An optical modulator includes an emitter layer with N-type doping having a first bandgap energy; a base layer with P-type doping having a second bandgap energy; a sub-emitter layer disposed between the emitter layer and the base layer, wherein the sub-emitter layer has a third bandgap energy that is less than both the first bandgap energy and the second bandgap energy. The sub-emitter layer provides a barrier to electrons flowing from the emitter layer, while allowing photo-generated holes to recombine in the sub-emitter layer thereby mitigating current amplification.

An optical apparatus includes: a substrate having a first material; an absorption region having a second material different from the first material, the absorption region configured to absorb photons and to generate photo-carriers including electrons and holes in response to the absorbed photons; a first well region surrounding the absorption region and arranged between the absorption region and the substrate, the first well region being doped with a first polarity; and one or more switches each controlled by a respective control signal, the one or more switches each configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the respective control signal and to provide the portion of the photo-carriers to a respective readout circuit.

An electrical device includes a counterdoped heterojunction selected from a group consisting of a pn junction or a p-i-n junction. The counterdoped junction includes a first semiconductor doped with one or more n-type primary dopant species and a second semiconductor doped with one or more p-type primary dopant species. The device also includes a first counterdoped component selected from a group consisting of the first semiconductor and the second semiconductor. The first counterdoped component is counterdoped with one or more counterdopant species that have a polarity opposite to the polarity of the primary dopant included in the first counterdoped component. Additionally, a level of the n-type primary dopant, p-type primary dopant, and the one or more counterdopant is selected to the counterdoped heterojunction provides amplification by a phonon assisted mechanism and the amplification has an onset voltage less than 1 V.

A voltage tunable solar-blind UV detector using a EG/SiC heterojunction based Schottky emitter bipolar phototransistor with EG grown on p-SiC epi-layer using a chemically accelerated selective etching process of Si using TFS precursor.

An electromagnetic wave detector includes: an insulating film having a first surface and a second surface facing the first surface; a first layer to perform photoelectric conversion by an incident electromagnetic wave and change in potential, the first layer being made of a first two-dimensional atomic layer material; and a second layer to receive the change in potential through the first insulating film and generate change in electrical quantity, the second layer being made of a second two-dimensional atomic layer material and provided on the first surface. In this manner, the sensitive electromagnetic wave detector detecting an incident electromagnetic wave as change in electrical quantity and having high response speed to an incident electromagnetic wave can be provided.

A switching device includes an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) or MOSFET having a gate, an emitter, and a collector configured to allow current to pass between the emitter and the collector based on voltage applied to the gate. A stack of alternating layers of photo-sensitive p-n junction layers and insulating layers stacked on the gate for optical switching control of voltage through the IGBT or MOSFET.

A semiconductor structure, the semiconductor structure including a channel connecting a source on the semiconductor substrate and a drain on the semiconductor substrate, wherein the channel comprises a plasmonic resonator. A sensor including a plasmonic film, wherein the plasmonic film includes a sensitivity to a known analyte, a semiconductor structure including a source and a drain of a field effect transistor, and an electrical connection between the plasmonic film and a gate of the semiconductor structure. A method of forming a sensor including forming a field effect transistor (“FET”) on a semiconductor substrate, the field effect transistor including a source, a drain, and a gate, where the gate includes a plasmonic resonator.

A semiconductor structure, the semiconductor structure including a channel connecting a source on the semiconductor substrate and a drain on the semiconductor substrate, wherein the channel comprises a plasmonic resonator. A sensor including a plasmonic film, wherein the plasmonic film includes a sensitivity to a known analyte, a semiconductor structure including a source and a drain of a field effect transistor, and an electrical connection between the plasmonic film and a gate of the semiconductor structure. A method of forming a sensor including forming a field effect transistor (“FET”) on a semiconductor substrate, the field effect transistor including a source, a drain, and a gate, where the gate includes a plasmonic resonator.

A silicon carbide transistor used as an ultraviolet light sensor. The light sensor is mounted inside a probe for detecting ultraviolet light generated by combustion inside an engine. The silicon carbide transistor generates a light voltage that is converted to a digital signal. The digital signal is used in a feedback loop for an engine control module for real time engine control in operating environments. The silicon carbide transistor is mounted inside a glow plug sized engine probe mounted in the cylinder head and the probe includes a quartz window allowing ultraviolet light access between the combustion chamber and the silicon carbide transistor so that the silicon carbide transistor can be mounted proximate the combustion chamber but behind the cooling jackets inside the engine head.

An optical apparatus including a semiconductor substrate; a first light absorption region supported by the semiconductor substrate, the first light absorption region including germanium and configured to absorb photons and to generate photo-carriers from the absorbed photons; a first layer supported by at least a portion of the semiconductor substrate and the first light absorption region, the first layer being different from the first light absorption region; one or more first switches controlled by a first control signal, the one or more first switches configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the first control signal; and one or more second switches controlled by a second control signal, the one or more second switches configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the second control signal, wherein the second control signal is different from the first control signal.