A wide variety of semiconductor devices, and methods of making semiconductor devices, are known. Some of these devices are designed to emit light, such as visible or near-visible (e.g. ultraviolet or near infrared) light. Examples include light emitting diodes (LEDs) and laser diodes. Another example is a re-emitting semiconductor construction (RSC).
Unlike an LED, an RSC does not require an electrical drive current from an external electronic circuit in order to emit light. Instead, the RSC generates electron-hole pairs by absorption of light at a first wavelength λ1 in an active region of the RSC. These electrons and holes then recombine in potential wells in the active region to emit light at a second wavelength λ2 different from the first wavelength λ1, and optionally at still other wavelengths λ2, λ3, and so forth depending on the number of potential wells and their design features. The initiating radiation or “pump light” at the first wavelength λ1 is typically provided by a blue or ultraviolet emitting LED coupled to the RSC. Exemplary RSC devices, methods of their construction, and related devices and methods can be found in, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,402,831 (Miller et al.), U.S. Patent Application Publications US 2007/0284565 (Leatherdale et al.) and US 2007/0290190 (Haase et al.), PCT Publication WO 2009/048704 (Kelley et al.), and pending U.S. Application Ser. No. 61/075,918, “Semiconductor Light Converting Construction”, filed Jun. 26, 2008, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
When reference is made herein to a light at a particular wavelength, the reader will understand that reference is being made to light having a spectrum whose peak wavelength is at the particular wavelength.
A vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), which can be considered to be a type of RSC, is another example of a semiconductor device designed to emit light. The VCSEL converts at least a portion of a first wavelength light emitted by a pump light source, such as a III-V based pump light source that includes nitrogen, to at least a partially coherent light at a second wavelength. The VCSEL includes first and second mirrors that form an optical cavity for light at the second wavelength. The first mirror is substantially reflective at the second wavelength and includes a first multilayer stack. The second mirror is substantially transmissive at the first wavelength and partially reflective and partially transmissive at the second wavelength. The second mirror includes a second multilayer stack. The VCSEL further includes a semiconductor multilayer stack that is disposed between the first and second mirrors and converts at least a portion of the first wavelength light to the second wavelength light. The semiconductor multilayer stack includes a quantum well that includes a Cd(Mg)ZnSe alloy. Reference is made to pending U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61/094,270, “Diode-Pumped Light Source”, filed Sep. 4, 2008, incorporated herein by reference.