Optically isolated laser diode array
AssigneeApplied Solar Energy Corporation
InventorRushikesh Patel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optically isolated laser diode array is formed by growing a quantum well layer on a substrate after a plurality of strips are placed on the substrate. As the lattice of the quantum well of layer grows over the strips, it deforms the lattice structure of such layer causing it to be optically lossy in the regions above the strips. An insulative layer may then be deposited on the quantum well layer and patterned so that electrical contact may be made to the quantum well layer active regions which are disposed between each of the strips. In these active regions, the quantum well layer lattice structure is well formed to provide high quality active regions for laser diodes.
Claims20
An optically isolated laser diode array comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate;
- a plurality of spaced apart elongated strips disposed on said substrate;
- a semiconductor quantum well layer disposed on said substrate overlying said strips, said quantum well layer being displaced in regions thereof above each of said strips such that said regions are optically lossy;
- an electrically insulative layer disposed on said quantum well layer, said insulative layer having a plurality of elongated trenches wherein each of said trenches exposes a portion of said quantum well layer thereunder, said trenches being alternatingly disposed intermediate said strips;
- and
- an electrically conductive layer fillingly disposed in each of said trenches in electrical communication with said exposed portion of said quantum well layer, whereby a plurality of laser diode active regions are formed in said quantum layer under each of said trenches and are optically isolated from each other by said optically lossy regions.
An optically isolated laser diode array comprising:
- a gallium arsenide substrate;
- a plurality of space apart elongated silicon dioxide strips disposed on said substrate;
- a quantum well layer being formed from alternatingly stacked layers of aluminum gallium arsenide and gallium arsenide and disposed on said substrate overlying said strips, said quantum well layer being displaced in regions thereof above each of said strips such that said regions are optically lossy;
- a silicon dioxide layer disposed on said quantum well layer, said silicon dioxide layer having a plurality of elongated trenches wherein each of said trenches exposes a portion of said quantum well layer thereunder, said trenches being alternatingly disposed intermediate said strips;
- and
- an electrically conductive layer fillingly disposed in each of said trenches in electrical communication with said exposed portion of said quantum well layer, whereby a plurality of laser diode active regions are formed in said quantum well layer under each of said trenches and are optically isolated from each other by said optically lossy regions.
A method for fabricating an optically isolated laser diode array comprising:
- providing a substrate;
- forming a plurality of spaced apart elongated strips on said substrate;
- forming a quantum well layer on said substrate overlying said strips such that said quantum well layer becomes displaced in regions thereof above said strip so that said regions are optically lossy;
- forming an electrically insulative layer on said quantum well layer to have a plurality of elongated trenches wherein each of said trenches exposes a portion of said quantum well layer thereunder, said trenches being alternatingly disposed intermediate said strips;
- and
- forming an electrically conductive layer fillingly disposed in each of said trenches in electrical communication with said exposed portion of said quantum well layer, whereby a plurality of laser diode active regions are formed in said quantum well layer under each of said trenches and are optically isolated from each other from said optically lossy regions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.