Quantum semiconductor device having a quantum dot structure

• US 6,177,684 B1
• Filed: 07/29/1998
• Issued: 01/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Sugiyama, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Jr., Jerome
• Application Number:
  US09/123,981
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• Field of Search: 257/17, 257/21, 257/13, 257/97
• US Class Current: 257/17
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/06 within the light emitting region, e.g. quantum confinement structure or tunnel barrier
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/32 containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/183 having only vertical cavities, e.g. vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers [VCSEL]
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/3412 quantum box or quantum dash
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4043 with vertically stacked active layers

Abstract

A quantum semiconductor device includes a plurality of intermediate layers stacked on each other repeatedly, each being formed of a first semiconductor crystal having a first lattice constant and including a plurality of quantum dots of a second semiconductor crystal having a second lattice constant different from the first lattice constant, the second semiconductor crystal forming thereby a strained system with respect to the first semiconductor crystal, each of the quantum dots in an intermediate layer having a height substantially identical with a thickness of the intermediate layer, each quantum dot in an intermediate layer aligning with another quantum dot in an adjacent intermediate layer in a direction perpendicular to a principal surface of the intermediate layer, each of the intermediate layers having a thickness equal to or smaller than a Bohr-radius of carriers in said intermediate layer, wherein the second semiconductor crystal contains N.

Claims

1. A quantum semiconductor device, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;

an active layer formed on said semiconductor substrate and including a quantum structure,

said quantum structure comprising;

a plurality of intermediate layers stacked on each other repeatedly, each of said plurality of intermediate layers being formed of a first semiconductor crystal having a first lattice constant;

each of said intermediate layers including a plurality of quantum dots of a second semiconductor crystal having a second lattice constant different from said first lattice constant, said second semiconductor crystal forming thereby a strained system with respect to said first semiconductor crystal, each said quantum dots in an intermediate layer having a height substantially identical with a thickness of said intermediate layer;

said quantum dot in an intermediate layer aligning with another quantum dot in an adjacent intermediate layer in a direction perpendicular to a principal surface of said semiconductor substrate;

each of said plurality of intermediate layers having a thickness equal to or smaller than a Bohr-radius of carriers in said intermediate layer,

wherein each of said plurality of quantum dots has a composition represented as InN_xAs_1-x, with a compositional parameter x not exceeding 0.04.

2. A quantum semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of intermediate layers has a thickness smaller than a height of said quantum dots in a freely grown state.

3. A quantum semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said aligned quantum dots form a quantum mechanical coupling with each other to form an effectively single quantum dot interacting with a radiation having a wavelength of a 1.3 μ

m band.

4. A quantum semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of quantum dots is formed of InNAs, and wherein each of said plurality of intermediate layers is formed of GaAs.

5. A quantum semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of quantum dots has a composition represented as InN_xAs_1-x, with a compositional parameter x in a range of 0.02 to 0.04.

13. A quantum semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of intermediate layers has a thickness of 0.4 to 0.6 times smaller than a height of said quantum dots in a freely grown state.

6. A quantum semiconductor device, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;

an active layer formed on said semiconductor substrate and including a quantum structure,

said quantum structure comprising;

an intermediate layer formed of a first semiconductor crystal having a first lattice constant;

said intermediate layer including a plurality of quantum dots of a second semiconductor crystal having a second lattice constant different from said first lattice constant, said second semiconductor crystal forming thereby a strained system with respect to said first semiconductor crystal, each of said quantum dots having a height substantially identical with a thickness of said intermediate layer;

said intermediate layer having a thickness equal to or smaller than a Bohr-radius of carriers in said intermediate layer,

wherein each of said plurality of quantum dots has a composition represented as InN_xAs_1-x, with a compositional parameter x not exceeding 0.04.

7. An optical semiconductor device, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;

a first cladding layer provided on said semiconductor substrate;

an active layer provided on said first cladding layer and including a quantum structure;

a second cladding layer provided on said active layer;

a first electrode provided on said semiconductor substrate for injecting carriers of a first type into said active layer via said first cladding layer;

a second electrode provided on said second cladding layer for injecting carriers of a second type into said active layer via said second cladding layer;

said quantum structure comprising;

a plurality of intermediate layers stacked on each other repeatedly, each of said plurality of intermediate layers being formed of a first semiconductor crystal having a first lattice constant;

each of said intermediate layers including a plurality of quantum dots of a second semiconductor crystal having a second lattice constant different from said first lattice constant, said second semiconductor crystal forming thereby a strained system with respect to said first semiconductor crystal, each of said quantum dots in an intermediate layer having a height substantially identical with a thickness of said intermediate layer;

a quantum dot in an intermediate layer aligning with another quantum dot in an adjacent intermediate layer in a direction perpendicular to a principle surface of said semiconductor substrate;

each of said plurality of intermediate layers having a thickness equal to or smaller than a Bohr-radius of carriers in said intermediate layer,

wherein each of said plurality of quantum dots has a composition represented as InN_xAs_1-x, with a compositional parameter x not exceeding 0.04.

8. An optical semiconductor device as claimed in claim 7, wherein each of said plurality of intermediate layers has a thickness smaller than a height of said quantum dots in a freely grown state.

9. An optical semiconductor device as claimed in claim 7, wherein said aligned quantum dots form a quantum mechanical coupling with each other to form an effectively single quantum dot interacting with a radiation having a wavelength of a 1.3 μ

m band.

10. An optical semiconductor device as claimed in claim 7, wherein each of said plurality of quantum dots is formed of InNAs, and wherein each of said plurality of intermediate layers is formed of GaAs.

11. An optical semiconductor device as claimed in claim 7, wherein each of said plurality of quantum dots has a composition represented as InN_xAs_1-x, with a compositional parameter x in a range of 0.02 to 0.04.

14. An optical semiconductor device as claimed in claim 7, wherein each of said plurality of intermediate layers has a thickness of 0.4 to 0.6 times smaller than a height of said quantum dots in a freely grown state.

12. An optical semiconductor device, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;

a first cladding layer provided on said semiconductor substrate;

an active layer provided on said first cladding layer and including a quantum structure;

a second cladding layer provided on said active layer;

a first electrode provided on said semiconductor substrate for injecting carriers of a first type into said active layer via said first cladding layer;

a second electrode provided on said second cladding layer for injecting carriers of a second type into said active layer via said second cladding layer;

said quantum structure comprising;

an intermediate layer formed of a first semiconductor crystal having a first lattice constant;

said intermediate layer including a plurality of quantum dots of a second semiconductor crystal having a second lattice constant different from said first lattice constant, said second semiconductor crystal forming thereby a strained system with respect to said first semiconductor crystal, each of said quantum dots having a height substantially identical with a thickness of said intermediate layer;

said intermediate layers having a thickness equal to or smaller than a Bohr-radius of carriers in said intermediate layer,

wherein each of said plurality of quantum dots has a composition represented as InN_xAs_1-x, with a compositional parameter x not exceeding 0.04.

15. An optical semiconductor device as claimed in claim 12, wherein said second semiconductor crystal contains N at an amount of less than 4 atomic %.

16. An optical semiconductor device as claimed in claim 12, wherein said second semiconductor crystal contains N at an amount of 2 to 3 atomic %.

17. A quantum semiconductor device, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate; and

an active layer formed on said semiconductor substrate and including a quantum structure,

said quantum structure having a photo luminescence at a wavelength equal to or greater than 1.3 μ

m and including a plurality of intermediate layers stacked on each other repeatedly,

each of said plurality of intermediate layers being formed of a first semiconductor crystal having a first lattice constant,

each of said intermediate layers including a plurality of quantum dots of a second semiconductor crystal having a second lattice constant different from said first lattice constant and forming a strained system with respect to said first semiconductor crystal, and

said quantum dots in each of said intermediate layers aligning with the quantum dots in an adjacent intermediate layer perpendicular to a principal surface of said semiconductor substrate,

wherein each of said plurality of quantum dots has a composition represented as InN_xAs_1-x, with a compositional parameter x not exceeding 0.04.

18. A quantum semiconductor device as claimed in claim 17, wherein each of said plurality of quantum dots has a composition represented as InN_xAs_1-x, with a compositional parameter x in a range of 0.02 to 0.04.