Rigid high power and high speed lasing grid structures

A multi-laser semiconductor apparatus comprising:

• an active mesa structure;
• a contact layer;
• a structure separated from the active mesa structure;
• a substrate that supports the active mesa structure, the contact layer, and the structure;
• and
• an electrical waveguide;
• wherein the active mesa structure comprises a plurality of semiconductor laser regions within the active mesa structure itself, each semiconductor laser region of the active mesa structure being electrically isolated within the active mesa structure itself relative to the other semiconductor laser regions of the active mesa structure;
• wherein the contact layer extends beneath the active mesa structure;
• wherein the structure provides a contact that shorts the structure to the contact layer to provide a path for a current flow from the electrical waveguide to deliver energy to the semiconductor laser regions;
• wherein the electrical waveguide provides the current flow to the semiconductor laser regions and the structure via a plurality of electrical waveguide contacts, the electrical waveguide contacts comprising a first contact for electrical connection with the semiconductor laser regions and a second contact for electrical connection with the structure contact;
• wherein the contact layer is adapted to carry a current load from the electrical waveguide and spread current laterally through the contact layer to the active mesa structure including interior semiconductor laser region portions of the active mesa structure for injecting the semiconductor laser regions with current to produce lasing from the semiconductor laser regions;
• and
• wherein the active mesa structure further comprises a plurality of holes extending therethrough, each hole having a layer of oxidation around it, the holes and the oxidation layers being positioned to define and electrically isolate the semiconductor laser regions.

A multi-laser semiconductor apparatus comprising:

• an active mesa structure;
• a contact layer;
• a structure separated from the active mesa structure;
• a substrate that supports the active mesa structure, the contact layer, and the structure;
• and
• an electrical waveguide;
• wherein the active mesa structure comprises a plurality of semiconductor laser regions within the active mesa structure itself, each semiconductor laser region of the active mesa structure being electrically isolated within the active mesa structure itself relative to the other semiconductor laser regions of the active mesa structure;
• wherein the contact layer extends beneath the active mesa structure and is positioned above the substrate;
• wherein the structure provides a contact that shorts the structure to the contact layer to provide a path for a current flow from the electrical waveguide to deliver energy to the semiconductor laser regions;
• wherein the electrical waveguide provides the current flow to the semiconductor laser regions and the structure via a plurality of electrical waveguide contacts, the electrical waveguide contacts comprising a first contact for electrical connection with the semiconductor laser regions and a second contact for electrical connection with the structure contact;
• wherein the contact layer is adapted to carry a current load from the electrical waveguide and spread current laterally through the contact layer to the active mesa structure including interior semiconductor laser region portions of the active mesa structure for injecting the semiconductor laser regions with current to produce lasing from the semiconductor laser regions;
• and
• wherein the active mesa structure further comprises a plurality of conductive regions formed by ion implantation, the ion implantation being positioned to define and electrically isolate the semiconductor laser regions.