Patent · US Expired

High density, independently addressable, surface emitting semiconductor laser/light emitting diode arrays without a substrate

US5317170A · kind A · utility

86Cited by
4References
38Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateApr 13, 1993
Grant dateMay 31, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 13, 2013

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01S2301/18
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A high density surface emitting semiconductor LED array comprises disordered regions extending through a second contact layer, second confinement layer, an active layer and partially extending through a first confinement layer to define light emitting areas therebetween the disordered regions. Individual contacts on the second contact layer aligned with each emitting area inject current through the layers to a common contact on a first contact layer causing emission of light from the active layer through the surface of the exposed first contact layer. The second confinement layer can be replaced with a DBR to form an enhanced LED array. Both confinement layers can be replaced with DBRs to form a laser array. A refractive semiconductor layer, fresnel lenses or a micro lens array can be used to optically modify the surface emitted light. The semiconductor laser/light emitting diode arrays are fabricated without a substrate.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.