Multiple-wavelength opto-electronic device including a superlattice

• US 8,389,974 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2011
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atomera Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mears Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Mears, Robert J., Stephenson, Robert John, Hytha, Marek, Dukovski, Ilija, Yiptong, Jean Augustin Chan Sow Fook, Halilov, Samed, Huang, Xiangyang
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Ha Tran T
• Assistant Examiner(s): QUINTO, KEVIN V
• Application Number:
  US13/017,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20110193063A1
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 257/9
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/15 Structures with periodic or quasi periodic potential variation, e.g. multiple quantum wells, superlattices such structures applied for the control of light G02F1/017, applied in semiconductor lasers H01S5/34
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/035236 Superlattices; Multiple quantum well structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/076 Multiple junction or tandem solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/06 within the light emitting region, e.g. quantum confinement structure or tunnel barrier
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/08 with a plurality of light emitting regions, e.g. laterally discontinuous light emitting layer or photoluminescent region integrated within the semiconductor body H01L27/15 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/28 containing only elements of Group II and Group VI of the Periodic Table
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/3072 Diffusion blocking layer, i.e. a special layer blocking diffusion of dopants
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/548 Amorphous silicon PV cells

Abstract

A multiple-wavelength opto-electronic device may include a substrate and a plurality of active optical devices carried by the substrate and operating at different respective wavelengths. Each optical device may include a superlattice comprising a plurality of stacked groups of layers, and each group of layers may include a plurality of stacked semiconductor monolayers defining a base semiconductor portion and at least one non-semiconductor monolayer thereon.

Claims

1. An opto-electronic device comprising:

a substrate; and

a plurality of active optical detectors carried by said substrate and having respective different spectral absorption responses;

at least one active optical detector from among the plurality thereof comprising a superlattice comprising a plurality of stacked groups of layers, and each group of layers comprising a plurality of stacked semiconductor monolayers defining a base semiconductor portion and at least one non-semiconductor monolayer thereon.

2. The opto-electronic device of claim 1 wherein said at least one non-semiconductor monolayer is constrained within a crystal lattice of adjacent base semiconductor portions, and at least some semiconductor atoms from opposing base semiconductor portions are chemically bound together through the at least one non-semiconductor monolayer therebetween.

3. The opto-electronic device of claim 1 wherein said at least one active optical detector further comprises first and second semiconductor regions on opposing sides of said superlattice and having opposite conductivity types.

4. The opto-electronic device of claim 1 wherein said plurality of active optical detectors are stacked in a vertical direction.

5. The opto-electronic device of claim 1 wherein said plurality of active optical detectors are laterally adjacent one another.

6. The opto-electronic device of claim 1 wherein said plurality of active optical detectors are configured to provide an output equal to a sum of photocurrents therefrom.

7. The opto-electronic device of claim 1 wherein at least one other one of said plurality of active optical detectors comprises a non-superlattice semiconductor junction.

8. The opto-electronic device of claim 1 further comprising at least one contact coupled to said plurality of active optical detectors.

9. The opto-electronic device of claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises a semiconductor.

10. The opto-electronic device of claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises a non-semiconductor.

11. The opto-electronic device of claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises glass.

12. The opto-electronic device of claim 1 wherein each base semiconductor portion comprises silicon.

13. The opto-electronic device of claim 1 wherein each base semiconductor portion comprises a base semiconductor selected from the group consisting of Group IV semiconductors, Group III-V semiconductors, and Group II-VI semiconductors.

14. The opto-electronic device of claim 1 wherein each non-semiconductor monolayer comprises oxygen.

15. The opto-electronic device of claim 1 wherein each non-semiconductor monolayer comprises a non-semiconductor selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, fluorine, and carbon-oxygen.

16. An opto-electronic device comprising:

a substrate; and

a plurality of active optical detectors carried by said substrate and having respective different spectral absorption responses, said plurality of active optical detectors being arranged in a vertically stacked arrangement;

at least one active optical detector from among the plurality thereof comprising a superlattice comprising a plurality of stacked groups of layers, and each group of layers comprising a plurality of stacked semiconductor monolayers defining a base semiconductor portion and at least one non-semiconductor monolayer thereon;

at least one other one of said plurality of active optical detectors comprising a non-superlattice semiconductor junction.

17. The opto-electronic device of claim 16 wherein said at least one non-semiconductor monolayer is constrained within a crystal lattice of adjacent base semiconductor portions, and at least some semiconductor atoms from opposing base semiconductor portions are chemically bound together through the at least one non-semiconductor monolayer therebetween.

18. The opto-electronic device of claim 16 wherein said at least one active optical detector further comprises first and second semiconductor regions on opposing sides of said superlattice and having opposite conductivity types.

19. The opto-electronic device of claim 16 wherein said plurality of active optical detectors are configured to provide an output equal to a sum of photocurrents therefrom.

20. The opto-electronic device of claim 16 further comprising at least one contact coupled to said plurality of active optical detectors.

21. The opto-electronic device of claim 16 wherein said substrate comprises a semiconductor.

22. The opto-electronic device of claim 16 wherein said substrate comprises a non-semiconductor.

23. The opto-electronic device of claim 16 wherein each base semiconductor portion comprises a base semiconductor selected from the group consisting of Group IV semiconductors, Group III-V semiconductors, and Group II-VI semiconductors.

24. The opto-electronic device of claim 16 wherein each non-semiconductor monolayer comprises a non-semiconductor selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, fluorine, and carbon-oxygen.

25. A method for making an opto-electronic device comprising:

forming a plurality of active optical detectors carried by a substrate and having respective different spectral absorption responses;

at least one active optical detector from among the plurality thereof comprising a superlattice comprising a plurality of stacked groups of layers, and each group of layers comprising a plurality of stacked semiconductor monolayers defining a base semiconductor portion and at least one non-semiconductor monolayer thereon.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the at least one non-semiconductor monolayer is constrained within a crystal lattice of adjacent base semiconductor portions, and at least some semiconductor atoms from opposing base semiconductor portions are chemically bound together through the at least one non-semiconductor monolayer therebetween.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the at least one active optical detector further comprises first and second semiconductor regions on opposing sides of the superlattice and having opposite conductivity types.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the plurality of active optical detectors are stacked in a vertical direction.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein the plurality of active optical detectors are laterally adjacent one another.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein the plurality of active optical detectors are configured to provide an output equal to a sum of photocurrents therefrom.

31. The method of claim 25 wherein at least one other one of the plurality of active optical detectors comprises a non-superlattice semiconductor junction.

32. The method of claim 25 further comprising forming at least one contact coupled to the plurality of active optical detectors.

33. The method of claim 25 wherein each base semiconductor portion comprises a base semiconductor selected from the group consisting of Group IV semiconductors, Group III-V semiconductors, and Group II-VI semiconductors.

34. The method of claim 25 wherein each non-semiconductor monolayer comprises a non-semiconductor selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, fluorine, and carbon-oxygen.