Patent
1987-06-08
1989-10-10
LaRoche, Eugene R.
357 16, 357 30, 357 34, H01L 2712, H01L 4902, H01L 29161, H01L 2972
Patent
active
048735558
ABSTRACT:
A fast, real time method and apparatus for long wavelength infrared photodetection employs a quantum well from which stored electrons are ejected by photoemission and replaced by electrons which tunnel through a barrier bounding one side of the quantum well. The photodetector comprises a semiconductor device having a quantum well layer separated from an emitter layer on one side by a first barrier layer and from a collector layer on the other side by a second barrier layer. The first barrier is higher than the second which in turn is higher than the Fermi level in the quantum well layer. Photons excite electrons in the quantum well to an excited state from which they flow over the second barrier to the collector layer. Electrons tunnel from the emitter through the first barrier to the quantum well at the rate at which they are depleted by photoemission so that the detector is suitable for use with high pulse rate digital communication signals.
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Coon Darryl D.
Karunasiri Runkiri P.
Liu Hui C.
LaRoche Eugene R.
Shingleton Michael
Silverman Arnold B.
University of Pittsburgh of the Commonwealth System of Higher Ed
Westerhoff Richard V.
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