Diffractive optics at the surface of light-emitting/receiving semiconductor components

Semiconductor components that emit or receive light can use diffractive sur face structures to increase the functionality and reduce the number of addi tional optical components needed in the system. The diffractive structure c ouples the light out of, or into, the semiconductor material; it splits the light and directs it into one focus or several foci at any desired positio n. Further, the diffractive optics can be designed so that the function of the device is largely insensitive to the polarization of the light. In this survey, we briefly discuss design and fabrication issues, and show simulat ed and measured results, for a few different types of components.