Vertical cavity light-producing device with improved power conversion

• US 6,690,697 B1
• Filed: 08/20/2002
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Kahen, Keith B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ip, Paul
• Assistant Examiner(s): MENEFEE, JAMES A
• Application Number:
  US10/224,238
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• Field of Search: 372/39, 372/96, 372/70
• US Class Current: 372/39
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/041 Optical pumping
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18369 based on dielectric materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18383 with periodic active regions at nodes or maxima of light intensity
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/36 comprising organic materials
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/85 Arrangements for extracting light from the devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/856 comprising reflective means

Abstract

A vertical cavity light-producing device which, in response to incident external light, produces quasi-laser light with an enlarged spectral linewidth selected to improve power conversion efficiency, including a substrate; a bottom dielectric stack reflective to light over a predetermined range of wavelengths; and an organic active region for producing quasi-laser light. The device also includes a top dielectric stack spaced from the bottom stack reflective to light over a predetermined range of wavelengths; the active region includes one or more periodic gain region(s) and organic spacer layers disposed on either side of the periodic gain region(s) arranged so that the periodic gain region(s) is aligned with the antinodes of the device'"'"'s standing wave electromagnetic field; and the top or bottom dielectric stack being selected so that it'"'"'s peak reflectance is less than 99% and the device'"'"'s spectral linewidth is increased but produces an acceptable level of spontaneous emission.

Claims

1. A vertical cavity light-producing device which, in response to incident external light, produces quasi-laser light with an enlarged spectral linewidth selected to improve power conversion efficiency, comprising:

a) a substrate;

b) a bottom dielectric stack reflective to light over a predetermined range of wavelengths;

c) an organic active region for producing quasi-laser light;

d) a top dielectric stack spaced from the bottom dielectric stack and reflective to light over a predetermined range of wavelengths;

e) the organic active region includes one or more periodic gain region(s) each having a thickness less than 50 nm and greater than 0 nm and organic spacer layers disposed on either side of the periodic gain region(s) and arranged so that the periodic gain region(s) is aligned with the antinodes of the device'"'"'s standing wave electromagnetic field; and

f) the top or bottom dielectric stack being selected so that it'"'"'s peak reflectance is less than 99% and the device'"'"'s spectral linewidth is increased but produces an acceptable level of spontaneous emission, thereby resulting in improved power conversion efficiency.

2. The vertical cavity light-producing device of claim 1 wherein pump beam light is transmitted and introduced into the organic active region through at least one of the dielectric stacks.

3. The vertical cavity light-producing device of claim 2 wherein the organic active region includes a combination of a host material and a dopant and the organic spacer layer is substantially transparent to the pump beam and quasi-laser light.

4. The vertical cavity light-producing device of claim 3 wherein the host material is aluminum tris(8-hydroxyquinoline), the dopant is [10-(2-benzothiazolyl)-2,3,6,7-tetrahydro-1,1,7,7-tetramethyl-1H,5H,11H-[1]Benzopyrano[6,7,8-ij]quinolizin-11-one] and the organic spacer layers are 1,1-Bis-(4-bis(4-methyl-phenyl)-amino-phenyl)-cyclohexane.

5. The vertical cavity laser light-producing device of claim 1 wherein the organic active region includes polymeric materials.

6. The vertical cavity laser light-producing device of claim 1 wherein the power conversion efficiency is greater than 20%.