Patent ID: 8395141

Claim:
A semiconductor light emitting diode comprising: a substrate; a quantum well region disposed above a surface of the substrate, the quantum well region comprising an active layer operable to emit light and at least one barrier layer disposed adjacent to the active layer, the active layer and the barrier layer comprising II-VI semiconductors, wherein the at least one barrier layer has a composition and a crystal orientation at a selected angle relative to the substrate effective to reduce spontaneous electrical polarization in the quantum well region and effective to reduce piezoelectric fields that form in the quantum well region, the spontaneous electrical polarization and spontaneous piezoelectric fields forming an internal field across the quantum well region; n + and p + doping regions spaced apart laterally and operable to impress an electric field across the quantum well region to inject carriers laterally into the quantum well region; and a gate operable to impresses an offset electric field across the quantum well region perpendicularly to the plane of the quantum well region effective to substantially cancel the internal field formed in the quantum well region.