The US patent office granted the patent with the number US-101,219,35 on the November 6, 2018 to VI Systems. The patent addresses three-dimensional semiconductor nanoheterostructure and method of making same.

 The patent US-101,219,35 addresses three-dimensional semiconductor nanoheterostructure and method of making same. It represents an approach to fabricate quantum dots (QDs) with a high density and size but at reduced stress. Usually QDs are formed after a certain critical thickness of a layer strongly lattice mismatched with the substrate is deposited (“wetting layer”). After the critical thickness is reached the QDs are formed on top of the residual strained “wetting” layer upon further deposition.

This process causes significant strain and makes stacking of QDs difficult. In the present approach, a subcritical thickness of the strained layer is deposited. The formation of three-dimensional islands occurs during capping of this layer with a material having a lower surface energy, which replaces the wetting layer and forces the related material to assemble into QDs.

Together with our other existing patents, the method allows manufacturing of devices based on novel QDs such as vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSEL) and other light emitting or light-amplifying devices.

VCSEL arrays are low-cost, energy efficient devices, which provide high-performance a wide range of applications from data communication to 3D sensing. The patented nanoheterostructure manufacturing method significantly improves the performance and reliability in consumer and industrial applications.

The grant of the patent provides further recognition of the quality of the innovation being carried out by VI Systems’ team.

About VI Systems GmbH

VI Systems GmbH, based in Berlin, Germany, is a fabless developer and manufacturer of components for optical communication. More information on VI Systems can be found at www.v-i-systems.com