Semiconductor surface emitting laser having enhanced optical confinement
AssigneeAT&T Bell Laboratories
InventorsKent D. Choquette, Robert S. Freund, Minghwei Hong
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Abstract
The present applicants have discovered that one can make a surface emitting laser with enhanced optical confinement and improved heat sinking characteristics by etching away portions of the growth layers peripheral to the intended laser cavity and regrowing peripheral regions of material having a lower index of refraction than the active region. Using low damage etching and either in situ regrowth or hydrogen plasma cleaning followed by regrowth, a surface emitting laser having enhanced optical isolation and heat sinking characteristics can be made.
Claims6
In a semiconductor surface emitting laser of the type comprising an active region disposed between a pair of reflector stacks, the improvement wherein the region peripheral to said active region comprises material having an index of refraction lower than that of said active region for forming an optically confining interface with said active region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.