The invention relates to a method for structuring a nitride layer (2), comprising the following steps: A) providing a nitride layer (2) formed with silicon nitride of a first type, B) defining regions (40) of said nitride layer (2) to be transformed, and C) inserting the nitride layer (2) into a transformation chamber for the duration of a transformation period, said transformation period being selected such thatat least 80% of the nitride layer (2) regions (40) to be transformed are transformed into oxide regions (41) formed with silicon oxide, andremaining nitride layer (2) regions (21) remain at least 80% untransformed.

A group III nitride semiconductor substrate may include: a p-type conduction region into which a group II element has been implanted in a depth direction of the group III nitride semiconductor substrate from a surface of the group III nitride semiconductor substrate, the p-type conduction region having p-type conductivity, wherein hydrogen has been implanted from the p-type conduction region across an n-type conduction region adjacent to the p-type conduction region in the depth direction of the group III nitride semiconductor substrate.

Gallium nitride based semiconductors are provided having one or more passivated surfaces. The surfaces can have a plurality of thiol compounds attached thereto for enhancement of optoelectronic properties and/or solar water splitting properties. The surfaces can also include wherein the surface has been treated with chemical solution for native oxide removal and/or wherein the surface has attached thereto a plurality of nitrides, oxides, insulating compounds, thiol compounds, or a combination thereof to create a treated surface for enhancement of optoelectronic properties and/or solar water splitting properties. Methods of making the gallium nitride based semiconductors are also provided. Methods can include cleaning a native surface of a gallium nitride semiconductor to produce a cleaned surface, etching the cleaned surface to remove oxide layers on the surface, and applying single or multiple coatings of nitrides, oxides, insulating compounds, thiol compounds, or a combination thereof attached to the surface.

A high-voltage switch is adapted for use as a medium-voltage direct current circuit breaker, which provides a low-cost, small-footprint device to mitigate system faults. In one example, a method for operating a wideband optical device includes illuminating the wide bandgap optical device with a light within a first range of wavelengths and a first average intensity, allowing a current to propagate therethrough without substantial absorption of the current, illuminating the wide bandgap optical device with light within the first range of wavelengths and a second average intensity that is lower than the first average intensity to allow a sustained current flow though the wide bandgap optical device, and illuminating the wide bandgap optical device with light within a second range of wavelengths to stop or substantially restrict propagation of the current through the wide gap material.

Techniques are disclosed for fabricating and using a neuromorphic computing device including biological neurons. For example, a method for fabricating a neuromorphic computing device includes forming a channel in a first substrate and forming at least one sensor in a second substrate. At least a portion of the channel in the first substrate is seeded with a biological neuron growth material. The second substrate is attached to the first substrate such that the at least one sensor is proximate to the biological neuron growth material and growth of the seeded biological neuron growth material is stimulated to grow a neuron in the at least a portion of the channel.

A power sourcing equipment (PSE) device of an optical power supply system includes a semiconductor laser that oscillates with electric power, thereby outputting feed light. The semiconductor laser includes a semiconductor region exhibiting a light-electricity conversion effect. A semiconductor material of the semiconductor region is a laser medium having a laser wavelength of 500 nm or less. A powered device of the optical power supply system includes a photoelectric conversion element that converts feed light into electric power. The photoelectric conversion element includes a semiconductor region exhibiting a light-electricity conversion effect. A semiconductor material of the semiconductor region is a laser medium having a laser wavelength of 500 nm or less.

A power sourcing equipment (PSE) device of an optical power supply system includes a semiconductor laser that oscillates with electric power, thereby outputting feed light. The semiconductor laser includes a semiconductor region exhibiting a light-electricity conversion effect. A semiconductor material of the semiconductor region is a laser medium having a laser wavelength of 500 nm or less. A powered device of the optical power supply system includes a photoelectric conversion element that converts feed light into electric power. The photoelectric conversion element includes a semiconductor region exhibiting a light-electricity conversion effect. A semiconductor material of the semiconductor region is a laser medium having a laser wavelength of 500 nm or less.

High-voltage solid-state transducer (SST) devices and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. An SST device in accordance with a particular embodiment of the present technology includes a carrier substrate, a first terminal, a second terminal and a plurality of SST dies connected in series between the first and second terminals. The individual SST dies can include a transducer structure having a p-n junction, a first contact and a second contact. The transducer structure forms a boundary between a first region and a second region with the carrier substrate being in the first region. The first and second terminals can be configured to receive an output voltage and each SST die can have a forward junction voltage less than the output voltage.

A light emitting device with on-chip optical power readout includes a light emitting mesa and a light detecting mesa formed adjacent to each other on the same substrate of a chip, and a portion of the light emitted from the light emitting mesa is transmitted to the light detecting mesa at least through the substrate. The light emitting mesa and the light detecting mesa have exactly the same epitaxial structure and can be electrically isolated from each other by an insulation layer, or an airgap formed therebetween, or by ion implantation. The light emitting mesa and the light detecting mesa can also share an n-type structure and a common n-electrode while having their own p-electrode, respectively.

A free-standing substrate of a polycrystalline nitride of a group 13 element contains a plurality of monocrystalline particles having a particular crystal orientation in approximately a normal direction. The polycrystalline nitride of the group 13 element is composed of gallium nitride, aluminum nitride, indium nitride or a mixed crystal thereof. The free-standing substrate has a top surface and bottom surface. The free-standing substrate contains at least one of zinc and calcium. A root mean square roughness Rms at the top surface is 3.0 nm or less.