Optical image modulator, optical apparatus including the same, and methods of manufacturing and operating the optical image modulator

• US 8,194,303 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2009
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Yong-hwa, Cho, Yong-chul, Jang, Jae-hyung, Park, Chang-soo, Lee, Byeong-ha
• Primary Examiner(s): Pinkney, Dawayne
• Application Number:
  US12/615,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20100177372A1
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 359/237, 359244-247, 359/248, 359/263, 359/250, 359/267, 359/344, 359/584
• US Class Current: 359/263
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/10 Optical coatings produced by application to, or surface treatment of, optical elements G02B1/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/008 designed for infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0816 by means of one or more reflecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0006 with means to keep optical surfaces clean, e.g. by preventing or removing dirt, stains, contamination, condensation G02B1/18 takes precedence; cleaning in general B08B

Abstract

Disclosed are an optical image modulator, an optical apparatus including the same, and methods of manufacturing and operating the optical image modulator. The optical image modulator includes a light amount increasing unit increasing the amount of forward light emission of an electric-optical unit. The light amount increasing unit includes a first reflector reflecting light, which travels from the inside of the electric-optical unit toward the optical-electric unit, to the electric-optical unit. The light amount increasing unit may further include a second light reflector reflecting light, which passes through the optical-electric unit without optical-electric conversion, to the optical-electric unit.

Claims

1. An optical image modulator comprising:

an optical-electric unit;

an electric-optical unit;

a first light amount increasing unit which increases an amount of forward light emission of the electric-optical unit; and

a second light amount increasing unit disposed between the optical-electric unit and the first light amount increasing unit, the second light amount increasing unit further increasing the amount of forward light emission of the electric-optical unit,

wherein current that is generated and modulated by the optical-electric unit pass through the first and second light amount increasing unit and flow into the electric-optical unit.

2. The optical image modulator of claim 1, wherein the first light amount increasing unit comprises a first light reflector which reflects light, which travels from an inside of the electric-optical unit toward the optical electric unit, to the electric-optical unit.

3. The optical image modulator of claim 1, wherein the first light amount increasing unit is included in the electric-optical unit.

4. The optical image modulator of claim 1, wherein the first light amount increasing unit is disposed between the optical-electric unit and the electric-optical unit.

5. The optical image modulator of claim 2, wherein the first light amount increasing unit is a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) layer comprising a plurality of pairs, each of the plurality of pairs comprising a first layer with a first refractive index and a second layer with a second refractive index that is different from the first refractive index,

wherein a varying area, which is disposed near an interface between the first layer and the second layer, includes a portion of the first layer and a portion of the second layer, and comprises a varying composition ratio.

6. The optical image modulator of claim 3, wherein the optical-electric unit comprises the first light amount increasing unit as an element thereof.

7. The optical image modulator of claim 4, wherein the electric-optical unit comprises a light emitting device.

8. The optical image modulator of claim 3, wherein the first light amount increasing unit is a light reflector which reflects light, which travels from an inside of the electric-optical unit toward the optical-electric unit, to the electric-optical unit.

9. The optical image modulator of claim 1, wherein the optical-electric unit is an optical-electric device, or comprises the optical-electric device and a modulation device which modulates current generated by the optical-electric device.

10. The optical image modulator of claim 1, further comprising an electron transporting layer disposed between the first light amount increasing unit and the second light amount increasing unit, the electron transporting layer transporting electrons generated by the optical-electric unit to the electric-optical unit,

wherein the first light amount increasing unit is disposed under the electron transporting layer and the second light amount increasing unit is disposed over the electron transporting layer.

11. The optical image modulator of claim 1, wherein the second light amount increasing unit is a second light reflector that reflects light, which passes through the optical-electric unit without optical-electric conversion, to the optical-electric unit.

12. The optical image modulator of claim 11, wherein the second light reflector is a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) layer comprising a plurality of pairs, each of the plurality of pairs comprising a first layer with a first refractive index and a second layer with a second refractive index that is different from the first refractive index,

wherein a varying area, which is disposed near an interface between the first layer and the second layer, includes a portion of the first layer and a portion of the second layer, and has a continuously varying composition ratio.

13. The optical image modulator of claim 5, wherein the composition ratio of the varying area changes in one of a parabolic manner, a stepped manner, and a linear manner.

14. The optical image modulator of claim 9, wherein the optical-electric device is one of a photodiode (PD), a heterojunction phototransistor (HPT), an avalanche photodiode (APD), and a quantum wall infrared photodetector (QWIP).

15. The optical image modulator of claim 1, wherein the first light amount increasing unit and the second light amount increasing unit contact each other to form a monolithic body.

16. An optical apparatus comprising the optical image modulator of claim 1.

17. The optical apparatus of claim 16, wherein the optical apparatus is a three-dimensional (3D) camera, a laser radar (LADAR), an infrared (IR) imager, or a high-speed camera.

18. A method of operating the optical image modulator according to claim 1, the method comprising:

operating the optical-electric unit to generate current; and

inputting the current generated by operating the optical-electric unit to the electric-optical unit through the first light amount increasing unit.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the second light amount increasing unit reflects light, which passes through the optical-electric unit without optical-electric conversion, to the optical-electric unit and the current sequentially passes through the second light amount increasing unit and the first light amount increasing unit and is inputted to the electric-optical unit.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the first light amount increasing unit is a first distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) layer comprising a varying area having a continuously varying composition ratio.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the second light amount increasing unit is a second distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) layer comprising a varying area having a continuously varying composition ratio.

22. The optical image modulator of claim 1, wherein the first light amount increasing unit and the second light amount increasing unit are disposed between the optical-electric unit and the electric-optical unit.

23. A method of manufacturing an optical image modulator including an optical-electric device and an electric-optical device which are sequentially disposed, the method comprising:

forming a first light amount increasing unit between the electric-optical device and the optical-electric device,

forming a second light amount increasing unit between the first light amount increasing unit and the optical-electric device,

wherein the first light amount increasing unit increases an amount of forward light emission of the electric-optical device, and

wherein current that is generated and modulated by the optical-electric unit pass through the first and second light amount increasing unit and flow into the electric-optical unit.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first light amount increasing unit and the electric-optical device form a monolithic electric-optical unit.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein after the electric-optical device is formed, the first light amount increasing unit is formed on the electric-optical device.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the electric-optical device is a light emitting device.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the second light amount increasing unit reflects light, which passes through the optical-electric device without optical-electric conversion, to the optical-electric device.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the first light amount increasing unit is a first distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) layer comprising a varying area having a composition ratio that changes continuously.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein the second light amount increasing unit is a second distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) layer comprising a varying area having a composition ratio that changes continuously.

30. The method of claim 23, wherein the first light amount increasing unit and the second light amount increasing unit are disposed between the optical-electric unit and the electric-optical unit.