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US 4,949,350 AGranted
Surface emitting semiconductor laser
AssigneeBell Communications Research, Inc.
InventorsJack L. Jewell, Axel Scherer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vertical-cavity surface emitting laser and method of making in which a III-V heterostructure is epitaxially grown to include a quantum well active region between two interference mirrors separated by an emitting wavelength of the quantum well region. A small pillar of this heterostructure is etched by chemically assisted xenon ion beam itching. Prior to etching, a top metal contact is deposited on the epitaxial semiconductor. Light is emitted through the substrate having a bandgap larger than that of the quantum well region.
Claims13
A vertical-cavity, surface emitting laser, comprising:
- a crystalline substrate;
- a lower multiple layer interference mirror epitaxially formed on said substrate, said layers being arranged in a vertical direction;
- an active region comprising at least one quantum well layer epitaxially formed on said lower mirror and lasing a predetermined wavelength .lambda.;
- an upper multiple layer interference mirror epitaxially formed on said active region;
- a lower and an upper spacer region interposed between said active region and respective ones of said mirrors and epitaxial therewith to provide a vertical optical cavity between opposing faces of said mirrors separated by an optical distance L of a predetermined relationship to said wavelength .lambda.;
- and
- wherein at least said active region, said upper spacer region and said upper mirror are formed into a vertical waveguiding region having a substantially constant cross-section area A and an effective dielectric constant n below said upper mirror;
- said laser further comprising:
- a medium laterally substantially surrounding said waveguiding region and having a dielectric constant less than said effective dielectric constant n;
- and
- two electrical contact regions, one of said electrical contact regions being electrically connected to said waveguiding region above said active region, electrical power applied to said contact regions causing said laser to lase at said wavelength .lambda. with a loss per pass of S;
- wherein a waveguiding confinement factor ##EQU3## has a value approximately equal to or greater than 17.
9 more elements
A vertical-cavity, surface emitting laser, comprising:
- a crystalline substrate;
- a lower multiple layer interference mirror epitaxially formed on said substrate;
- an active region comprising at least one quantum well layer epitaxially formed on said lower mirror and lasing at a predetermined wavelength .lambda.;
- an upper multiple layer interference mirror epitaxially formed on said active region;
- a lower and an upper spacer region interposed between said active region and respective ones of said mirrors and epitaxial therewith to provide an optical cavity between opposing faces of said mirrors separated by an optical distance L of a predetermined relationship to said wavelength;
- and
- wherein said active region, said upper spacer region and said upper mirror are formed in a mesa structure rising above said substrate and having a cross-sectional area A, said mesa structure having an effective dielectric constant n below said upper mirror;
- said laser further comprising at least two electrical contacts, one of said electrical contacts being attached to said mesa structure above said active region, said contacts causing said laser to lase at said wavelength .lambda. with a loss per pass of S;
- wherein a waveguiding confinement factor ##EQU4## has a value approximately equal to or greater than 17.
6 more elements
A vertical-cavity, surface emitting laser, comprising:
- a crystalline substrate;
- a lower multiple layer interference mirror epitaxially formed on said substrate;
- an active region comprising at least one quantum well layer epitaxially formed on said lower mirror and lasing at a predetermined wavelength .lambda.;
- an upper multiple layer interference mirror epitaxially formed on said active region;
- a lower and an upper spacer region interposed between said active region and respective ones of said mirrors and epitaxial therewith to provide an optical cavity between opposing faces of said mirrors separated by an optical distance of a predetermined relationship to said wavelength;
- and
- wherein said active region, said upper spacer region and said upper mirror are formed in a mesa structure rising above said substrate and having a substantially uniform cross-sectional area less than a cross-sectional area of said substrate;
- said laser further comprising at least two electrical contacts, one of said electrical contacts being attached to said mesa structure above said active region;
- wherein said mirrors, said active region and said spacer regions comprise III-V semiconductor materials;
- and
- wherein said active region and said spacer regions of said mesa structure are bounded on all lateral sides thereof within an optical distance 10.multidot..lambda. by a medium of other than III-V semiconducting material.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.