Semiconductor photocoupler with changing capacitance

• US 5,459,336 A
• Filed: 08/08/1994
• Issued: 10/17/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kato, Tetsuro
• Primary Examiner(s): MINTEL, WILLIAM A
• Application Number:
  US08/286,908
• Time in Patent Office: 435 Days
• Field of Search: 257/80, 257/81, 257/82, 257/84, 257/100, 257/101, 257/94, 257/96, 257/461, 257/185, 257/186, 257/191, 257/192, 257/102, 257/83, 257/85, 257/97
• US Class Current: 257/82
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/167 the light sources and the devices sensitive to radiation all being semiconductor devices characterised by potential barriers

Abstract

A semiconductor photocoupler is composed of a light emitting element and a light receiving element. Wavelength of emitted light changes as a function of exciting current intensity of the light emitting element, and capacitance of the light receiving element changes as a function of wavelength of receiving light and ceases the capacity change as the receiving light disappears. Signals are transmitted in current-light-capacity type transmission with memory action in the light receiving element.

Claims

1. A photocapacitance semiconductor photocoupler comprising:

a single light emitting element for emitting light when excited by driving current, and a light receiving element for receiving the light emitted by said single light emitting element;

wherein

a wavelength of the light emitted by said single light emitting element changes as a function of intensity of said driving current,

a capacitance measured across said light receiving element changes as a function of the wavelength of the received light, said capacitance ceases to change when said received light disappears, and is maintained until a new light is emitted from said single light emitting element and received by said light receiving element, said capacitance measured across said light receiving element changing to a new value corresponding to a new wavelength of said new light.

2. A semiconductor photocoupler according to claim 1, wherein said light receiving element comprises a GaP pn junction doped by Zn and 0 in a p type epitaxial layer.

3. A semiconductor photocoupler according to claim 1, wherein said light emitting element comprises a p type Al_x Ga_1-x As epitaxial layer having a graded ratio of crystal mixture, and an n type GaAs epitaxial layer formed on said p type Al_x Ga_1-x As epitaxial layer, said ratio of crystal mixture decreasing for Al as said p type layer approaches a boundary with said n type layer.

4. A semiconductor photocoupler according to claim 3, wherein said light receiving element comprises a GaP pn junction doped by Zn and 0 in a p type epitaxial layer.

5. A semiconductor photocoupler according to claim 1, wherein said light emitting element comprises an n type AlGaAs epitaxial layer and a p type AlGaAs epitaxial layer formed on said n type layer, said n type layer and said p type layer having a continuously graded ratio of crystal mixture in which said ratio of crystal mixture decreases for Al from said n type layer to said p type layer.

6. A semiconductor photocoupler according to claim 5, wherein said light receiving element comprises a GaP pn junction doped by Zn and O in a p type epitaxial layer.

7. A semiconductor photocoupler according to claim 1, wherein said light emitting element comprises a p type Al_x Ga_1-x As epitaxial layer having a graded ratio of crystal mixture, and an n type epitaxial layer formed on said p type Al_x Ga_1-x As epitaxial layer.

8. A semiconductor photocoupler according to claim 1, wherein said light emitting element comprises a p type epitaxial layer, and an n type Al_x Ga_1-x As epitaxial layer having a graded ratio of crystal mixture formed on said p type epitaxial layer.

9. A semiconductor photocoupler according to claim 1, wherein said light emitting element comprises a p type epitaxial layer, and an n type epitaxial layer having a graded ratio of crystal mixture formed on said p type epitaxial layer.

10. A semiconductor photocoupler according to claim 1, wherein said light emitting element comprises a p type epitaxial layer having a graded ratio of crystal mixture, and an n type epitaxial layer formed on said p type epitaxial layer.

11. A semiconductor photocoupler comprising:

a single light emitting element driven by a driving current which has a changeable current value and emitting light which has an infrared light component and a red light component, a ratio of said infrared light component to said red light component being changed in accordance with a change in current value of said driving current; and

a light receiving element receiving the light emitted by said light emitting element, said light receiving element having a capacitance which is changed in accordance with said ratio of said infrared light component to said red light component so that the change in current value of said driving current for driving said light emitting element is represented by the change in capacitance of said light receiving element.

12. The device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said ratio of said infrared light component to said red light component increases when said driving current has a decreasing current value and decreases when said driving current has an increasing current value.

13. The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein said light emitting element includes a p-type semiconductor layer having first and second surfaces, an n-type semiconductor layer having third and fourth surfaces, said first surface of said p-type semiconductor layer being in contact with said third surface of said n-type semiconductor layer to form a pn junction therebetween, a first electrode formed on said second surface of said p-type semiconductor layer, and a second electrode formed on said fourth surface of said n-type semiconductor layer, said p-type semiconductor layer being an AlGaAs layer in which a concentration of Al at said second surface is larger than a concentration of Al at said first surface.

14. The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein said light emitting element includes a p-type semiconductor layer having first and second surfaces, an n-type semiconductor layer having third and fourth surfaces, said first surface of said p-type semiconductor layer being in contact with said third surface of said n-type semiconductor layer to form a pn junction therebetween, a first electrode formed on said second surface of said p-type semiconductor layer, and a second electrode formed on said fourth surface of said n-type semiconductor layer, said p-type semiconductor layer being an AlGaAs layer in which a concentration of Al at said second surface is smaller than a concentration of Al at said first surface.