Sunday, 10 October 2021

Opto Electronics | Fiber Optics Technology | Opto electronic Sensors | 6 Types Of Optoelectronics And Its Introduction: What No One Is Talking About

Opto Electronics Devices and its Applications

Optical techniques have always been used for a large number of automotive, metrological and sensing applications. Fiber- and integrated- optics technologies were primarily developed for telecommunication applications. However, the advances in the development of high quality and competitive price opto electronic components and fibers have largely contributed to the expansion of guided wave technology for sensing as well.

Types of Opto Electronic Devices

This post addresses the fundamentals of opto-electronics, with a short photon presentation. In addition various opto electronics instruments, including lamps, LEDs, photodiodes, resistors and laser diodes, will be addressed.

The word optoelectronics is a modern electronics specialization which focuses on light-emitting or light-detecting equipment.

The electromagnetic radiation (i.e., lighting) can be produced by light emitters using voltage and current. These light emitters are also used for lighting purposes or as indicator lights.

Opto Electronics Devices and its electronics applications - Lamps - LED - Photo resistors - Solar cellsOpto Electronics Devices and its electronics applications – Lamps – LED – Photo resistors – Solar cells

In comparison, electromagnetic energy obtained by light detectors is transformed in electric current or voltage, for example by photo transistors. For light sensing and communication, light sensor instruments may be used. Examples include the switches and remote controls that are triggered by the darkness. Lighting detectors are typically used to trigger binding electrons onto the semiconductor material by using photons.

What is Opto Electronics?

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It is the branch of electronics dealing with devices that generate, transform, transmit, or sense optical, infrared or ultraviolet radiation, as solar cells and lasers.

Opto electronic devices are used to activate or deactivate an electronic circuit based on the intensity of light. Besides this general purpose, opto electronics devices are used in telecommunication, surveillance systems, capturing solar energy etc. Solid state opto electronic components are used as sensors for detecting visible light, Laser Infrared rays, Ultraviolet rays etc.

What is Opto Electronic Sensors?

Laser technology - Fiber Optics - Fiber Optics technology - Opto electronics and advanced materialsLaser technology – Fiber Optics – Fiber Optics technology – Opto electronics and advanced materials

An opto electronic sensors is a device that is capable of producing an electrical signal that is proportional to the amount of light incident on the active area of the device.

Integrated opto electronic sensors are designed to recognize fundamental stimuli such as patterns, images, motion and intensity and colour.

Opto Electronics materials

Optoelectronics is based on semi-conductive materials in large part. Indirect band gaps like silicone and germanium are normally sufficient, such as in a photodetector, to exploit absorption processes, but are usually less suitable for light emitting. This is a major problem for silicone photonics, but different forms of solutions have been identified.

Nevertheless, emissions devices such as laser diodes are largely based on materials from direct band gaps, particularly III-V form – gallium arsenide and indium phosphide, for example.

Types of Opto electronic Sensors:

Opto electronic Sensor Type

Description

Light to voltage convertersConvert linear output voltage proportional to light intensity
Light to frequency converters

Convert light intensity to digital format for direct connection to microcontroller or Digital signal processor

Ambient light sensorsMeasure what the human eye sees
Linear sensor arraysMeasure spatial relationships and light intensity
Colour sensorsRGB filtered sensors for colour discrimination, determination and measurement
Reflective light sensorsConvert reflective light intensity to voltage output

Opto electronic Devices with Applications

Opto-electronics is a connectivity between optics and electronics, involving the research, design and manufacturing of a hardware system that transforms electrical energy into light and light through semiconductors into energy. It consists of solid crystalline materials lighter than metals and heavier than isolation system.

Opto-electronics device is primarily a light-related electronic device. In many opto-electronic applications such as military, telecommunications, automated access control, and medical devices, the system can be identified.

The area of studies encompasses a broad variety of instruments, including LEDs and components, image collectors, displays of information, optical communications systems, optical storages and remote sensing systems, etc. E.g., telecommunication laser, blue laser, optical fibre, LED lamps, photodiodes and solar cells are the examples of optoelectronic equipment.

Why Is Everyone Talking About Optoelectronics? | 5 Awesome Things You Can Learn From Semiconductor Materials and Semiconductor Devices

Components of Optoelectronics

Contents [show]

The term optoelectronics is a specific discipline of electronics that focuses on light-emitting or light-detecting devices. These are the communication mediums between  optics and electronics which includes the study, design and manufacture of a hardware device that converts electrical energy into light or light into energy through semiconductors. Light emitting devices use voltage and current to produce electromagnetic radiation i.e. light. The device is made from solid crystalline materials which are lighter than metals and heavier than insulators. Such light emitting devices are commonly used for purposes of illumination or as indicator lights.

In contrast, light detecting devices such as phototransistors, are designed to convert received electromagnetic energy into electric current or voltage. Light detecting devices can be used for light sensing and communications. Examples are darkness activated switches, remote controls etc. This device can be found in many opto-electronics applications like military services, telecommunications, automatic access control systems and medical equipments.

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01-opto electronic devices-components of opto electronic devices-light activated SCR-Opto Coupler-Photo Resistor
01-opto electronic devices-components of opto electronic devices-solar cell-7 segment display

Types of Optoelectronics Devices

Opto-electronics are classified into different types such as:

  1. Photodiode – A photodiode is a semiconductor light sensor that generates a voltage or current when light falls on the junction.
  2. Solar cells – A solar cell or photo voltaic cell is an electronic device that directly converts sun's energy into electricity. When sunlight falls on a solar cell, it produces both current and voltage to produce electrical power.
  3. Light Emitting Diodes – Light Emitting Diode is a P-N Semiconductor diode in which the recombination of electrons and holes yields a photon. When a voltage is applied to the leads of the LED, the electrons recombine with the holes within the device and release energy in the form of photons.
  4. Optical fiber – An optical fiber is a plastic and transparent fiber either made of plastic or glass. It is somewhat thicker than a human hair. It can function as a light pipe or wave guide to transmit light between the two ends of the fiber.
  5. Laser Diodes – LASER (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) is a source of highly monochromatic, coherent and directional light. It operates under stimulated emission condition. The function of a laser diode is to convert electrical energy into light energy like infrared diodes or LEDs.

Opto-electronics Semiconductor materials:

Elemental semiconductors-Silicon, Germanium

Binary semiconductors-Aluminium, gallium, indium, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony

Ternary semiconductors-Aluminum, Gallium, Arsenic

Quaternary Semiconductors-Indium, Gallium, Phosphorous, Arsenic

Why semiconductor devices requiring emission or absorption of light?

Most LED chips are categorized as absorbing substrate devices, where the substrate material has a narrow band gap and absorbs all emission having energy greater than the band gap. Therefore, light traveling toward the sides or downward is absorbed, and such chips can only emit light through their top surfaces.

Why Opto-electronics sensor system used:

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  • The sensors used in an automotive environment must be reliable
  • Produce exactingly accurate results
  • Require little maintenance
  • Help reduce overall system cost and extend the life of the system or sub system unit
  • Integrated opto-electronics sensors are non-contact sensors, that is, they are able to perform their sensing or measurement functions without the need for physical contact with other parts of the system or sub-system

Advantages of Optoelectronics:

  • Reducing the number of required components
  • Improving the reliability of the system or sub-system
  • Improving the styling, aesthetics and ergonomics of the overall vehicle through better utilization of the available space
  • Improving the manufacturability of the vehicle by reducing the number of sensors that need to be positioned during production
  • It is similar to human eye
  • Output current easily obtainable

Disadvantages of Optoelectronics:

  • They are not giving any direct feedback
  • Contains Cadmium, a prohibited RoHS substance
  • Small output current, so an amplifier required
  • Poor temperature characteristics

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