed on the resin portion located at an opposite side to the optical waveguide portion with respect to the mesa protector portion, and a connection portion that is disposed on the resin portion and electrically connects the electrode to the electrode pad.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2012
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: OPNEXT JAPAN, INC
    Inventors: Akira NAKANISHI, Hideo ARIMOTO, Hiroaki HAYASHI, Shigeki MAKINO, Kazunori SHINODA
  • Patent number: 8331413
    Abstract: The invention includes a single chip having multiple different devices integrated thereon for a common purpose. The chip includes a substrate having a peripheral area, a mid-chip area, and a central area. A plurality of FETs are formed in the peripheral area with each FET having a layer of single crystal rare earth material in at least one of a conductive channel, a gate insulator, or a gate stack. A plurality of photonic devices including light emitting diodes or vertical cavity surface emitting lasers are formed in the mid-chip area with each photonic device having an active layer of single crystal rare earth material. A plurality of photo detectors are formed in the central area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Inventor: Michael Lebby
  • Patent number: 8325774
    Abstract: Semiconductor structures and laser devices including the semiconductor structures are provided. The semiconductor structures have a quantum cascade laser (QCL) structure including an electron injector, an active region, and an electron extractor. The active region of the semiconductor structures includes a configuration of quantum wells and barriers that virtually suppresses electron leakage, thereby providing laser devices including such structures with superior electro-optical characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Dan Botez, Jae Cheol Shin
  • Patent number: 8324632
    Abstract: An LED array chip (2), which is one type of a semiconductor light emitting device, includes an array of LEDs (6), a base substrate (4) supporting the array of the LEDs (6), and a phosphor film (48). The array of LEDs (6) is formed by dividing a multilayer epitaxial structure having a N-sided polygonal cross-section where N is an integer equal to or larger than 6. The phosphor film (48) covers an upper surface of the array of the LEDs (6) and a part of every side surface of the array of LEDs (6). Here, the part extends from the upper surface to the light emitting layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Hideo Nagai
  • Patent number: 8325777
    Abstract: A surface-emitting laser device is disclosed that includes a substrate connected to a heat sink; a first reflective layer formed of a semiconductor distributed Bragg reflector on the substrate; a first cavity spacer layer formed in contact with the first reflective layer; an active layer formed in contact with the first cavity spacer layer; a second cavity spacer layer formed in contact with the active layer; and a second reflective layer formed of a semiconductor distributed Bragg reflector in contact with the second cavity spacer layer. The first cavity spacer layer includes a semiconductor material having a thermal conductivity greater than the thermal conductivity of a semiconductor material forming the second cavity spacer layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Shunichi Sato
  • Patent number: 8325775
    Abstract: Semiconductor devices such as VCSELs, SELs, LEDs, and HBTs are manufactured to have a wide bandgap material near a narrow bandgap material. Electron injection is improved by an intermediate structure positioned between the wide bandgap material and the narrow bandgap material. The intermediate structure is an inflection, such as a plateau, in the ramping of the composition between the wide bandgap material and the narrow bandgap material. The intermediate structure is highly doped and has a composition with a desired low electron affinity. The injection structure can be used on the p-side of a device with a p-doped intermediate structure at high hole affinity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Finisar Corporation
    Inventor: Ralph H. Johnson
  • Patent number: 8311070
    Abstract: A nitride semiconductor laser device includes an n-type AlGaN clad layer, a GaN layer, a first InGaN light guide layer, a light-emitting layer, a second InGaN light guide layer, a nitride semiconductor inter mediate layer, a p-type AlGaN layer, and a p-type AlGaN clad layer stacked in this order on a nitride semiconductor substrate, wherein the n-type AlGaN clad layer has an Al composition ratio of 3-5% and a thickness of 1.8-2.5 ?m; the first and second InGaN light guide layers have an In composition ratio of 3-6%; the first light guide layer has a thickness of 120-160 nm and greater than that of the second light guide layer; and the p-type AlGaN layer is in contact with the p-type clad layer and has an Al composition ratio of 10-35% and greater than that of the p-type clad layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuhzoh Tsuda, Masataka Ohta, Yoshie Fujishiro
  • Patent number: 8309972
    Abstract: Aspects include electrodes that provide specified reflectivity attributes for light generated from an active region of a Light Emitting Diode (LED). LEDs that incorporate such electrode aspects. Other aspects include methods for forming such electrodes, LEDs including such electrodes, and structures including such LEDs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Bridgelux, Inc.
    Inventors: Frank T. Shum, William W. So, Steven D. Lester
  • Patent number: 8306375
    Abstract: A first exemplary aspect of the present invention is a wavelength-tunable optical transmitter including: a semiconductor substrate (101); a wavelength-tunable light source that is formed on the semiconductor substrate (101) and includes at least a first reflector (102) of a wavelength-tunable type and a gain region (104); a semiconductor optical modulator formed on the semiconductor substrate (101); a first semiconductor optical waveguide (105c) that is formed on the semiconductor substrate (101) and smoothly connected to the wavelength-tunable light source; a second semiconductor optical waveguide (105d) that is formed on the semiconductor substrate and smoothly connected to the semiconductor optical modulator; a waveguide coupling region (108) in which the first and second semiconductor optical waveguides are collinearly coupled with a length LC that is not equal to m/2 (m: integer) times a complete coupling length LC0; and a second reflector (113) formed at an end of the waveguide coupling region (108).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Tomoaki Kato
  • Patent number: 8306082
    Abstract: A group-III nitride semiconductor laser device comprises a laser structure including a support base and a semiconductor region, and an electrode provided on the semiconductor region of the laser structure. The support base comprises a hexagonal group-III nitride semiconductor and has a semipolar primary surface, and the semiconductor region is provided on the semipolar primary surface of the support base. The semiconductor region includes a first cladding layer of a first conductivity type gallium nitride-based semiconductor, a second cladding layer of a second conductivity type gallium nitride-based semiconductor, and an active layer. The first cladding layer, the second cladding layer, and the active layer are arranged along a normal axis to the semipolar primary surface. The active layer comprises a gallium nitride-based semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusuke Yoshizumi, Yohei Enya, Takashi Kyono, Masahiro Adachi, Katsushi Akita, Masaki Ueno, Takamichi Sumitomo, Shinji Tokuyama, Koji Katayama, Takao Nakamura, Takatoshi Ikegami
  • Patent number: 8306086
    Abstract: A process for fabricating AlGaInN-based photonic devices, such as lasers, capable of emitting blue light employs etching to form device waveguides and mirrors, preferably using a temperature of over 500° C. and an ion beam in excess of 500 V in CAIBE.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Binoptics Corporation
    Inventors: Alex A. Behfar, Alfred T. Schremer, Cristian B. Stagarescu, Vainateya
  • Patent number: 8306081
    Abstract: An improved optical device. The device has a gallium nitride substrate member comprising indium entities, gallium entities, and nitrogen entities. In one or more embodiments, the gallium nitride substrate member has an indium content ranging from about 1 to about 50% in weight. Preferably, the gallium nitride substrate member has a semipolar crystalline surface region or a non-polar crystalline surface region. The device has an epitaxially formed laser stripe region comprising an indium content ranging from about 1 to about 50% and formed overlying a portion of the semipolar crystalline orientation surface region or the non-polar crystalline surface region. The laser stripe region is characterized by a cavity orientation in a predefined direction according to a specific embodiment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Soraa, Inc.
    Inventors: Mathew Schmidt, Mark P. D'Evelyn
  • Patent number: 8300672
    Abstract: A two-dimensional photonic crystal laser light is provided. The two-dimensional photonic crystal laser includes a two-dimensional photonic crystal made of a plate-shaped member provided with a periodic arrangement of identically-shaped modified refractive index areas having a refractive index different from that of the plate-shaped member; and an active layer provided on one side of the two-dimensional photonic crystal. The modified refractive index areas are arranged at lattice points of a lattice with a same period at least in two directions; each modified refractive index area is shaped so that a feedback strength is different with respect to directions of two primitive lattice vectors of the lattice; the two-dimensional photonic crystal has a periodic structure of a supercell, which contains a plurality of lattice points; and the sum of the feedback strengths by all modified refractive index areas in the supercell is identical in each direction of the two primitive lattice vectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Japan Science and Technology Agency
    Inventors: Susumu Noda, Seita Iwahashi, Yoshitaka Kurosaka, Kyosuke Sakai, Eiji Miyai, Dai Ohnishi, Wataru Kunishi
  • Patent number: 8295318
    Abstract: A vertical cavity surface emitting laser including a substrate, a first semiconductor multilayer film reflector formed on the substrate, an active region formed on the first semiconductor multilayer film reflector, a second semiconductor multilayer film reflector formed on the active region, an electrode formed on the second semiconductor multilayer film reflector, a light absorption layer, and a light transmission layer. In the electrode, a light emitting aperture is formed. The light absorption layer is formed in a peripheral region of the light emitting aperture, and absorbs emitted light. The light transmission layer is composed of a material which the emitted light can pass through, and formed in a central region of the light emitting aperture. Thicknesses of the light absorption layer and the light transmission layer are selected so that phases of light from the light absorption layer and from the light transmission layer are adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Matsushita, Takashi Kondo, Kazutaka Takeda
  • Patent number: 8295317
    Abstract: A method of making a nitride semiconductor laser comprises forming a first InGaN film for an active layer on a gallium nitride based semiconductor region, and the first InGaN film has a first thickness. In the formation of the first InGaN film, a first gallium raw material, a first indium raw material, and a first nitrogen raw material are supplied to a reactor to deposit a first InGaN for forming the first InGaN film at a first temperature, and the first InGaN has a thickness thinner than the first thickness. Next, the first InGaN is heat-treated at a second temperature lower than the first temperature in the reactor, while supplying a second indium raw material and a second nitrogen raw material to the reactor. Then, after the heat treatment, a second InGaN is deposited at least once to form the first InGaN film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaki Ueno, Takashi Kyono
  • Patent number: 8290013
    Abstract: A process for fabricating AlGaInN-based photonic devices, such as lasers, capable of emitting blue light employs dry etching to form device waveguides and mirrors. The dry etching is preferably performed using a Chemically Assisted Ion Beam Etching (CAIBE) system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Binoptics Corporation
    Inventors: Alex A. Behfar, Alfred T. Schremer, Cristian B. Stagarescu, Vainateya
  • Patent number: 8290010
    Abstract: A surface plasmon-generating apparatus includes an active layer including an n-type region formed on one side and a p-type region formed on the other side, the n-type region and the p-type region being in contact with each other to form a pn junction therebetween; a first barrier layer in contact with a first surface of the active layer; a second barrier layer in contact with a second surface of the active layer, the second surface being opposite the first surface; and a metal body disposed above the pn junction of the active layer with the second barrier layer and an insulating layer therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Tomoki Ono
  • Patent number: 8284811
    Abstract: Provided is a III-nitride semiconductor laser diode capable of lasing to emit light of not less than 500 nm with use of a semipolar plane. Since an active layer 29 is provided so as to generate light at the wavelength of not less than 500 nm, the wavelength of light to be confined into a core semiconductor region 19 is a long wavelength. A first optical guide layer 27 is provided with a two-layer structure, and a second optical guide layer 31 is provided with a two-layer structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takamichi Sumitomo, Yohei Enya, Yusuke Yoshizumi, Masaki Ueno, Katsushi Akita, Takashi Kyono
  • Patent number: 8284810
    Abstract: An edge emitting solid state laser and method. The laser comprises at least one AlInGaN active layer on a bulk GaN substrate with a non-polar or semi-polar orientation. The edges of the laser comprise {1 1 ?2 ±6} facets. The laser has high gain, low threshold currents, capability for extended operation at high current densities, and can be manufactured with improved yield. The laser is useful for optical data storage, projection displays, and as a source for general illumination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Soraa, Inc.
    Inventors: Rajat Sharma, Eric M. Hall, Christiane Poblenz, Mark P. D'Evelyn
  • Patent number: 8279907
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser device includes: a semiconductor laser having a reflector region, a gain region for laser oscillation and a plurality of refraction index controllers, the reflector region having a plurality of segments in which a diffraction region and a space region are coupled to each other, the plurality of segments being separated into a plurality of segment groups having a same optical length, the plurality of refractive index controllers being provided according to each segment group and controlling an equivalent refraction index of each segment group; a wavelength controller controlling an oscillation wavelength of the semiconductor laser by controlling the plurality of the refraction index controllers as at least one of control parameters; and a dither controller inputting a dither signal into only one of the segment groups having the most segments from one of the refractive index controllers according to the segment group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Eiichi Banno
  • Patent number: 8279904
    Abstract: A semiconductor light-emitting device including an active layer is provided. The light-emitting device includes an active layer between an n-type semiconductor layer and a p-type semiconductor layer. The active layer includes a quantum well layer formed of Inx1Ga(1?x1)N, where 0<x1?1, barrier layers formed of Inx2Ga(1?x2)N, where 0?x2<1, on opposite surfaces of the quantum well layer, and a diffusion preventing layer formed between the quantum well layer and at least one of the barrier layers. Due to the diffusion preventing layer between the quantum well layer and the barrier layers in the active layer, the light emission efficiency increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tan Sakong, Joong-kon Son, Ho-sun Paek, Sung-nam Lee
  • Patent number: 8279905
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor optical element having an active layer containing quantum dots, in which density of the quantum dots in a resonator direction in a portion of the active layer in which density of photons is high, relative to the density of the quantum dots in a portion of the active layer in which the density of photons is relatively low, includes forming the quantum dots in the active layer so that the distribution density is uniform in a resonator direction; and diffusing or implanting an impurity non-uniformly in the resonator direction in the active layer in which quantum dots are uniformly distributed, thereby disordering some of the quantum dots and forming a non-uniform density distribution of the quantum dots in the resonator direction in the active layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuhisa Takagi
  • Patent number: 8279519
    Abstract: An integrated semiconductor optical-emitting device includes a surface-emission laser diode and an EA-type semiconductor optical modulator integrated commonly on a GaAs substrate in a direction perpendicular to the GaAs substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Takahashi, Shunichi Sato
  • Patent number: 8279906
    Abstract: A laser diode includes an active layer, a strip-shaped ridge provided above the active layer, a pair of resonator end faces sandwiching the active layer and the ridge from an extending direction of the ridge, and an upland section provided being contacted with both side faces of the ridge in at least one of the resonator end faces of the pair of resonator end face and in the vicinity thereof. A thickness from the active layer to a surface of the upland section is larger on the resonator end face side and is smaller on a central side of the ridge, and the thickness is continuously changed from a thick portion on the resonator end face side to a thin portion on the central side of the ridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hidekazu Kawanishi, Junji Sawahata
  • Patent number: 8275014
    Abstract: A surface-emitting laser element includes a substrate; a plurality of semiconductor layers laminated on the substrate, the plural semiconductor layers including a resonator structural body including an active layer and semiconductor multilayer film reflection mirrors having the resonator structural body sandwiched therebetween; an electrode provided in such a manner as to surround a emitting region on a surface of the surface-emitting laser element from which light is emitted; and a dielectric film provided in the emitting region such that a reflection ratio of a peripheral part of the emitting region is different from a reflection ratio of a center part of the emitting region. Edge portions that are near edges of the dielectric film are tilted with respect to the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Katsunari Hanaoka
  • Patent number: 8270451
    Abstract: An edge emitting semiconductor laser includes a semiconductor body, which has a waveguide region. The waveguide region has an active layer for generating laser radiation. The active layer is arranged between a first waveguide layer and a second waveguide layer. The waveguide region is arranged between a first cladding layer and a second cladding layer. The semiconductor body has a main region and at least one phase structure region in which is formed a phase structure for the selection of lateral modes of the laser radiation emitted by the active layer. The phase structure region is arranged outside the waveguide region or formed by a region in which a dopant is introduced or an intermixing structure is produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignees: OSRAM Opto Semiconductors GmbH, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Angewandten Forschung E. V.
    Inventors: Wolfgang Schmid, Uwe D. Zeitner, Hans-Christoph Eckstein
  • Patent number: 8270446
    Abstract: High performance and high reliability of a semiconductor laser device having a buried-hetero structure are achieved. The semiconductor laser device having a buried-hetero structure is manufactured by burying both sides of a mesa structure by a Ru-doped InGaP wide-gap layer and subsequently by a Ru-doped InGaP graded layer whose composition is graded from InGaP to InP, and then, by a Ru-doped InP layer. By providing the Ru-doped InGaP graded layer between the Ru-doped InGaP wide-gap layer and the Ru-doped InP layer, the Ru-doped InGaP wide-gap layer and the Ru-doped InP layer not lattice-matching with each other can be formed as a buried layer with excellent crystallinity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Oclaro Japan, Inc.
    Inventors: Takashi Shiota, Takeshi Kitatani
  • Publication number: 20120230357
    Abstract: In a GaN-based laser device having a GaN-based semiconductor stacked-layered structure including a light emitting layer, the semiconductor stacked-layered structure includes a ridge stripe structure causing a stripe-shaped waveguide, and has side surfaces opposite to each other to sandwich the stripe-shaped waveguide in its width direction therebetween. At least part of at least one of the side surfaces is processed to prevent the stripe-shaped waveguide from functioning as a Fabry-Perot resonator in the width direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2012
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshiyuki KAWAKAMI, Tomoki ONO, Shigetoshi ITO, Susumu OMI
  • Patent number: 8258048
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser device capable of reducing the threshold current and improving luminous efficiency and a method of fabricating the same are obtained. This semiconductor laser device comprises a semiconductor substrate having a principal surface and a semiconductor element layer, formed on the principal surface of the semiconductor substrate, having a principal surface substantially inclined with respect to the principal surface of the semiconductor substrate and including an emission layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Yamaguchi, Masayuki Hata, Takashi Kano, Masayuki Shono, Hiroki Ohbo, Yasuhiko Nomura, Hiroaki Izu
  • Patent number: 8259768
    Abstract: An optical fiber component comprises an optical fiber that transmits light; and a coreless fiber that is connected to the end surface of the optical fiber and prevents foreign matter from adhering to the end surface of the optical fiber. The optical fiber and the coreless fiber are connected by fusing one end surface of the coreless fiber to the end surface of the optical fiber. The core section on the end surface of the optical fiber is no longer exposed to the air. Moreover, the power density of light that is input at the core of the optical fiber is greatly reduced more than when there is no coreless fiber, so it is possible to prevent compounds of C, H and O from adhering to the core of the optical fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Matsuura
  • Patent number: 8259767
    Abstract: Semiconductor laser array devices capable of emitting mid- to long-wavelength infrared (i.e., 4-12 ?m) radiation are provided. The devices include a quantum cascade laser (QCL) structure comprising one or more active cores; an optical confinement structure; a cladding structure; and a plurality of laterally-spaced trench regions extending transversely through the optical confinement and cladding structures, and partially into the QCL structure. The trench regions, each of which comprises a lower trench layer comprising a semi-insulating material and an upper trench layer comprising a material having a refractive index that is higher than that of the semi-insulating material, define a plurality of laterally-spaced interelement regions separated by element regions in the laser array device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Dan Botez, Luke J. Mawst
  • Patent number: 8254426
    Abstract: A surface emitting semiconductor component with an emission direction that has a semiconductor body. The semiconductor body has a plurality of active regions for the generation of radiation and are spaced apart from one another, wherein between two active regions a tunnel junction is monolithically integrated in the semiconductor body. The two active regions are electrically conductively connected by means of the tunnel junction, and the semiconductor component is provided for operation with an external resonator. A laser device comprising a semiconductor component of this type and an external resonator is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH
    Inventor: Martin Müller
  • Patent number: 8249123
    Abstract: The present invention provides a surface emitting laser having a novel structure which eliminates necessity to provide a low refractive index medium at an interface of a photonic crystal layer on the side of a substrate. A multilayer mirror (1300), an active layer (1200), and a refractive index periodic structure layer (1020) whose refractive index changes periodically are laminated in a direction perpendicular to a substrate (1500). The refractive index periodic structure layer is structured so as to separate a light having a wavelength ? perpendicularly incident on the refractive index periodic structure into at least a transmitted light and a diffracted light. The multilayer mirror is structured so as to have a reflectance with regard to the diffracted light higher than a reflectance with regard to the transmitted light. A resonant mode is realized within a waveguide including the refractive index periodic structure layer and the multilayer mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mitsuhiro Ikuta
  • Patent number: 8249122
    Abstract: An etched-facet single lateral mode semiconductor photonic device is fabricated by depositing an anti reflective coating on the etched facet, and depositing a reflectivity modifying coating in a spatially controlled manner to modify the spatial performance of the emitted beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Binoptics Corporation
    Inventors: Alex A. Behfar, Alfred T. Schremer
  • Patent number: 8243765
    Abstract: In a branched resonator OPS-laser arrangement, a combination of intra-cavity optical parametric generation and intra-cavity frequency conversion provides output radiation in a range between about 550 nanometers about 800 nanometers from an OPS fundamental wavelength in a range between about 900 nm and about 1100 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Coherent, Inc.
    Inventor: Andrea Caprara
  • Patent number: 8238397
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser device can suppress electrode-to-electrode resonance of laser light emitted from an active layer, increasing electrical conversion efficiency. The semiconductor laser device has a substrate and an active layer. The energy of the laser light emitted from the active layer is smaller than the band gap energy of the substrate, and the carrier concentration of the substrate is at least 2.2×1018 cm?3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kimio Shigihara, Akihito Ono, Shinji Abe
  • Patent number: 8238391
    Abstract: This invention provides a p-type group III nitride semiconductor, with good p-type properties, having a composition expressed by AlXGaYInZN in which each of X, Y and Z indicates a rational number satisfying a relationship of X+Y+Z=1.0, even if Al content is as high as 1.0>X?0.5. It is achieved that a proportion of a hole concentration at 30° C. to an acceptor impurity atom concentration is 0.001 or more in the p-type group III nitride semiconductor of the invention, by doping acceptor impurity atoms such as Mg in concentration of 5×1018 to 1×1020 cm?3 using the method, for example, MOCVD with attention not to incorporate an impurity atom other than the acceptor impurity atom or not to form dislocation in the crystal when producing the group III nitride semiconductor expressed by the above composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Tokuyama Corporation
    Inventors: Toru Kinoshita, Hiroyuki Yanagi, Kazuya Takada
  • Patent number: 8233515
    Abstract: An optical waveguide integrated semiconductor optical device includes a laser and an optical waveguide. The laser includes an active layer and a first cladding layer which are stacked on a second cladding layer. The optical waveguide includes an optical guiding layer and an undoped InP layer which are also stacked on the second cladding layer. A high resistance layer is located between the top surface of the optical guiding layer and a surface of the undoped InP layer and between a side of the first cladding layer and a side of the undoped InP layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Tohru Takiguchi
  • Patent number: 8228965
    Abstract: A surface emitting laser which is configured by laminating on a substrate a lower reflection mirror, an active layer, and an upper reflection mirror, which includes, in a light emitting section of the upper reflection mirror, a structure for controlling reflectance that is configured by a low reflectance region and a concave high reflectance region formed in the central portion of the low reflectance region, and which oscillates at a wavelength of ?, wherein the upper reflection mirror is configured by a multilayer film reflection mirror based on a laminated structure formed by laminating a plurality of layers, the multilayer film reflection mirror includes a phase adjusting layer which has an optical thickness in the range of ?/8 to 3?/8 inclusive in a light emitting peripheral portion on the multilayer film reflection mirror, and an absorption layer causing band-to-band absorption is provided in the phase adjusting layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tetsuya Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 8228967
    Abstract: A light emitting device includes first and second cladding layers and an active layer therebetween including first and second side surfaces and first and second gain regions, a second side reflectance is higher than a first side reflectance, a first end surface part of the first gain region overlaps a second end surface part of the second gain region in an overlapping plane, the first gain region obliquely extends from the first end surface to a third end surface, the second gain region obliquely extends from the second end surface to a fourth end surface, a first center line connecting the centers of the first and third end surfaces and a second center line connecting the centers of the second and fourth end surfaces intersect, and the overlapping plane is shifted from the intersection point toward the first side surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masamitsu Mochizuki
  • Patent number: 8228963
    Abstract: A gallium nitride-based semiconductor optical device is provided that includes an indium-containing gallium nitride-based semiconductor layer that exhibit low piezoelectric effect and high crystal quality. The gallium nitride-based semiconductor optical device 11a includes a GaN support base 13, a GaN-based semiconductor region 15, and well layers 19. A primary surface 13a tilts from a surface orthogonal to a reference axis that extends in a direction from one crystal axis of the m-axis and the a-axis of GaN toward the other crystal axis. The tilt angle AOFF is 0.05 degree or more to less than 15 degrees. The angle AOFF is equal to the angle defined by a vector VM and a vector VN. The inclination of the primary surface is shown by a typical m-plane SM and m-axis vector VM. The GaN-based semiconductor region 15 is provided on the primary surface 13a. In the well layers 19 in an active layer 17, both the m-plane and the a-plane of the well layers 19 tilt from a normal axis AN of the primary surface 13a.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yohei Enya, Yusuke Yoshizumi, Hideki Osada, Keiji Ishibashi, Katsushi Akita, Masaki Ueno