Strain polarized vertical cavity surface emitting laser
AssigneeLumentum Operations LLC
InventorsEric R. Hegblom, Yeyu Zhu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In some implementations, an emitter device includes a substrate layer and epitaxial layers on the substrate layer. The epitaxial layers may include a first mirror, a second mirror, and an active layer between the first mirror and the second mirror. The epitaxial layers may include at least one oxidation layer including a first oxidized region and a second oxidized region separate from the first oxidized region. The first oxidized region and the second oxidized region may be configured to provide a strain on the epitaxial layers that is radially asymmetric. The epitaxial layers may include a set of oxidation trenches in the set of epitaxial layers to expose the at least one oxidation layer.
Claims20
A vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), comprising:
- a substrate layer;
- and
- epitaxial layers on the substrate layer, the epitaxial layers comprising:
- a first mirror;
- a second mirror;
- an active layer between the first mirror and the second mirror;
- at least one first oxidation layer comprising a first oxidized region and a second oxidized region separate from the first oxidized region,
- wherein the first oxidized region and the second oxidized region are respectively on opposing sides of an emission region of the epitaxial layers to provide a strain on the epitaxial layers that is radially asymmetric;
- a second oxidation layer comprising a third oxidized region that encircles an oxide aperture;
- a first set of oxidation trenches in the set of epitaxial layers to expose the first oxidation layer and the second oxidation layer;
- and
- a second set of oxidation trenches in the set of epitaxial layers to expose the second oxidation layer without exposing the first oxidation layer,
- wherein the first set of oxidation trenches and the second set of oxidation trenches partially surround the emission region, and
- wherein one or more of the second set of oxidation trenches are located between one or more of the first set of oxidation trenches.
An emitter device, comprising:
- a substrate layer;
- and
- epitaxial layers on the substrate layer, the epitaxial layers comprising:
- a first mirror;
- a second mirror;
- an active layer between the first mirror and the second mirror;
- at least one oxidation layer comprising a first oxidized region and a second oxidized region separate from the first oxidized region,
- wherein the first oxidized region and the second oxidized region are configured to provide a strain on the epitaxial layers that is radially asymmetric;
- and
- a set of oxidation trenches in the set of epitaxial layers to expose the at least one oxidation layer, wherein the set of oxidation trenches include:
- a first set of oxidation trenches and a second set of oxidation trenches that partially surround an emission region,
- wherein one or more of the second set of oxidation trenches are located between one or more of the first set of oxidation trenches.
A method, comprising:
- forming, on a substrate layer, epitaxial layers comprising a first mirror, a second mirror, an active region between the first mirror and the second mirror, at least one first oxidation layer, and a second oxidation layer;
- etching, in a single etching step, a first set of oxidation trenches and a second set of oxidation trenches,
- wherein the first set of oxidation trenches expose the at least one first oxidation layer and the second oxidation layer, and the second set of oxidation trenches expose the second oxidation layer without exposing the at least one first oxidation layer,
- wherein the first set of oxidation trenches and the second set of oxidation trenches partially surround an emission region, and
- wherein one or more of the second set of oxidation trenches are located between one or more of the first set of oxidation trenches;
- and
- oxidizing, in a single oxidizing step, the at least one first oxidation layer and the second oxidation layer,
- wherein oxidizing the at least one first oxidation layer forms a first oxidized region and a second oxidized region, separate from the first oxidized region, to cause a strain on the epitaxial layers that is radially asymmetric, and
- wherein oxidizing the second oxidation layer forms a third oxidized region that encircles an oxide aperture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.