1. A vertical-cavity surface light emitting element comprising:
an active layer comprising alternately laminated quantum well layers and barrier layers; and
reflective layers respectively disposed above and below said active layer, wherein:
a center-to-center distance of said quantum well layers is L,
a light emission wavelength of said surface light emitting element is \u03bb,
an average refractive index of an optical length of a resonator, being a distance between said reflective layers, is n,
a condition of \u03bb(15\xd7n) \u2266L\u2266\u03bb(10\xd7n) is satisfied, and
a bandgap of at least one of said quantum well layers is different from that of another of said quantum well layers.
2. The vertical-cavity surface light emitting element according to claim 1, wherein a distance between said reflective layers is an optical length of approximately 1, 1.5 or 2 times a light emission wavelength of a quantum well layer having the smallest bandgap among said quantum well layers.
3. The vertical-cavity surface light emitting element according to claim 1, wherein no node of a standing wave of light to be generated between said reflective layers is positioned in said active layer, and at least one of said quantum well layers is located in a position of an anti-node of said standing wave.
4. The vertical-cavity surface light emitting element according to claim 1, further comprising a current-narrowing layer.
5. The vertical-cavity surface light emitting element according to claim 1, wherein:
said active layer includes at least three quantum well layers; and
among the quantum well layers are included outermost quantum well layers and one or more inside quantum well layers, and bandgaps of the outermost quantum well layers are substantially the same or smaller than bandgaps of the inside quantum well layers; and
a bandgap of at least one of the inside quantum well layers is larger than that of at least one of the outside quantum well layers.
6. The vertical-cavity surface light emitting element according to claim 5, wherein at least one of said one or more inside quantum well layers is provided at an anti-node of a standing wave of light in a vertical resonator.
7. The vertical-cavity surface light emitting element according to claim 5, wherein a length of said vertical resonator is approximately (m\xb7\u03bb) 2(where m is an integer), with respect to a light emission wavelength (\u03bb) of at least one of said outermost quantum well layer.
8. The vertical-cavity surface light emitting element according to claim 5, further comprising a current-narrowing layer.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A brick panel assembly comprising:
a plurality of bricks;
a substratum for supporting said plurality of bricks thereon, said substratum comprising a plurality of retaining projections spaced apart in a plurality of rows, said plurality of retaining projections defining a plurality of channels therebetween for accepting said plurality of bricks therein, each of said plurality of projections having a dovetail-shaped transverse cross section prior to acceptance of said plurality of bricks therebetween;
a mortar tie disposed between said plurality of bricks and said substratum, said mortar engagement tie comprising an aperture; and
mortar disposed between said plurality of bricks and through said aperture of said mortar tie to permanently hold said plurality of bricks and said substratum together.
2. The brick panel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of bricks has a predetermined height, and further wherein said plurality of retaining projections are generally parallel and spaced apart a distance less than said predetermined height of each of said plurality of bricks, such that said plurality of retaining projections interferingly engage said plurality of bricks in longitudinal engagement to retain said plurality of bricks within said plurality of retaining channels.
3. The brick panel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plurality of retaining projections include a plurality of interruptions disposed in a diagonal pattern across said substratum for allowing water to drain down between said plurality of retaining projections when said substratum is in a generally vertical orientation such that said plurality of retaining projections are in a generally horizontal orientation.
4. The brick panel assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein said mortar tie is respectively aligned with one of said plurality of interruptions, each said mortar tie further comprising:
a flat plate portion adapted to accept a fastener therethrough;
a substratum engagement extension extending in one direction from said flat plate portion; and
a mortar engagement extension comprising said aperture, said mortar engagement extension extending from said flat plate portion in a direction opposite that of said substratum engagement extension, said mortar engagement extension being disposed within a respective interruption of said plurality of interruptions.
5. The brick panel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plurality of bricks each comprise a back surface having a plurality of grooves for enabling water drainage, and said back surface of said plurality of bricks is adhesively attached to said substratum.
6. The brick panel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said substratum further comprises polystyrene foam such that a portion of said plurality of retaining projections of said substratum yield and partially crush during the insertion of said plurality of bricks to thereby frictionally retain said plurality of bricks.
7. A brick panel assembly adapted for paneling a building structure, said brick panel assembly comprising:
a plurality of thin bricks, wherein each of said plurality of thin bricks has a predetermined height;
a substratum for supporting said plurality of thin bricks thereon, said substratum comprising a retaining channel for accepting said plurality of thin bricks therein, said retaining channel being defined by a pair of retaining projections, each of said pair of retaining projections having a dovetail-shaped transverse cross section prior to insertion of said plurality of thin bricks therebetween, said pair of retaining projections being generally parallel and spaced apart a distance less than said predetermined height of said plurality of thin bricks such that said pair of retaining projections interferingly engage said plurality of thin bricks to retain said plurality of thin bricks within said retaining channel, at least one of said pair of retaining projections having an interruption;
a mortar tie disposed between said plurality of thin bricks and said substratum, said mortar tie being aligned with said interruption, said mortar tie comprising:
a flat plate portion;
a substratum engagement extension inserted into said substratum such that said flat plate portion lies flat against said substratum in said retaining channel; and
a mortar engagement extension disposed within said interruption; said mortar engagement extension comprising an aperture; and
mortar disposed between said plurality of thin bricks and through said aperture of said mortar tie to permanently hold said plurality of thin bricks and said substratum together.
8. The brick panel assembly as claimed in claim 7, further comprising adhesive disposed between said plurality of thin bricks and said substratum.
9. The brick panel assembly as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a fastener extending through said flat plate portion of said mortar tie, through said substratum, and into said building structure for fastening said mortar tie and said substratum to said building structure.
10. The brick panel assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein said substratum is composed of polystyrene foam.
11. The brick panel assembly as claimed in 7, wherein each of said plurality of thin bricks comprise a back surface having grooves for enabling water drainage.
12. A brick panel assembly adapted for mounting to a building structure, said brick panel assembly comprising:
a plurality of thin bricks, said plurality of thin bricks each having a front surface, a back surface opposite said front surface, a top surface, a bottom surface opposite said top surface, and two opposed side surfaces, said plurality of thin bricks each having a width defined between said two opposed side surfaces, a height defined between said top and said bottom surfaces, and a depth defined between said front and said back surfaces;
a substratum for supporting said plurality of thin bricks thereon, said substratum comprising a plurality of retaining channels for accepting said plurality of thin bricks therein, said plurality of retaining channels being defined by a plurality of retaining projections, said plurality of retaining projections having a dovetail-shaped transverse cross section prior to acceptance of said plurality of thin bricks therebetween, said plurality of retaining projections being disposed in a generally parallel pattern of rows, said plurality of retaining projections being spaced apart a distance that is less than said height of each of said plurality of thin bricks such that said plurality of retaining projections interferingly engage said top and said bottom surfaces of said plurality of thin bricks along the lengths thereof to retain said plurality of thin bricks in said plurality of retaining channels, said plurality of retaining projections having a plurality of interruptions, said plurality of interruptions being arranged in a diagonal pattern across said substratum;
a plurality of mortar ties disposed between said plurality of thin bricks and said substratum, said plurality of mortar ties being respectively aligned with said plurality of interruptions, said plurality of mortar ties each comprising:
a flat plate portion;
a substratum engagement extension terminating one end of said flat plate portion; and
a mortar engagement extension terminating another end of said flat plate portion, said mortar engagement extension having at least one aperture therethrough, said mortar engagement extension being disposed within said plurality of interruptions of said plurality of retaining projections such that said flat plate portion lies flat against said substratum in one of said plurality of retaining channels and such that said substratum engagement extension extends into said substratum; and
mortar disposed between said plurality of thin bricks and through said at least one aperture of said mortar engagement extension of said plurality of mortar ties to permanently hold said plurality of thin bricks together and to said substratum.
13. The brick panel assembly as claimed in claim 12, wherein said plurality of interruptions are arranged in a vertically-overlapping diagonal pattern to enhance the drainage of water.
14. The brick panel assembly as claimed in claim 12, wherein said back surface of said plurality of thin bricks comprises at least one groove therein to enhance the drainage of water.
15. The brick panel assembly as claimed in claim 12, wherein said substratum is composed of polystyrene foam.
16. The brick panel assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein at least a portion of each of said plurality of retaining projections yields and crushes upon acceptance of said plurality of thin bricks.
17. The brick panel assembly as claimed in claim 12, further comprising adhesive disposed between said plurality of thin bricks and said substratum.
18. The brick panel assembly as claimed in claim 12, further comprising a fastener extending through each of said flat plate portions of said plurality of mortar ties to fasten said plurality of mortar ties and said substratum to said building structure.
19. A method of installing thin brick veneer to a building, said method comprising the steps of:
providing a substratum having a plurality of spaced apart projections disposed in vertically spaced apart rows, said plurality of spaced apart projections defining a plurality of retaining channels therebetween, each of said plurality of spaced apart projections having a dovetail-shaped transverse cross section, said plurality of spaced apart projections having a plurality of interruptions defining a diagonal pattern of interruptions;
applying a mortar tie to said substratum such that a mortar engagement portion of said mortar tie is disposed in a corresponding interruption of said plurality of interruptions;
driving a fastener through said mortar tie and said substratum and into a portion of said building;
snap fitting a plurality of thin bricks into said plurality of retaining channels between vertically adjacent pairs of projections of said plurality of spaced apart projections, such that each thin brick of said plurality of thin bricks deforms corresponding portions of said plurality of spaced apart projections to retain said plurality of thin bricks in frictional interference between said plurality of spaced apart projections; and
applying mortar between said plurality of thin bricks.
20. The method of installing thin brick veneer to a building as claimed in claim 19, further comprising the steps of:
applying adhesive between said building and said substratum; and
applying adhesive between said plurality of thin bricks and said plurality of retaining channels.