Transistor lasers

• US 5,239,550 A
• Filed: 12/03/1991
• Issued: 08/24/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: University of Connecticut (State of Connecticut)
• Original Assignee: University of Connecticut (State of Connecticut)
• Inventors: Jain, Faquir C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia Y.
• Application Number:
  US07/802,054
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 372/45, 372/46, 372/48, 372/49, 357/4, 357/17, 257/13, 257/15, 257/79, 257/83
• US Class Current: 372/45.01
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/15 including semiconductor components having potential barriers, specially adapted for light emission
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/06203 Transistor-type lasers H01S5/0608 takes precedence

Abstract

A transistor laser has a semiconductor collector with a semiconductor substrate and n semiconductor layers thereon, and the substrate is formed of material compatible with the semiconductor layers. Disposed on the collector is a semiconductor base comprising a p layer, and superposed on it is an emitter formed of n semiconductor layers extending the full length of the base and of lesser width than the base. An emitter contact is provided on the outer layer of the emitter, and a base contact is provided on the semiconductor base spaced from the emitter, and a collector contact is provided on the surface of the collector. When potentials are applied between the collector contact and the emitter contact and between the emitter contact and the base contact, a laser beam is generated in the semiconductor base. The assembly may include reflecting dielectric mirrors on the substrate and in the emitter to confine the lasing therebetween. The emitter may include a multiplicity of resonant tunneling layers, and positive distributed feedback may be provided by periodic corrugation on at least one side of the base. The base may be chemically constituted as a strained multiple quantum well layer, or comprised of a series of layers providing multiple quantum wells.

Claims

1. A transistor laser comprising:

(a) a semiconductor collector having a semiconductor substrate and n semiconductor layers thereon, said substrate being formed of material compatible with the semiconductor layers placed thereon;

(b) a semiconductor base on said collector comprising a p layer;

(c) an emitter on said base formed of n semiconductor layers extending the full length of said base and of lesser width than said base;

(d) an emitter contact on the outer layer of said emitter;

(e) a base contact on said semiconductor base and spaced from said emitter; and

(f) a collector contact on the surface of said collector, whereby, when potentials are applied between said conductive contact on said collector and said emitter contact and between said emitter contact and said base contact, a laser beam is generated in said semiconductor base.

2. The transistor laser in accordance with claim 1 wherein said substrate is semi-insulating and said collector contact is disposed on the lower of said n layers of said collector, said lower layer being n⁺ and the upper layer thereabove being n^-.

3. The transistor laser in accordance with claim 1 wherein said substrate is semiconducting and said collector contact is disposed on the outer surface thereof, said substrate being n⁺ and the semiconductor layers thereon being n⁺ and n^-.

4. The transistor laser in accordance with claim 1 wherein said laser emits the laser beam through the outer surface of said collector, said substrate being an n⁺ semiconductor with a n⁺ and semiconductor layers thereon, at least one of said semiconductor layers comprising quarter wave stack providing a reflecting dielectric mirror on said substrate, and wherein said emitter has a semiconductor layer providing a reflecting dielectric mirror, thereby confining the lasing between said mirrors, and wherein said collector substrate permits the laser beam to pass through said mirror thereon and to exit therethrough.

5. The transistor laser in accordance with claim 4 wherein said dielectric mirrors are realized by quarter wave thick layers of compatible low and high index of refraction semiconductors.

6. The transistor laser in accordance with claim 4 wherein said substrate and its ohmic contact are configured to provide an aperture for the laser beam to exit.

7. The transistor laser in accordance with claim 1 wherein the laser beam generated in the base is of a wavelength to which the substrate is transparent.

8. The transistor laser in accordance with claim 1 wherein the ends of said base are reflecting to form a cavity therebetween and the laser beam is emitted through one end thereof.

9. The transistor laser in accordance with claim 1 wherein said emitter includes a multiplicity of resonant tunneling layers.

10. The transistor laser in accordance with claim 1 wherein positive distributed feedback is provided by periodic corrugation on at least one side of said base and said laser beam is emitted through one end thereof.

11. The transistor laser in accordance with claim 1 wherein said base is chemically constituted as a strained layer.

12. The transistor laser in accordance with claim 1 wherein said base provides multiple quantum wells.