Introduction to Optoelectronics

The current push in the semiconductor industry is the development of optoelectronic devices for high speed communication. The development of light emitting devices for communication applications began decades ago with the development of high-end, infrared light-emitting diodes. These devices were eventually replaced by planar laser diodes and vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs). High volume applications for laser diodes include CD and DVD drives. The light emitting diode (LED) has also come of age in the past few years. The development of gallium nitride technology has revolutionized the outdoor display market and may eventually lead to the replacement of incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs with LEDs.

Introduction to Optoelectronics is a multi-day course designed to give students a comprehensive overview of optoelectronic device technology. This course is designed for every manager, engineer, and technician in the optoelectronics industry and is taught at a level where the students gain an understanding of how optoelectronic devices work. Participants will learn the basics of optoelectronic device technology ranging from basic optics to semiconductor materials to optoelectronic device structures.

The lecture topics include: Basic optics, optical resonators, compound semiconductor materials, p-n junctions, heterojunctions, quantum wells, metal-semiconductor contacts, light emission from semiconductor materials, fabrication technology, light emitting diodes, planar semiconductor lasers, vertical cavity surface emitting lasers, reliability and degradation mechanisms, and applications.