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Buried Tunnel Contact Junction For Better Performance With Less Power

Electronics
Optoelectronics, Photonics and Lasers

In many semiconductor light emitting devices, minimizing the volume of the p-type material is desirable. This technology involves burying a tunnel contact junction adjacent to the p-type layer, which converts the lateral input current into hole current, allowing the p-type layer to be substantially thinner than in most devices. Vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs), especially longwave ~1550 nm, can benefit from this invention.

Description/Details

In III-V semiconductor light emitting devices, an active waveguide region is disposed between the n-type (electron carrier) and p-type layers (hole carrier), allowing the electrons to recombine with the holes and thus emit photons. In several respects, p-type material is more difficult to work with than n-type material and tends to be operationally inferior with regard to carrier mobility and overall electrical efficiency. Also, in VCSEL lasers, the p-type material absorbs the emitted photons, reducing the laser output. Therefore, in many semiconductor light emitting devices, minimizing the volume of the p-type material is desirable.

This technology involves burying a tunnel contact junction adjacent to the p-type layer, which converts the lateral input current into hole current. Because the hole injection into the active waveguide region can occur via lateral electron currents, the p-type layer can be substantially thinner. Given the low carrier mobility of p-type material, minimizing its use allows the n-type layer to carry electron current more efficiently, improving overall device performance. For VCSEL lasers, the thinner p-type layer absorbs fewer photons, resulting in a brighter laser.

The buried tunnel contact junction can be a continuous layer for use in quantum well lasers or noncontinuous for more efficient quantum dot lasers.

Benefits

This technology minimizes p-type layer thickness for higher efficiency, lower power consumption, and lower threshold current for VCSELs and edge emitting lasers (EELs). Increased device performance efficiency Lower power consumption Lower threshold current Decreased photon absorption, which leads to higher brightness Decreased heat generation, which leads to fewer thermal-management issues

Reference #

T97047
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