Group IV Semiconductor, Inc.

Mcmaster University

E Steven Hill

Iain D Calder

Thomas Macelwee

George Chik

Peter Mascher

Jacek Wojcik

A light emitting device includes an active layer structure, which has one or more active layers with luminescent centers, e.g. a wide bandgap material with semiconductor nano-particles, deposited on a substrate. For the practical extraction of light from the active layer structure, a transparent electrode is disposed over the active layer structure and a base electrode is placed under the substrate. Transition layers, having a higher conductivity than a top layer of the active layer structure, are formed at contact regions between the upper transparent electrode and the active layer structure, and between the active layer structure and the substrate. Accordingly the high field regions associated with the active layer structure are moved back and away from contact regions, thereby reducing the electric field necessary to generate a desired current to flow between the transparent electrode, the active layer structure and the substrate, and reducing associated deleterious effects of larger electric fields.

Pixel structure for a solid state light emitting device

A solid state light emitting device comprises one or more active layers comprising semiconductor nano-particles in a host matrix, e.g. silicon nano-particles in silicon dioxide or silicon nitride. The incorporation of carbon in the active layers provides a great improvement in performance through shortened decay time and enhance emission spectra, as well as reliability and lifetime. The emission wavelengths from the nano-particles can be made to correspond to the quantization energy of the semiconductor nano-particles, which allows the entire visible range of the spectrum be covered. Ideally an engineered structure of alternating active and buffer material layers are disposed between AC or DC electrodes, which generate an electric field. The buffer layers are comprised of a wide bandgap semiconductor or dielectric material, and are designed with a thickness, in the direction of an applied electric field, that ensures that electrons passing therethrough picks up enough energy to excite the nano-particles in the adjacent active layer at a sufficient excitation energy to emit light efficiently at a desired wavelength.

Carbon passivation in solid-state light emitters

Growing community of inventors

Ottawa, Canada

E Steven Hill