A semiconductor luminescent device is disclosed of the MIS type which has a semiconductor body, a semiconductor monocrystalline insulating layer on one surface of the body and an electrode on the outer major surface of the insulating layer, which electrode is light transmissive. The crystal structure of the insulating layer is substantially the same as the crystal structure of the semiconductor body and has a spacing of energy bands which is greater than the light quanta which are emitted during a radiative recombination of charge carriers in the semiconductor body. The interval of the energy bands of the insulating layer is at least 2 kT greater than the interval of the energy bands of the semiconductor body. It is preferable that the crystal structure of the insulating layer have a deviation of its lattice interval of less than 1% from that of the semiconductor body.
A light emitting semiconductor component in which a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type has a zone of a second conductivity type formed therein immediately below a portion of a planar surface thereof. An insulating layer covers the planar surface but has a window through the insulating layer above most of the zone of the second conductivity type. A layer of Zn.sub.2 SiO.sub.4 doped with a luminous phosphor lies on the planar substrate surface within this window without contact with the walls of the window opening. Three metal electrodes are formed, one on the portion of the Zn.sub.2 SiO.sub.4 layer, one on the substrate surface above a marginal portion of the doped zone, and one on the substrate spaced from the doped zone. The Zn.sub.2 O.sub.4 layer is preferably doped with Mn ions in a concentration of between 5.multidot.10.sup.16 and 5.multidot.10.sup.19 cm.sup.-3. The depth of the zone is less than 1000 nm. One preferred doping for the zone of the second conductivity type is a doping of boron in a concentration of between 5.multidot.10.sup.18 and 5.multidot.10.sup.19 ions cm.sup.-3. A process for the production of the component is disclosed, and a process for the operation of the component is disclosed.
In a metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structure, the I-layer comprises a single-crystal, semi-insulating layer which forms a substantially lattice-matched heterojunction with the underlying S-layer. Illustratively, the structure, grown by MBE, includes an indirect gap AlGaAs I-layer doped with a deep level impurity such as oxygen, iron or chromium, and a GaAs S-layer. GaAs FETs incorporating this MIS structure are described.
Surface recombination current in GaAs devices is reduced by means of a semi-insulating, oxygen, iron or chromium doped monocrystalline layer of AlGaAs grown by MBE. The AlGaAs layer is grown on a GaAs body and is then masked. Diffusion of suitable impurities through a window in the mask converts the exposed portions of the AlGaAs layer to low resistivity and modifies the conductivity of the underlying zone of the GaAs body. The peripheral portions of the AlGaAs layer, however, remain semi-insulating and are effective to reduce the surface recombination velocity - diffusion length product by more than an order of magnitude.
Degradation of the cleaved light output surface of a semiconductor crystal injection laser is reduced through control of surface recombination by providing an annealed optically transparent coating at least one ingredient of which has a higher bandgap than said crystal over the cleaved light output surface. Crystals of GaAs, GaAlAs and GaInAsP are provided with annealed coatings of ZnS, CdS, CdTe and CdSe.
An light emitting diode of indium gallium aluminum phosphide with a substrate, an electrical contact to the substrate, a dual hetero structure as a active zone comprising a first cladding layer, an active layer and a second cladding layer to which, a window layer is applied, and to which in turn, an electrical contact is applied. This window layer is made of gallium aluminum phosphide.
