SEMICONDUCTOR MULTILAYER STRUCTURE HAVING INHOMOGENEOUS QUANTUM DOTS, LIGHT-EMITTING DIODE USING SAME, SEMICONDUCTOR LASER DIODE, SEMICONDUCTOR OPTICAL AMPLIFIER, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THEM

摘要

A semiconductor multilayer structure (1) having inhomogeneous quantum dots not requiring lattice strain when formed is a double hetero-junction structure where cladding layers (5, 6, 16) having wider bandgap widths than that of an active layer (3) are formed in multilayer on both sides of the active layer (3). The active layer (3) includes at least one layer composed of inhomogeneous quantum dots (2) not requiring lattice strain when formed. The inhomogeneous quantum dot layer (2) is composed of inhomogeneous quantum dots having either or both of different sizes and compositions and comprising a compound semiconductor. A light-emitting diode (15, 15’), a semiconductor laser diode (20), and semiconductor optical amplifier (30) each have a semiconductor multilayer structure (1, 1’) having inhomogeneous quantum dots. Light emission and light amplification with wide wavelength range are possible.