Patent ID: 7596159
Filing Date: 2009-09-29
Classification: B82Y,H01S

Abstract:
1. A p-n junction for use in an electronic device, the p-n junction comprising: a substrate, the substrate being formed from a first material system, the first material system comprising a plurality of materials; an n-type semiconductor layer, the n-type semiconductor layer being formed from a second material system, the second material system comprising a plurality of materials; and a p-type semiconductor layer, the p-type semiconductor layer being formed from a third material system, the third material system comprising a plurality of materials, the third material system being different from the second material system, wherein at least one of the n-type and p-type semiconductor layers comprise a plurality of sub-layers, one or more of the plurality of sub-layers comprising different combinations of the plurality of materials present in their respective material systems, the second material system having a conduction band offset lower than a conduction band offset of the third material system, the third material system having a valence band offset lower than a valence band offset of the second material system, the conduction band and the valence band offsets being calculated relative to the respective band energies of the first material system, the first material system being different from the second material system and the third material system, the p-n junction formed from the n-type and the p-type semiconductor layers has a lowered turn-on voltage.