Optically transparent electrically conductive semiconductor windows and methods of manufacture

US4778731A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Northrop Corporation · US

Inventors

• Paul Kraatz · Redondo Beach, US
• James M. Rowe · Torrance, US
• John W. Tully · Lomita, US
• Vahram W. Biricik · Rancho Palos Verdes, US
• Wesley J. Thompson · Torrance, US
• Rudolph W. Modster · Los Angeles, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 13, 1987
• Grant date: Oct 18, 1988
• Expiry date: Feb 13, 2007

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T428/12681
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A semiconductor window which is transparent to light in the infrared range and which has good electrical conductivity is formed with a substrate of semi-conductor material which has a conduction modifying dopant diffused, grown or deposited on one surface thereof to a substantial depth so that a layer thereof exhibits reduced resistance to a value below 10 ohms/square. Anti-reflection dielectric layers are stacked on both outer surfaces thereof. The dielectric substrate may be of silicon, germanium or gallium arsenide depending on the transparency bandwidth of interest. The thickness of the substrate and the doping of the surface thereof is closely controlled to obtain both low electrical resistivity and high optical transmissivity.