Insiava (Pty) Limited

Tshwane University of Technology

University of Pretoria

University of South Africa

Insiava Limited

Lukas Willem Snyman

Monuko Du Plessis

Herzl Aharoni

Monuko DuPlessis

R Kene

The present invention discloses a smart microprocessor and sensor based controller system that enables selective management of energy supply into a household of electrical appliances through individually switching on or off of individual load lines in a domestic household based on external information fed in from external sensors regarding the household's demand, time data and/or tariff data, wherein, based on the information received, the controller system manages the supply of energy to the household such that peak load of an electrical grid is reduced by selectively supplying electrical energy to high household loads, such as swimming pools, at low electrical grid demand time. The controller system includes smart switching devices, microprocessor logic, software algorithms, and timing devices used to control the switching processes.

Electronic controller for household energy control based on timing and tariff data

The present invention relates to a sensor device. More particularly, the invention relates to a CMOS-based micro-optical-electromechanical-sensor (MOEMS) device with silicon light emitting devices, silicon waveguides and silicon detectors being fabricated using current Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) technology or Silicon on Insulator (SOI) technology. According to the invention there is provided a sensor comprising: a Silicon-based light emitting structure; an integrated electro-optical mechanical interface structure that is capable to sense mechanical deflections; an integrated electronic driving and processing circuitry so as to detect physical parameters such as vibration, motion, rotation, acceleration.

CMOS MOEMS sensor device

This invention relates to relates to silicon light emitting devices (SiLEDs), and its application into current Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) technology, as well into future Silicon on Insulator (SOI) technology. According to the invention, a silicon based light emitting device is designed to operate by means of avalanche carrier multiplication and emitting at the below threshold wavelength detection range for Silicon of 850 nm and such that it is compatible with CMOS silicon nitride, silicon oxi-nitride and polymer waveguide technology. This favors diverse electro-optical system applications such as electro-optical couplers, fast data transfer on and from chip, various optical interconnect configurations as well as diverse on-chip sensor, fluidic and micro-optical-mechanical sensor applications. Under particular operating conditions emissions at specific wavelengths (for example the longer wavelengths) may be favored, while in other cases tuning of the emitted radiation may be obtained.

Wavelength specific silicon light emitting structure

A light emitting device () comprises a body () of a semiconductor material. A first junction region () is formed in the body between a first region () of the body of a first doping kind and a second region () of the body of a second doping kind. A second junction region () is formed in the body between the second region () of the body and a third region () of the body of the first doping kind. A terminal arrangement () is connected to the body for, in use, reverse biasing the first junction region () into a breakdown mode and for forward biasing at least part () of the second junction region (), to inject carriers towards the first junction region (). The device () is configured so that a first depletion region () associated with the reverse biased first junction region () punches through to a second depletion region associated with the forward biased second junction region ().

Semiconductor light emitting device utilising punch-through effects

An optical communication system is provided comprising of a three terminal silicon based light emitting device operating by means of avalanche carrier multiplication and emitting at the below threshold wavelength detection range for Silicon of 850 nm; a low loss optical waveguide operating in the below threshold wavelength detection range for Silicon of 850 nm; and an optical detector, wherein a complete and all-silicon optical communication system is formed being capable of transferring electrical signals in terms of optical intensity variations, such intensities then being propagated through the waveguide and being detected by the optical detector; and being converted back to electrical signals. In a particular mode of operation of the system, wavelength modulation may be obtained. In other applications, transponding action and optical amplification may be obtained.

All silicon 750NM and CMOS-based optical communication system utilizing MOD-E avalanche LEDs

A semiconductor light emitting device () comprises a semiconductor structure () comprising a first body () of a first semiconductor material (in this case Ge) comprising a first region of a first doping kind (in this case n) and a second body () of a second semiconductor material (in this case Si) comprising a first region of a second doping kind (in this case p). The structure comprises a junction region () comprising a first heterojunction () formed between the first body () and the second body () and a pn junction () formed between regions of the structure of the first and second doping kinds respectively. A biasing arrangement () is connected to the structure for, in use, reverse biasing the pn junction, thereby to cause emission of light.

Semiconductor light emitting device comprising heterojunction

An electro-optical devicecomprises a bodyof a semiconductor material, such as silicon. A light sourceis formed integrally in the body. The device comprises an associated light detectorand an optical path providing parthaving a refractive index and extending between the light sourceand the detectorto provide an optical pathhaving a path length. A sensorcooperates with the optical path providing partand is configured to modulate light emitted by the light sourceby changing at least one of light absorption characteristics in the optical path by exposing a medium in the optical path to the emitted light, the path length and the refractive index.

Microchip-based MOEMS and waveguide device

An optoelectronic device (10) formed in a chip of an indirect bandgap semiconductor material such as silicon is disclosed and claimed. The device comprises a visibly exposed highly doped n.sup.+ region (16) embedded at the surface of an oppositely doped epitaxial layer (14), to form a first junction region (15) closed to the surface of the epitaxial layer. When the junction region is reverse biased to beyond avalanche breakdown, the device acts as a light emitting device to the external environment. When it is reversed biased to just below avalanche breakdown it acts as a light detector. The device may further include a further junction region for generating or providing additional carriers in the first junction region, thereby to improve the performance of the device. This further junction can be multiplied to facilitate multi-input processing functions where the light emission from the first junction is a function of the electrical signals applied to the further junctions.

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Pretoria, South Africa

Lukas Willem Snyman