Light-emitting transistor

Light-emitting transistor (LET)
Working principleElectroluminescence
InventorMilton Feng
Nick Holonyak

A light-emitting transistor or LET is a form of transistor that emits light. Higher efficiency than light-emitting diode (LED) is possible.[citation needed]

History

Reported in the January 5, 2004 issue of the journal Applied Physics Letters, Milton Feng and Nick Holonyak, the inventor of the first practical light-emitting diode (LED) and the first semiconductor laser to operate in the visible spectrum, made the world's first light-emitting transistor. This hybrid device, fabricated by Feng's graduate student Walid Hafez, had one electrical input and two outputs (electrical output and optical output) and operated at a frequency of 1 MHz. The device was made of indium gallium phosphide, indium gallium arsenide, and gallium arsenide, and emitted infrared photons from the base layer.

Organic LET

An organic light-emitting transistor (OLET) is a form of transistor that emits light. These transistors have potential for digital displays and on-chip optical interconnects. OLET is a new light-emission concept, providing planar light sources that can be easily integrated in substrates like silicon, glass, and paper using standard microelectronic techniques.

OLETs differ from OLEDs in that an active matrix can be made entirely of OLETs, whereas OLEDs must be combined with switching elements such as TFTs.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Feng, M.; Holonyak, N.; Hafez, W. (2004). "Light-emitting transistor: Light emission from InGaP/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors". Applied Physics Letters. 84 (1): 151–153. Bibcode:2004ApPhL..84..151F. doi:10.1063/1.1637950.
  2. ↑ "First Light-Emitting Transistor". IEEE Spectrum.
  3. ↑ New light-emitting transistor could revolutionize electronics industry
  4. ↑ Savage, Neil (2010-05-04). "Organic Transistor Could Outshine OLEDs > OLETs are faster and might make better on-chip optical interconnects". IEEE. IEEE. Archived from the original on 2022-06-12. Retrieved 2022-06-12. A transistor that emits light and is made from organic materials could lead to cheaper digital displays and fast-switching light sources on computer chips, according to the researchers who built it
  5. ↑ Berger, Michael (2010-05-06). "Organic light-emitting transistors outperforming OLEDs". nanowerk.com. Archived from the original on 2022-05-15. Retrieved 2022-06-12. [...] OLETs could open a new era in organic optoelectronics and serve as test beds to address general fundamental optoelectronic and photonic issues