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US 6,687,281 B2Granted
Double intracavity contacted long-wavelength VCSELs
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsLarry A. Coldren, Eric M. Hall, Shigeru Nakagawa
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Abstract
A vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) includes a semiconductor device having a pair of mirror portions, an active region, a tunnel junction, a pair of cladding layers and a substrate. Heat generated by the VCSEL dissipates through the cladding layers, which utilize an indium phosphide material. The VCSEL also includes selective etches that are used to aperture the active region to allow electric current to be injected into the active region.
Claims51
A vertical cavity surface emitting laser having enhanced thermal characteristics comprising:
- a substrate, the substrate being a single substrate upon which first and second photon reflecting mirrors, first and second cladding layers and an active region are grown;
- the first and second photon reflecting mirrors being aligned along a common vertical axis;
- the first and the second cladding layers being thermally and electrically conductive n-type doped layers and being sandwiched between the first and second photon reflecting mirrors along the vertical axis;
- the active region being sandwiched between the first and second thermally and electrically conductive doped cladding layers along the vertical axis, the active region etched to have a horizontal surface area smaller than a horizontal surface area of the first and second thermally and electrically conductive doped cladding layers and smaller than a horizontal surface area of the photon reflecting mirrors;
- wherein the first and second photon reflecting mirrors, the first and second cladding layers, and the active region are substantially lattice matched to the substrate;
- and
- a first electrical contact attached to the first thermally and electrically conductive doped cladding layer for providing current to the active region to stimulate the active region to lase.
4 more elements
A thermally enhanced semiconductor laser comprising:
- a substrate, the substrate being a single substrate upon which first and second photon reflecting mirrors, first and second cladding layers and an active region are grown;
- first and second cladding layers being thermally and electrically conductive and being sandwiched between the first and second reflecting mirrors;
- and
- the active region being sandwiched between the first and second thermally and electrically conductive cladding layers, the active region having a horizontal surface area smaller than a horizontal surface area of the reflecting mirrors;
- wherein the first and second reflecting mirrors, the first and second cladding layers, and the active region are substantially lattice matched to the substrate.
2 more elements
A thermally enhanced semiconductor laser comprising:
- a substrate, the substrate being a single substrate upon which an active region, a first means for sandwiching the active region, a second means for sandwiching the first means and the active region are grown;
- the active region permitting for lasing and generation photons;
- the first means for sandwiching the active region being used for supplying current to the active region to stimulate lasing and for spreading heat generated by the active region;
- the second means for sandwiching the first means and the active region being used for reflecting photons back towards the active region to amplify the photons;
- and
- wherein the first means for sandwiching the active region, the second means for sandwiching the first means and the active region, and the active region are substantially lattice matched to the substrate.
3 more elements
A thermally enhanced semiconductor laser comprising:
- an Indium Phosphide (InP) substrate, the InP subsrate being a single substrate upon which first and second reflecting mirrors, first, second and third cladding layers, and an active region are grown;
- the first, the second, and the third cladding layers being thermally and electrically conductive and being sandwiched between the first and second reflecting mirrors;
- an aperture layer sandwiched between the first and second thermally and electrically conductive cladding layers, the aperture layer having a horizontal surface area smaller than a horizontal surface area of the reflecting mirrors;
- the active region being sandwiched between the second and third thermally and electrically conductive cladding layers;
- wherein the first and the second reflecting mirrors, the first, the second, and the third cladding layers, the aperture layer, and the active region are substantially lattice matched to the Indium Phosphide substrate.
2 more elements
A thermally enhanced semiconductor laser comprising:
- an Indium Phosphide (InP) substrate, the InP substrate being a single substrate upon which first and second reflecting mirrors, first, second and third cladding layers, and an active region are grown:
- the first and the second reflecting mirrors being substantially undoped;
- the first, the second, and the third cladding layers being thermally and electrically conductive and being sandwiched between the first and second reflecting mirrors;
- and
- an aperture layer sandwiched between the first and second thermally and electrically conductive cladding layers, the aperture layer having a horizontal surface area smaller than a horizontal surface area of the reflecting mirrors;
- the active region being sandwiched between the second and third thermally and electrically conductive cladding layers;
- wherein the first and the second reflecting mirrors, the first, the second, and the third cladding layers, the aperture layer, and the active region are substantially lattice matched to the Indium Phosphide substrate.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.