Abstract: Thin films for electro−optical devices

Abstract

The recent progress in the development of high−quality, binary, and ternary compound semiconductor films promises significant advancements for the electro−optical device field. In particular, the technology for producing epitaxial films of certain variable energy gap materials should result in a new generation of economical sensors, sensor arrays, and emitters for all useful portions of the infrared spectrum. Beyond economy, thin film photoelectric materials have other inherent advantages over their bulk or thick film counterparts which should contribute to the increased sophistication of electro−optical devices. Multicolor sensors, charge−coupled elements and elements for sensor integrated optics systems are but a few examples of areas in which thin film technology should make rather complex devices practical.Progress of this nature has been particularly noteworthy with the IV−VI compounds which include the interesting narrow and/or variable energy gap materials PbTe, PbSnTe, PbSnSe, PbSeTe, and PbSe. Ma...