Light emitting compositional semiconductor device

US5057881A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Föderung der Wissenschaften e.V. · US

Inventors

• Hans Lobentanzer · Munich, DE
• Wolfgang Stolz · Marburg, DE
• Klaus Ploog · Stuttgart, DE
• Julien Nagle · Palaiseau, FR

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 30, 1989
• Grant date: Oct 15, 1991
• Expiry date: Nov 30, 2009

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01S5/34
• WIPO field: Micro-structural and nano-technology
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A multiple quantum well light emitting compositional semiconductor device ch as a laser diode or a light emitting diode has an active region comprising an alternating sequence of layers of well layer material and of barrier layer material. The thickness of the barrier layer and of the adjacent well layers is chosen such that for one type of charge carrier a relatively high probability exists for such charge carriers to be present in the barrier region whereas the other type of charge carriers are localized in the potential wells. In this way it is possible to reduce the probability of non-radiative Auger recombination processes occurring thus reducing the threshold current and increasing the quantum efficiency of the device. This is particularly important since material systems with a small bandgap which lase at long wavelengths suitable for optical fibre transmission normally suffer performance penalties due to non-radiative Auger recombination and these penalties can be substantially reduced by tailoring the layer thicknesses to achieve the described probability distributions.