Electroluminescent semiconductor diode with hetero-structure

US3965347A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Siemens Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventor

• Walter Heywang · Grasbrunn, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 12, 1974
• Grant date: Jun 22, 1976
• Expiry date: Nov 12, 1994

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10H20/80

Abstract

An electroluminescent semiconductor diode having a homogeneous monocrystalline semiconductor substrate providing a first zone on which an epitaxial layer has been formed providing a second zone. This second zone has a forbidden-band-width which changes steadily with increasing distance from the first zone. This second zone possesses a junction between a sub-zone having the properties of a "direct semiconductor" and a sub-zone having the properties of a so-called "indirect semiconductor" which lies parallel to the boundary between the first zone and the second zone and also parallel to the pn-junction of the diode. The pn-junction of the diode is located in the second zone and particularly in the sub-zone have the properties of an "indirect semiconductor" but at such a short distance from the junction of the two sub-zones that the major part of the charge carriers injected from the pn-junction in the direction towards the sub-zone having the properties of a direct semiconductor pass to this latter sub-zone.