Distributed Bragg reflectors and devices incorporating same
AssigneeAT&T Bell Laboratories
InventorsGreg E. Blonder, Edwin A. Chandross, Seng-Tiong Ho, Samuel L. McCall, Richart E. Slusher, Kenneth W. West
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Abstract
Distributed Bragg Reflectors of high efficacy based on alternating layers of large difference in refractive index are fabricated by epitaxial growth followed by etchant removal and back-filling to produce a structure in which alternation is between layers of retained epitaxially grown material and layers of back-filled material. Such reflectors may serve simply as mirrors or may be incorporated in a variety of devices including lasers, LEDs, detectors, optical switches in which the DBRs serve e.g. for cavitation.
Claims13
Process for fabrication of a device comprising a Distributed Bragg Reflector comprising a plurality of layers of high and low refractive index material with regard to electromagnetic energy of a wavelength intended for use in device operation, in which one such refractive index material is grown epitaxially
- CHARACTERIZED in that the other such refractive index material is produced by back-filling of etch-removed epitaxially grown disposable material, thereby resulting in a Distributed Bragg Reflector in which the said plurality of layers includes at least one retained layer of high or low refractive index in contact with at least one back-filled layer of refractive index which differs significantly from the said-retained layer, to result in an index difference, .DELTA.n, numerically at least equal to l as between said retained layer and said back-filled layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.