Semiconductor laser
AssigneeU.S. Philips Corporation
InventorPeter J. de Waard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A semiconductor laser includes an active layer of a first conductivity type comprising a strip-shaped active region formed by a doping of the second conductivity type over at least a part of the thickness of the active layer. According to the invention, the active region consists of a number of zones of the second conductivity type which are separated by material of the first conductivity type and which, viewed in the longitudinal direction of the active region, have a maximum dimension of at most 20 .mu.m. Upon ageing, crystal defects in the zones will not expand beyond the zones, thus extending the usable lifetime of the laser.
Claims14
A semiconductor laser having a semiconductor body comprising a strip-shaped active region situated within a resonator, in which radiation is emitted in the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped active region and in which a number of p-n-junctions are electrically connected in parallel to inject charge carriers into the active region, the strip-shaped active region forming part of an active semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type and having a plurality of spaced-apart zones of the second conductivity type within which radiation is generated, said zones being electrically connected to an electrode provided on a surface of the semiconductor body, that part of the active layer of the first conductivity type between the zones of the second conductivity type having a band spacing which is at least equal to that of the zones, and the largest dimension of said zones, viewed in the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped active region, being at most equal to 20 .mu.m, so that, upon ageing, crystal defects in any one of said zones will not extend beyond said zone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.