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Silicon LED

Posted by michael on from the mommy,-is-my-RAM-supposed-to-glow-like-that? dept.

Ian writes "Scientists at the University of Surrey have developed an LED made entirely from silicon. This is a different approach to optoelectonics which had previously concentrated on nanocrystals. Full report from Nature, also coverage from the BBC, stand back and watch the patents fly (although in this case they are much more deserved)."

4 of 70 comments (clear)

  1. Silicone LEDs? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4

    "Flashing your tits" gets a whole new meaning :)

  2. They exist! by HarryTuttle · · Score: 4

    It's long been a rumour, but finally...

    Silicon-based light forms!

    --

    Don't fight it son. Confess quickly! If you hold out too long you could jeopardise your credit rating.
  3. Re:Let there be light by trentfoley · · Score: 4
    Perhaps I'm missing something here, but I don't think the point of this research directly relates to transmission of data over fibre. I see it more as an improved interface between the optical and electrical world that has potential to be much more efficient. My reason for thinking this way has to do with the paragraph in the Nature article:

    But the light-emitting devices needed to do this can't be built into silicon circuits. They rely on semiconducting materials that don't sit comfortably on silicon chips, and so they have to be mounted separately in the awkward hybrid technology 'optoelectronics'. The physical separation of light emitters and electronic circuitry is a bottleneck to further miniaturization, and so to greater processing power and speed.
    Nor do I see this applying to flat-panel display technology, or electronic paper for that matter.
    Then again, having been married for over 10 years, I know that I'm almost never right about anything.
  4. Re:Indirect bandgap. by swm · · Score: 5
    That's the whole point of this invention.

    The number of momentum states is (essentially) equal to the number of Si atoms in the crystal. So if you make a crystal with only a few atoms, you only get a few momentum states.

    That may push the bands around so that you get a direct band gap,

    OR

    That may make it possible to get a significant carrier population in the zero-momentum state, even though that isn't the lowest energy state.