Electric-signal amplifying device using light transmission
US5216538A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 18, 1991 |
| Grant date | Jun 1, 1993 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 18, 2011 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02E10/544
Abstract
An electric-signal amplifying device is provided which includes a light source and an opto-electronic element for amplifying an input signal by use of light emitted from the light source. The opto-electronic element includes a semiconductor substrate and a multi-layered structure disposed thereon. The multi-layered structure has a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, a second semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type, and a third semi-conductor layer of the first conductivity type in this order. The second and third semiconductor layers form a first p-n junction for modulating the amount of light to be absorbed thereinto with a change of bias voltage applied thereto in accordance with the input signal, while the first and second semiconductor layers form a second p-n junction for generating a current as an amplified output signal by absorption of the light transmitted through the first p-n junction. According to the electric-signal amplifying device of this invention, it is possible to amplify an electric signal at a very high speed because minority carriers are not used and the device has a simple structure.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.