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US 6,724,795 B2Granted
Semiconductor laser
AssigneeBookham Technology PLC
InventorBenoit Reid
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A semiconductor laser adapted for telecommunications applications. The opitical mode delivered by the laser has a high power output beam and a narrow far field, thus, enabling efficient coupling of the laser into small numerical aperture optical fibers. The laser is made up of a semiconductor heterostructure and one or more optical trap layers.
Claims35
A semiconductor laser comprising a plurality of layers, the plurality of layers in sequence comprising:
- i) a first metal contact layer;
- ii) an N-type semiconductor substrate;
- iii) an N-type semiconductor optical trap layer;
- iv) an N-type semiconductor confinement layer;
- v) an active region, the active region comprising semiconductor materials;
- vi) a P-type semiconductor confinement layer, wherein the P-type semiconductor confinement layer, the active region and N-type semiconductor confinement layer collectively comprise a heterostructure having a pn-junction (depletion region) substantially close to and within the active region;
- vii) a P-type contact layer;
- viii) at least one dielectric layer, each of the at least one dielectric layer having a via etched through it providing electrical contact access to the P-type contact layer;
- ix) a second metal contact layer contacting the P-type contact layer,
- wherein the N-type semiconductor optical trap layer has a higher refractive index than the N-type semiconductor substrate and the N-type semiconductor confinement layer.
7 more elements
A semiconductor laser comprising a plurality of layers, the plurality of layers in sequence including:
- (i) an active region, the active region comprising semiconductor materials;
- (ii) a first N-type semiconductor confinement layer;
- (iii) an N-type semiconductor optical trap layer;
- (iv) a second N-type semiconductor confinement layer;
- the laser internally generating an asymmetrical optical mode, the asymmetrical optical mode having a single maximum optical intensity peak substantially in the active region and optical intensity distribution that has substantially more of the optical mode energy distributed to a first side of the active region in the optical trap layer and the first and second confinement layers as compared to the amount of the optical mode energy on an opposite second side of the active region.
2 more elements
A semiconductor heterostructure comprising a plurality of layers, the plurality of layers in sequence comprising:
- i) a first metal contact layer;
- ii) an N-type semiconductor substrate;
- iii) a first N-type semiconductor optical trap layer;
- iv) a first N-type semiconductor confinement layer;
- v) a second N-type semiconductor optical trap layer;
- vi) a second N-type semiconductor confinement layer;
- vii) an active region, the active region comprising semiconductor materials;
- viii) a P-type semiconductor confinement layer, wherein the P-type semiconductor confinement layer, the active region and the second N-type semiconductor confinement layer collectively comprise a heterostructure having a pn-junction (depletion region) substantially close to and within the active region;
- ix) a P-type contact layer;
- x) at least one dielectric layer, each of the at least one dielectric layers having a via etched through it providing electrical contact access to the P-type contact layer that is below the dielectric layer;
- xi) a second metal contact layer contacting the P-type contact layer,
- wherein the first N-type semiconductor optical trap layer has a higher refractive index than the N-type semiconductor substrate and the first N-type semiconductor confinement layer, and the second N-type semiconductor optical trap layer has a higher refractive index than the first N-type semiconductor confinement layer and the second N-type semiconductor confinement layer.
9 more elements
A semiconductor optical device comprising a plurality of layers, the plurality of layers in sequence comprising:
- i) a first metal contact layer;
- ii) a P-type semiconductor substrate;
- iii) a P-type semiconductor confinement layer;
- iv) an active region, the active region comprising semiconductor materials;
- v) a first N-type semiconductor confinement layer;
- vi) a first N-type semiconductor optical trap layer;
- vii) a second N-type semiconductor confinement layer;
- viii) a second N-type semiconductor optical trap layer;
- ix) a third N-type semiconductor confinement layer;
- x) a N-type contact layer;
- xi) at least one dielectric layer, each of the at least one dielectric layers having a via etched through it providing electrical contact access to the N-type contact layer that is below the dielectric layer;
- xii) a second metal contact layer contacting the N-type contact layer,
- wherein the first N-type semiconductor optical trap layer has a higher refractive index than the first N-type semiconductor confinement layer and the second N-type semiconductor confinement layer and the second N-type semiconductor optical trap layer has a higher refractive index than the second N-type semiconductor confinement layer and the third N-type semiconductor confinement layer.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.