Conductive element with lateral oxidation barrier
AssigneePicolight Incorporated
InventorJack L. Jewell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A conductive element with a lateral oxidation barrier is provided for the control of lateral oxidation processes in semiconductor devices such as lasers, vertical cavity surface emitting lasers and light emitting diodes. The oxidation barrier is formed through modification of one or more layers which initially were receptive to oxidation. The quality of material directly below the oxidation barrier may be preserved. Related applications include the formation of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers on non-GaAs substrates and on GaAs substrates.
Claims19
An electrical current conducting element comprising:
- at least a first oxidizable layer;
- said first oxidizable layer being significantly oxidized in a laterally oriented first region;
- said first oxidizable layer having a second region which is not significantly oxidized;
- at least one semiconductor layer residing above a portion of said first oxidizable layer;
- and
- further comprising at least one substantially electrically non-conductive region in at least a portion of said semiconductor layer and above said oxidixable layer.
An electrical current conducting element comprising:
- a substrate;
- a first mirror situated above said substrate;
- at least a first oxidizable layer, said first oxidizable layer being significantly oxidized in a laterally oriented first region, and said first oxidizable layer having a second region which is not significantly oxidized;
- at least one semiconductor layer residing above a portion of said first oxidizable layer;
- further comprising at least one substantially electrically non-conductive region in at least a portion of said semiconductor layer, said first oxidizable layer, and said semiconductor layer forming an electrical current conducting element having a first conductivity type;
- said conducting element further comprising material of a second conductivity type residing above or below said conducting element, said conducting element and said material of a second conductivity type forming an electrical junction;
- a light emitting material situated between said conducting element and said material of a second conductivity type, forming a light emitting element;
- a first conductive spacer situated above said first mirror and below said light emitting material;
- a second conductive spacer situated above said light emitting material;
- a second mirror situated above said second conductive spacer, said first and second mirrors and all material between forming an optical cavity having a cavity resonance at a nominal wavelength;
- and
- means for injecting electrical current through said conducting element and into said light emitting material, thereby causing said light emitting device to emit a beam of light at or near said nominal wavelength.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.