High speed light emitting semiconductor methods and devices

Abstract

A method including: providing a transistor structure that includes a base region of first semiconductor type between semiconductor emitter and collector regions of second semiconductor type; providing, in the base region, at least one region exhibiting quantum size effects; providing emitter, base, and collector electrodes respectively coupled with emitter, base, and collector regions; applying electrical signals, including a high frequency electrical signal component, with respect to the emitter, base, and collector electrodes to produce output spontaneous light emission from the base region, aided by the quantum size region, the output spontaneous light emission including a high frequency optical signal component representative of the high frequency electrical signal component; providing an optical cavity for the light emission in the region between the base and emitter electrodes; and scaling the lateral dimensions of the optical cavity to control the speed of light emission response to the high frequency electrical signal component.

1 . A method for producing a high frequency optical signal component representative of a high frequency electrical input signal component, comprising the steps of:
 providing a semiconductor transistor structure that includes a base region of a first semiconductor type between semiconductor emitter and collector regions of a second semiconductor type;   providing, in said base region, at least one region exhibiting quantum size effects;   providing emitter, base, and collector electrodes respectively coupled with said emitter, base, and collector regions;   applying electrical signals, including said high frequency electrical signal component, with respect to said emitter, base, and collector electrodes to produce output spontaneous light emission from said base region, aided by said quantum size region, said output spontaneous light emission including said high frequency optical signal component representative of said high frequency electrical signal component;   providing an optical cavity for said light emission in the region between said base and emitter electrodes; and   scaling the lateral dimensions of said optical cavity to control the speed of light emission response to said high frequency electrical signal component.   
     
     
         2 . The method as defined by  claim 1 , further comprising providing an aperture disposed over said emitter region, and wherein said scaling of the lateral dimensions includes scaling the dimensions of said aperture. 
     
     
         3 . The method as defined by  claim 2 , wherein said aperture is generally circular and is scaled to about 10 μm or less in diameter. 
     
     
         4 . The method as defined by  claim 2 , wherein said aperture is generally circular and is scaled to about 5 μm or less in diameter. 
     
     
         5 . The method as defined by  claim 1 , wherein said cavity is substantially rectangular, and wherein said scaling of lateral dimensions comprises providing said cavity with linear dimensions of about 10 μm or less. 
     
     
         6 . The method as defined by  claim 1 , wherein said cavity is substantially rectangular, and wherein said scaling of lateral dimensions comprises providing said cavity with linear dimensions of about 5 μm or less in diameter. 
     
     
         7 . The method as defined by  claim 4 , wherein said high frequency electrical signal component has a frequency of at least about 2 GHz. 
     
     
         8 . The method as defined by  claim 6 , wherein said high frequency electrical signal component has a frequency of at least about 2 GHz. 
     
     
         9 . The method as defined by  claim 1 , wherein said scaling of dimensions includes increasing the collector region thickness to at least about 250 nm. 
     
     
         10 . The method as defined by  claim 1 , wherein said step of applying electrical signals includes operating said semiconductor transistor in a common collector configuration. 
     
     
         11 . The method as defined by  claim 1 , further comprising providing at least one reflector to enhance extraction of said output spontaneous optical emission. 
     
     
         12 . The method as defined by  claim 1 , further comprising providing an optical resonant cavity enclosing at least part of said base region, and wherein said output emission comprises laser emission. 
     
     
         13 . A method for producing a high frequency optical signal component representative of a high frequency electrical signal component, comprising the steps of:
 providing a layered semiconductor structure including a semiconductor drain region comprising at least one drain layer, a semiconductor base region disposed on said drain region and including at least one base layer, and a semiconductor emitter region disposed on a portion of said base region and comprising an emitter mesa that includes at least one emitter layer;   providing, in said base region, at least one region exhibiting quantum size effects;   providing a base/drain electrode having a first portion on an exposed surface of said base region and a further portion coupled with said drain region, and providing an emitter electrode on the surface of said emitter region;   applying signals with respect to said base/drain and emitter electrodes to produce light emission from said base region;   providing an optical cavity for said light emission in the region between said first portion of the base/drain electrode and said emitter electrode; and   scaling the lateral dimensions of said optical cavity to control the speed of light emission response to said high frequency electrical signal component.   
     
     
         14 . The method as defined by  claim 13 , wherein said emitter mesa has a substantially rectilinear surface portion, and wherein said step of providing said electrodes comprises providing said emitter electrode along one side of said surface portion of the emitter mesa and providing the first portion of said base/drain electrode on a portion of the base region surface adjacent the opposite side of said emitter mesa surface portion. 
     
     
         15 . The method as defined by  claim 14 , wherein said step of providing said electrodes further comprises providing said emitter electrode and the first portion of said base/drain electrode as opposing linear conductive strips. 
     
     
         16 . The method as defined by  claim 15 , wherein said cavity is substantially rectangular, and wherein said scaling of lateral dimensions comprises providing said cavity with linear dimensions of about 10 μm or less. 
     
     
         17 . The method as defined by  claim 15 , wherein said cavity is substantially rectangular, and wherein said scaling of lateral dimensions comprises providing said cavity with linear dimensions of about 5 μm or less. 
     
     
         18 . The method as defined by  claim 17 , wherein said high frequency electrical signal component has a frequency of at least about 2 GHz. 
     
     
         19 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A device for producing a high frequency optical signal component representative of a high frequency electrical input signal component, comprising:
 a semiconductor transistor structure that includes a base region of a first semiconductor type between semiconductor emitter and collector regions of a second semiconductor type;   at least one region, in said base region, exhibiting quantum size effects;   emitter, base, and collector electrodes respectively coupled with said emitter, base, and collector regions;   whereby, application of electrical signals, including said high frequency electrical signal component, with respect to said emitter, base, and collector electrodes, produces output spontaneous light emission from said base region, aided by said quantum size region, said output spontaneous light emission including said high frequency optical signal component representative of said high frequency electrical signal component, and;   an optical cavity for said light emission in the region between said base and emitter electrodes;   the lateral dimensions of said optical cavity being scaled to control the speed of light emission response to said high frequency electrical signal component.   
     
     
         24 . The device as defined by  claim 23 , further comprising an aperture disposed over said emitter region, and wherein said aperture is generally circular and is scaled to about 10 μm or less in diameter. 
     
     
         25 . The device as defined by  claim 23 , wherein said cavity is substantially rectangular, and wherein said cavity has linear dimensions of about 10 μm or less. 
     
     
         26 . A device for producing a high frequency optical signal component representative of a high frequency electrical signal component, comprising:
 a layered semiconductor structure including a semiconductor drain region comprising at least one drain layer, a semiconductor base region disposed on said drain region and including at least one base layer, and a semiconductor emitter region disposed on a portion of said base region and comprising an emitter mesa that includes at least one emitter layer;
 at least one region, in said base region, exhibiting quantum size effects; 
 a base/drain electrode having a first portion on an exposed surface of said base region and a further portion coupled with said drain region, and an emitter electrode on the surface of said emitter region; 
 whereby signals applied with respect to said base/drain and emitter electrodes produces light emission from said base region; and 
 an optical cavity for said light emission in the region between said first portion of the base/drain electrode and said emitter electrode; 
 the lateral dimensions of said optical cavity being scaled to control the speed of light emission response to said high frequency electrical signal component. 
   
     
     
         27 . The device as defined by  claim 26 , wherein said cavity is substantially rectangular, and wherein said cavity is scaled to have linear dimensions of about 10 μm or less. 
     
     
         28 - 29 . (canceled)