Scanning III-V compound light emitters integrated with Si-based actuators

• US 6,567,448 B1
• Filed: 12/11/1998
• Issued: 05/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Chua, Christopher L., Tran, Alex T., Bringans, Ross D., Floyd, Philip D., Kubby, Joel A., Peeters, Eric, Sun, Decai
• Primary Examiner(s): LEUNG, QUYEN PHAN
• Application Number:
  US09/210,315
• Time in Patent Office: 1,621 Days
• Field of Search: 372/45, 372/107, 372/50, 310/309, 310/40.MM
• US Class Current: 372/50.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/021 Silicon based substrates
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02253 using lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02326 Arrangements for relative positioning of laser diodes and optical components, e.g. grooves in the mount to fix optical fibres or lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18308 having a special structure for lateral current or light confinement
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4087 emitting more than one wavelength
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/423 having a vertical cavity
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/426 Vertically stacked cavities

Abstract

A III-V compound light emitter is integrated with Si-based actuators. The proposed devices take advantage of the superior optical properties of III-V compounds and the superior mechanical properties of Si, as well as mature fabrication technologies of Si-Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS). The emitter can be a light emitting diode (LED), a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) or an edge emitting laser. Electro or magnetic based actuation from Si-based actuators provides

Claims

1. A movable light emitting assembly, comprising:

a substrate having a top and a bottom made of semiconductor material, the substrate including a doped layer on the bottom of the substrate, an etch stop layer and a a light buffer layer;

a light source;

a light source support connected to the light source and which movably supports the light source;

at least one suspension member, each suspension member attached at a first end to the light source support and at a second end to the substrate thereby suspending the light support; and

at least one force generator which moves the light support.

2. The movable light emitting assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light source support is formed from the buffer layer of the substrate.

3. The movable light emitting assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one suspension member is formed from the buffer layer of the substrate.

4. The movable light emitting assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an electrically conductive member attached at a first end to the light source and at a second end to an electrode on the substrate for supplying power to the light source.

5. The movable light emitting assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the electrically conductive member is supported by one of the suspension members.

6. The movable light emitting assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light source is a light source comprised of light generation layers which are bonded to the top of the substrate.

7. The movable light emitting assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one force generator is formed from the buffer layer of the substrate.

8. The movable light emitting assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the at least one force generator is a pair of electrostatic combs each electrostatic comb having a fixed comb set attached to the substrate and a movable comb set attached to the light source support.

9. The movable light emitting assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the semiconductor material in the doped layer is n-Si, the etch stop layer is SiO2 and the buffer layer is n-Si.

10. The movable light emitting assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light source is a vertical cavity surface emitting laser.

11. The movable light emitting assembly, as claimed in claim 10, wherein the at least one support member includes a first support member and a second support member, the first support member attached to one side of the light support and the second support member attached to another side of the light support.

12. The movable light emitting assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one force generator moves the light source support angularly with respect to the substrate.

13. The movable light emitting assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one force generator moves the light source support vertically with respect to the substrate.

14. The movable light emitting assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one force generator moves the light source support horizontally with respect to the substrate.

15. An array of movable light emitting assemblies, comprising:

a substrate made of a Simox chip;

a plurality of light sources;

at least one light source support formed from the Simox chip which movably supports the light sources;

a plurality of suspension members formed from the Simox chip, the suspension members attached at a first end to the at least one light source support and at a second end to the substrate thereby suspending the at least one light support above the substrate; and

at least one force generator formed from the Simox chip which moves the light support.