The United States of America As Represented by the United States

Sandia Corporation

Robert M Biefeld

Steven R Kurtz

Andrew A Allerman

Thomas E Zipperian

Paul L Gourley

Ian J Fritz

L Ralph Dawson

Kevin C Baucom

Gordon Cecil Osbourn

Timothy J Drummond

Kevin P Killeen

Gregory A Hebner

Steven P Zuhoski

Arnold J Howard

A method for producing aluminum-indium-antimony materials by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). This invention provides a method of producing Al.sub.X In.sub.1-x Sb crystalline materials by MOCVD wherein an Al source material, an In source material and an Sb source material are supplied as a gas to a heated substrate in a chamber, said Al source material, In source material, and Sb source material decomposing at least partially below 525.degree. C. to produce Al.sub.x In.sub.1-x Sb crystalline materials wherein x is greater than 0.002 and less than one.

Method of making AlInSb by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition

An infrared light source is disclosed that comprises a layered semiconductor active region having a semimetal region and at least one quantum-well layer. The semimetal region, formed at an interface between a GaAsSb or GalnSb layer and an InAsSb layer, provides electrons and holes to the quantum-well layer to generate infrared light at a predetermined wavelength in the range of 2-6 .mu.m. Embodiments of the invention can be formed as electrically-activated light-emitting diodes (LEDs) or lasers, and as optically-pumped lasers. Since the active region is unipolar, multiple active regions can be stacked to form a broadband or multiple-wavelength infrared light source.

Infrared light sources with semimetal electron injection

An infrared emitting device and method. The infrared emitting device comprises a III-V compound semiconductor substrate upon which are grown a quantum-well active region having a plurality of quantum-well layers formed of a ternary alloy comprising InAsSb sandwiched between barrier layers formed of a ternary alloy having a smaller lattice constant and a larger energy bandgap than the quantum-well layers. The quantum-well layers are preferably compressively strained to increase the threshold energy for Auger recombination; and a method is provided for determining the preferred thickness for the quantum-well layers. Embodiments of the present invention are described having at least one cladding layer to increase the optical and carrier confinement in the active region, and to provide for waveguiding of the light generated within the active region. Examples have been set forth showing embodiments of the present invention as surface- and edge-emitting light emitting diodes (LEDs), an optically-pumped semiconductor laser, and an electrically-injected semiconductor diode laser. The light emission from each of the infrared emitting devices of the present invention is in the midwave infrared region of the spectrum from about 2 to 6 microns.

Infrared emitting device and method

A high gain photoconductive device for 8 to 12 .mu.m wavelength radiation including an active semiconductor region extending from a substrate to an exposed face, the region comprising a strained-layer superlattice of alternating layers of two different InAs.sub.1-x Sb.sub.x compounds having x&gt;0.75. A pair of spaced electrodes are provided on the exposed face, and changes in 8 to 12 .mu.m radiation on the exposed face cause a large photoconductive gain between the spaced electrodes.

Long wavelength, high gain InAsSb strained-layer superlattice

A system for monitoring and controlling the rate of growth of thin films in an atmosphere of reactant gases measures the UV absorbance of the atmosphere and calculates the partial pressure of the gases. The flow of reactant gases is controlled in response to the partial pressure.

UV absorption control of thin film growth

A semiconductor high reflector comprising a number of thin alternating layers of semiconductor materials is electrically tunable and may be used as a temperature insensitive semiconductor laser in a Fabry-Perot configuration.

Semiconductor devices incorporating multilayer interference regions

A semiconductor optical device which includes a superlattice having direct transitions between conduction band and valence band states with the same wave vector, the superlattice being formed from a plurality of alternating layers of two or more different materials, at least the material with the smallest bandgap being an indirect bandgap material.

Growing community of inventors

Albuquerque, NM, United States of America

Robert M Biefeld