Monolithic electrical power converter formed with layers
An electrical power converter can include a plurality of layers disposed on a substrate. An emitter, including a first semiconductor junction that is formed at an interface between a first pair of adjacent layers, can produce light in response to a first electrical signal. An absorber, including a second semiconductor junction that is formed at an interface between a second pair of adjacent layers, can absorb at least some of the light. Circuitry can produce a second electrical signal in response to the absorbed light. The second electrical signal can be substantially proportional to the first electrical signal and can be electrically isolated from the first electrical signal. Because the light can remain within the layers during use, the electrical power converter can have a higher efficiency than a comparable device that propagates the light through at least one interface between air and a semiconductor material.
1. An electrical power converter, comprising:
first circuitry configured to deliver a first electrical signal;
an emitter configured to produce light in response to the first electrical signal;
an absorber configured to absorb at least some of the light;
a metallic coating that at least partially surrounds the emitter and the absorber and is substantially opaque to the light; and
second circuitry configured to produce a second electrical signal in response to the absorbed light, the second electrical signal being substantially proportional to the first electrical signal and being electrically isolated from the first electrical signal.
2. The electrical power converter of claim 1 , wherein the light, during propagation from the emitter to the absorber, does not pass through an interface between air and a solid material.
3. The electrical power converter of claim 1 , wherein the light is contained at least partially within the metallic coating.
4. The electrical power converter of claim 1 , wherein the emitter and the absorber are formed at interfaces between adjacent layers of a plurality of layers.
5. The electrical power converter of claim 1 , wherein:
the emitter comprises a first semiconductor junction that is formed at an interface between a first pair of adjacent layers of a plurality of layers; and
the absorber comprises a second semiconductor junction that is formed at an interface between a second pair of adjacent layers of the plurality of layers.
6. The electrical power converter of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of layers is configured to confine the light within the plurality of layers as the light propagates from the first semiconductor junction to the second semiconductor junction.
7. The electrical power converter of claim 5 , wherein:
the plurality of layers is disposed on a top of a substrate.
8. The electrical power converter of claim 7 , further comprising a heat sink thermally coupled to the substrate and configured to direct heat away from the first semiconductor junction and the second semiconductor junction.
9. The electrical power converter of claim 5 , wherein the first semiconductor junction comprises a light-emitting diode and the second semiconductor junction comprises a photodiode.
10. The electrical power converter of claim 5 , wherein:
the first semiconductor junction is configured to emit light at a first wavelength; and
the second semiconductor junction is configured to absorb light with a spectral absorption profile that peaks substantially at the first wavelength.
11. The electrical power converter of claim 5 , wherein:
the first pair of adjacent layers includes a first layer and a second layer; and
the second pair of adjacent layers includes the second layer and a third layer that is different from the first layer.
12. The electrical power converter of claim 5 , wherein:
the first pair of adjacent layers includes a first layer and a second layer; and
the second pair of adjacent layers includes a third layer and a fourth layer that are different from the first layer and the second layer.
13. The electrical power converter of claim 5 , wherein:
the first pair of adjacent layers includes layers formed from a first semiconductor material and a second semiconductor material, respectively, the second semiconductor material differing from the first semiconductor material; and
the second pair of adjacent layers includes layers formed from the second semiconductor material and a third semiconductor material, respectively, the third semiconductor material differing from the first semiconductor material and the second semiconductor material.
14. The electrical power converter of claim 5 , wherein:
the first pair of adjacent layers includes layers formed from a first semiconductor material and a second semiconductor material, respectively, the second semiconductor material differing from the first semiconductor material; and
the second pair of adjacent layers includes layers formed from the first semiconductor material and the second semiconductor material, respectively.
15. The electrical power converter of claim 5 , further comprising a controller coupled to the first circuitry and the second circuitry wherein:
the second circuitry is further configured to deliver a third electrical signal;
the second semiconductor junction is further configured to produce second light in response to the third electrical signal;
the first semiconductor junction is further configured to absorb at least some of the second light;
the first circuitry is further configured to produce a fourth electrical signal in response to the absorbed second light, the fourth electrical signal being substantially proportional to the third electrical signal and being electrically isolated from the third electrical signal; and
the controller is configured to switch between a first configuration, in which the second electrical signal is produced in response to the first electrical signal, and a second configuration, in which the fourth electrical signal is produced in response to the third electrical signal.
16. A method for scaling an electrical signal, the method comprising:
applying a first electrical signal to an emitter;
producing light with the emitter in response to the first electrical signal;
propagating the light from the emitter to an absorber;
reflecting or absorbing at least some of the light with a metallic coating that at least partially surrounds the emitter and the absorber;
absorbing at least some of the light with the absorber; and
producing, in response to the absorbed light, a second electrical signal with second circuitry coupled to the absorber, the second electrical signal being substantially proportional to the first electrical signal and being electrically isolated from the first electrical signal.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the light, during propagation from the emitter to the absorber, does not pass through an interface between air and a solid material.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the light is contained at least partially within the metallic coating.
19. The method of claim 16 , wherein:
the emitter comprises a first semiconductor junction that is formed at an interface between a first pair of adjacent layers of a plurality of layers; and
the absorber comprises a second semiconductor junction that is formed at an interface between a second pair of adjacent layers of the plurality of layers.
20. An electrical power converter, comprising:
first circuitry configured to deliver a first electrical signal;
an emitter configured to produce light in response to the first electrical signal;
an absorber configured to absorb at least some of the light, the light propagating from the emitter to the absorber without passing through an interface between air and a solid material, the emitter and the absorber being formed at interfaces between adjacent layers of a plurality of layers;
a metallic coating that at least partially surrounds the emitter and the absorber and is substantially opaque to the light; and
second circuitry configured to produce a second electrical signal in response to the absorbed light, the second electrical signal being substantially proportional to the first electrical signal and being electrically isolated from the first electrical signal.