U.S. Philips Corporation

Philips & Du Pont Optical Company

Jeroen J Horikx

Johannes Leopoldus Bakx

Coen T Liedenbaum

Adriaan Valster

Carolus J Van Der Poel

Martinus B Van Der Mark

Jeroen J Vleggaar

Henri M Boots

Adrianus J Berntsen

The illumination system (1) has a substrate (2) and an active layer (3) comprising an electroluminescent material, in which the active layer (3) is present between a first, optically transparent electrode layer (5) and a second electrode layer (7). The illumination system (1) is characterized in that a light-scattering layer (28) comprising a medium having light-scattering properties is present in a forward direction (29) with respect to the active layer (3), in which the non-scattered fraction of a (collimated) light beam, when passed through the light-scattering layer (8) in the forward direction (29), is in the range between 0.05 and 0.8, preferably in the range between 0.1 and 0.5. The light-scattering properties of the medium are preferably stronger as the light is more obliquely incident, as is achieved by using birefringent particles and/or media. A very suitable light-scattering layer (28) is a (half) monolayer of TiO.sub.2 particles provided on the substrate (2), with an average size of the (spherical) particles of 0.1-1 .mu.m. The light output of the illumination system (1) is further improved by providing the edges of the substrate (2) with a reflective coating (26).

Electroluminescent illumination system with an active layer of a medium

An array of semiconductor diode lasers (11, 12) is a very suitable radiation source for various applications such as optical read and write systems and laser printers. Such an array includes a semiconductor body (10) with a substrate (1) and a layer structure provided thereon in which at least two lasers (11, 12) are formed which are mutually separated by a groove (20). In the known array, the groove (20) reaches down into the substrate (1), so that the lasers (11, 12) are electrically separated from one another. According to the invention, the array of lasers (11, 12) is provided with a groove (20) with a major portion (d) of its depth (D) which is situated within the substrate (1). As a result of this, the lasers (11, 12) of the array show a surprisingly low crosstalk. Preferably, the portion (d) of the groove (20) situated in the substrate (1) is at least 3 .mu.m deep. The best results are obtained with depths (d) of approximately 10 up to at most 40 .mu.m. In a very favorable embodiment, the device is provided at the upper side with a comparatively thick electrically and thermally conducting layer. In a preferred embodiment, the groove (20) is formed by reactive ion etching so that the groove (20) can be narrow and deep and the lasers (11, 12) will lie close together. A plasma including SiCl.sub.4, Ar and CH.sub.4 forms a particularly suitable etchant for lasers (11, 12) in the InGaP/InAlGaP material system.

Optoelectronic semiconductor device with an array of semiconductor diode

An apparatus and method for recording an information signal on a record carrier by means of a radiation beam which produces optically detectable marks in parallel track portions thereon having a substantially constant track pitch (q). The write intensity of the radiation beam is adjusted to an optimum level which results in a width (p) of the optical marks which corresponds to the track pitch (q). The optimum intensity level is determined by recording different test signals in adjoining track portions at various write intensities of the radiation beam, reading-out the recorded test signals, and detecting therefrom the write intensity at which signal components of one test signal no longer occur in another recorded test signal. Recording at the optimum write intensity results in a minimum block error rate (BLER) upon read-out of the recorded information signal.

Method and apparatus for recording signals on a record carrier,

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Eindhoven, Netherlands

Jeroen J Horikx