Semiconductor Laser Element Impurity-Induced Band Gap Engineering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional semiconductor laser elements face challenges in increasing band gap energy differences between regions for improved optical properties and power conversion efficiency, and require complex dielectric film formations to achieve transparent facets, which can lead to lower performance and reliability.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor laser element with a semiconductor layer portion containing a first impurity to suppress atomic vacancy diffusion and a second impurity to promote it, creating regions with different degrees of disordering and band gap energies through atomic vacancy diffusion, allowing for a larger band gap energy difference and reduced risk of catastrophic optical damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional semiconductor laser elements use uniform crystal structure, then manufacturing is simple, but band gap energy difference between regions is insufficient for improved optical properties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating different crystal structures in different regions of the semiconductor layer. Specifically, a first region has a disordered crystal structure with higher band gap energy, while a second region maintains an ordered crystal structure with lower band gap energy. This regional differentiation enables improved optical properties at the facet without requiring complex dielectric films throughout the entire structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The semiconductor layer is segmented into distinct regions with different impurity concentrations and crystal structures. The first region contains higher concentrations of impurities that promote disordered crystal formation, while the second region has lower impurity concentrations maintaining ordered structure. This segmentation allows independent optimization of optical properties in different areas.
2Reliability
If dielectric films are formed to create transparent facets, then optical damage is reduced, but device complexity and manufacturing steps increase
Solution Approach 1:
The semiconductor layer itself provides the transparency function through its disordered crystal structure in the first region, eliminating the need for external dielectric films. The impurity-containing layers are incorporated into the semiconductor structure during growth, and the disordered crystal formation is achieved through controlled impurity diffusion during fabrication, making the structure self-sufficient for optical damage resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure within the semiconductor layer by combining regions with different crystal structures (ordered and disordered) and different impurity compositions. This internal composite structure provides the transparency function that would otherwise require separate dielectric materials, integrating multiple functions into the semiconductor layer itself.
3Manufacturing precision
If impurity concentrations are increased to promote disordered crystal formation, then band gap energy increases and transparency improves, but manufacturing precision control becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Impurity layers are deposited in advance during the semiconductor layer growth process, before the final crystal structure formation. The impurity-containing layers are incorporated into the structure during epitaxial growth, and subsequent thermal processing causes controlled diffusion of these impurities into the semiconductor lattice, creating the desired disordered crystal regions with specific band gap energies.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent controls the physical and chemical parameters of impurity layers, including concentration, thickness, and composition ratios. By adjusting these parameters during deposition and thermal processing, precise control over the extent of disordered crystal formation and resulting band gap energy is achieved, enabling manufacturing precision despite the complexity of impurity management.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution achieves a higher band gap energy difference between regions, reducing laser light absorption and the risk of catastrophic optical damage, thereby enhancing the reliability and power conversion efficiency of the semiconductor laser element.
Implementation Method 1
a first impurity having a function of suppressing atomic vacancy diffusion
Implementation Method 2
a second impurity having a function of promoting atomic vacancy diffusion
Implementation Method 3
different degrees of disordering in the optical waveguide layer achieved through atomic vacancy diffusion and different band gap energies of the optical waveguide layer
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor optical element includes a semiconductor layer portion that includes an optical waveguide layer. The semiconductor layer portion contains a first impurity having a function of suppressing atomic vacancy diffusion and a second impurity having a function of promoting atomic vacancy diffusion, between a topmost surface of the semiconductor layer portion and the optical waveguide layer. The semiconductor layer portion includes two or more regions that extend in a deposition direction with different contents of at least one of the impurities. At least one of the two or more regions contains both the first impurity and the second impurity. The two or more regions have different degrees of disordering in the optical waveguide layer achieved through atomic vacancy diffusion and different band gap energies of the optical waveguide layer.