Patent ID: 7223623

Claim:
A method for forming a modified semiconductor having a plurality of band gaps, the method comprising the steps of: providing a semiconductor having a surface and a quantum region which emits photons in response to electrical or optical stimulation, the quantum region having an original band gap and being disposed under said surface; applying a plurality of layers of a plurality of materials to a plurality of selected regions of said surface, said plurality of materials being adapted to cause, upon thermal annealing, a plurality of degrees of intermixing in a plurality of portions of said quantum region disposed immediately below each of said selected regions of said surface; and thermally annealing said plurality of layers to said surface such that said layers of said materials cause said plurality of degrees of intermixing in said plurality of portions of said quantum region thereby shifting the original band gaps of said portions of said quantum region, thereby forming a modified semiconductor which exhibits a plurality of different band gaps in said plurality of portions of said quantum region depending upon the positioning of said plurality of layers of said plurality of materials on the surface immediately above the respective portions of said quantum region.