High-voltage solid-state transducers and associated systems and methods
High-voltage solid-state transducer (SST) devices and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. An SST device in accordance with a particular embodiment of the present technology includes a carrier substrate, a first terminal, a second terminal and a plurality of SST dies connected in series between the first and second terminals. The individual SST dies can include a transducer structure having a p-n junction, a first contact and a second contact. The transducer structure forms a boundary between a first region and a second region with the carrier substrate being in the first region. The first and second terminals can be configured to receive an output voltage and each SST die can have a forward junction voltage less than the output voltage.
1. A multi-junction solid state transducer (SST) device, comprising:
a first terminal;
a second terminal; and
a plurality of transducer structures electrically connected in series between the first and second terminals, each transducer structure including:
a first semiconductor material,
a second semiconductor material,
an active region between the first and second semiconductor materials,
a first contact structure electrically coupled to the first semiconductor material, and
a second contact structure electrically coupled to the second semiconductor material and comprising a buried contact extending through a plane in which the first contact structure extends laterally,
wherein a first one of the plurality of transducer structures is separated from an adjacent second one of the plurality of transducer structures by an opening, and
wherein the first contact structure of the first one of the plurality of transducer structures extends in to the opening and is electrically connected to the second contact structure of the adjacent second one of the plurality of transducer structures by a coupling in the opening.
2. The multi-junction SST device of claim 1 , wherein the first semiconductor material of each of the plurality of transducer structures comprises P-type gallium nitride (P-type GaN), the second semiconductor material of each of the plurality of transducer structures comprises N-type gallium nitride (N-type GaN), and the active region of each of the plurality of transducer structures comprises indium gallium nitride (InGaN).
3. The multi-junction SST device of claim 1 , wherein the first contact structure of each of the plurality of transducer structures comprises nickel (Ni), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), tungsten (W), or a combination thereof.
4. The multi-junction SST device of claim 1 , wherein the second contact structure of each of the plurality of transducer structures comprises titanium (Ti), aluminum (Al), nickel (Ni), silver (Ag), or a combination thereof.
5. The multi-junction SST device of claim 1 , wherein the second contact structure of each of the plurality of transducer structures is separated from the corresponding first contact structure by a dielectric material.
6. The multi-junction SST device of claim 1 , wherein the second contact structure of each of the plurality of transducer structures is spaced vertically apart from the corresponding first contact structure.
7. The multi-junction SST device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of transducer structures is configured to emit electromagnetic radiation in at least one of the ultraviolet spectrum, the visible spectrum, and the infrared spectrum.
8. The multi-junction SST device of claim 1 , wherein the first contact structure of each of the plurality of transducer structures comprises a reflective material.
9. The multi-junction SST device of claim 1 , wherein the first terminal comprises a first contact structure of a first one of the plurality of transducer structures, and wherein the second terminal comprises a second contact structure of a second one of the plurality of transducer structures.
10. The multi-junction SST device of claim 1 , further comprising a power supply electrically coupled to the first and second terminals, wherein the power supply has an output voltage and the plurality of transducer structures have a combined forward junction voltage approximately the same as the output voltage.
11. The multi-junction SST device of claim 1 , further comprising a nonconductive carrier substrate in contact with the first contact structures of the plurality of transducer structures.
12. The multi-junction SST device of claim 1 , further comprising a conductive carrier substrate attached to the first contact structures of the plurality of transducer structures by a layer of dielectric material.
13. The multi-junction SST device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of transducer structures is configured to emit electromagnetic radiation in at least one of the ultraviolet spectrum, the visible spectrum, and the infrared spectrum.
14. The multi-junction SST device of claim 1 , wherein the first contact structure of each of the plurality of transducer structures comprises a reflective material.
15. The multi-junction SST device of claim 1 , wherein the first terminal comprises a first contact structure of a first one of the plurality of transducer structures, and wherein the second terminal comprises a second contact structure of a second one of the plurality of transducer structures.
16. A multi-junction solid state transducer (SST) device, comprising:
a first terminal;
a second terminal; and
a plurality of transducer structures electrically connected in series between the first and second terminals, each transducer structure including a first contact structure electrically coupled to a first semiconductor material on a first side of an active region of the transducer structure and a second contact structure electrically coupled to a second semiconductor material on a second side of the active region of the transducer structure opposite the first side, the second contact structure including a buried contact extending through a plane in which the first contact structure extends laterally,
wherein a first one of the plurality of transducer structures is separated from an adjacent second one of the plurality of transducer structures by an opening, and
wherein the first contact structure of the first one of the plurality of transducer structures extends in to the opening and is electrically connected to the second contact structure of the adjacent second one of the plurality of transducer structures by a coupling in the opening.
17. The multi-junction SST device of claim 16 , wherein the first contact structure of each of the plurality of transducer structures comprises nickel (Ni), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), tungsten (W), or a combination thereof.
18. The multi-junction SST device of claim 16 , wherein the second contact structure of each of the plurality of transducer structures comprises titanium (Ti), aluminum (Al), nickel (Ni), silver (Ag), or a combination thereof.
19. The multi-junction SST device of claim 16 , wherein the second contact structure of each of the plurality of transducer structures is separated from the corresponding first contact structure by a dielectric material.
20. The multi-junction SST device of claim 16 , wherein the second contact structure of each of the plurality of transducer structures is spaced vertically apart from the corresponding first contact structure.