Spatial and intensity modulation of light emission from silicon LED matrix

A novel experimental multi-terminal silicon light emitting diode matrix is described where both the emitted light intensity and the spatial light pattern of the device are controlled by insulated MOS gate voltages. It is found that the light intensity is a nonlinear quadratic function of the applied gate voltage. The non-linear relationship enables, for example, the mixing of electrical input signals and modulation of the optical output signal, which can not readily be achieved with two terminal Si-LED's, since they exhibit a linear relationship between diode avalanche current and light intensity. Furthermore, the control gate voltages also modulate the emission pattern of the LED array.