Patent ID: 7211820
Filing Date: 2007-05-01
Classification: H01L,Y02E,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A quantum-well semiconductor device that senses radiation energy, comprising: a substrate of a substantially transparent semiconductor material; and a plurality of quantum-well structures, arranged in columnar shapes and spatially separated from one another by a gap which is electrically insulating, said plurality of quantum-well structures formed over said substrate to form a periodic array as an optical grating to optically diffract light at a wavelength absorbed by said plurality of quantum-well structures, wherein each quantum-well structure includes, a first conductive contact layer formed over said substrate, a quantum-well stack having a plurality of alternating quantum-well layers formed in parallel over said first conductive contact layer and operating to absorb radiation polarized perpendicularly to said quantum-well layers, and a second conductive contact layer formed over said quantum-well stack, and wherein each quantum-well layer in each quantum-well structure is continuous without a void and each quantum-well structure has opposing parallel side walls perpendicular to said substrate to form an optical cavity therebetween in resonance with the wavelength.