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US 7,257,141 B2Granted
Phase array oxide-confined VCSELs
AssigneePalo Alto Research Center Incorporated
InventorChristopher L. Chua
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A phase array of oxide confined VCSELs and a method for forming the phase array of oxide confined VCSELs is described. VCSELs in the array are designed to be simultaneously addressed such that the output of multiple VCSELs can be used to increase the light intensity at a point. In applications where beam coherence from the VCSEL array is desirable, high gain coupling regions break the continuity of the oxide wall surrounding each VCSEL aperture. The high gain coupling regions connect adjacent VCSELs in the VCSEL array thereby allowing mode coupling between adjacent lasers and the output of a coherent beam of light.
Claims31
An array of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) comprising:
- a first VCSEL including a first laser aperture partially bounded by an oxidized semiconductor material forming a first oxide wall, the first oxide wall including a an opening in the first oxide wall;
- a second VCSEL positioned adjacent to the first VCSEL, the second VCSEL including a second laser aperture partially bounded by oxidized semiconductor material forming a second oxide wall, the second oxide wall including an opening in the second oxide wall;
- and,
- a ground contact coupled to a first side of the first VCSEL and the second VCSEL and a top contact coupled to a second side of the first VCSEL and the second VCSEL to simultaneously provide current to the first VCSEL and the second VCSEL, the first VCSEL and the second VCSEL closely packed such that when the top contact simultaneously provides current to the first VCSEL and the second VCSEL, the openings in the first oxide wall and the second oxide wall are sufficiently large that evanescent fields output by the first VCSEL causes mode coupling between the first VCSEL and the second VCSEL.
1 more element
An array of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) comprising:
- a first VCSEL including a first laser aperture, the first laser partially surrounded by a first oxide wall and at least an opening in the first oxide wall;
- a second VCSEL positioned adjacent to the first VCSEL, the second VCSEL including a second laser aperture partially surrounded by a second oxide wall and an opening in the second oxide wall, the opening in the first oxide wall and the opening in the second oxide wall aligned to facilitate evanescent fields from the first VCSEL to interact with an active region of the second VCSEL and thereby cause mode coupling between the first VCSEL and the second VCSEL, and, a p-side contact that contacts both the first VCSEL and the second VCSEL the p-side contact to simultaneously provide current to the first VCSEL and the second VCSEL, wherein a third VCSEL positioned adjacent to the first VCSEL, the third VCSEL including a third laser aperture partially surrounded by a third oxide wall and an opening in the third oxide wall, a second opening in the first oxide wall and the opening in the third oxide wall aligned to allow evanescent fields from the first VCSEL to reach an active region of the third VCSEL.
An array of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) comprising:
- a first VCSEL including a first laser aperture, the first laser partially surrounded by a first oxide wall and at least an opening in the first oxide wall;
- a second VCSEL positioned adjacent to the first VCSEL, the second VCSEL including a second laser aperture partially surrounded by a second oxide wall and an opening in the second oxide wall, the opening in the first oxide wall and the opening in the second oxide wall aligned to facilitate evanescent fields from the first VCSEL to interact with an active region of the second VCSEL;
- a contact coupled to the first VCSEL and the second VCSEL, the contact to simultaneously pump current through the first VCSEL and the second VCSEL;
- a high gain coupling region that including a high gain region coupling the at least one opening in the first oxide wall to the corresponding opening in the second oxide wall, the high gain coupling region also coupled to said contact such that said contact provides current to the high gain coupling region thereby facilitating mode coupling between the first VCSEL and the second VCSEL.
1 more element
An array of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) comprising:
- a first VCSEL including a first laser aperture, the first laser partially surrounded by a first oxide wall and at least an opening in the first oxide wall;
- a second VCSEL positioned adjacent to the first VCSEL, the second VCSEL including a second laser aperture partially surrounded by a second oxide wall and an opening in the second oxide wall, the opening in the first oxide wall and the opening in the second oxide wall aligned to facilitate evanescent fields from the first VCSEL to interact with an active region of the second VCSEL;
- a third VCSEL positioned adjacent to the first VCSEL, the third VCSEL including a third laser aperture partially surrounded by a third oxide wall and an opening in the third oxide wall, a second opening in the first oxide wall and the opening in the third oxide wall aligned to allow evanescent fields from the first VCSEL to reach an active region of the third VCSEL,
- a plurality of high gain coupling regions including a first high gain region coupling the at least one opening in the first oxide wall to the corresponding opening in the second oxide wall and a second high gain region coupling the second opening in the first oxide wall to the corresponding opening in the third oxide wall.
1 more element
A method of forming an array of VCSELs comprising the operations of:
- forming a plurality of via holes in a substrate;
- laterally oxidizing the substrate to form a first oxide wall partially surrounding a first laser aperture and a second oxide wall partially surrounding a second laser aperture, the first oxide wall and the second oxide wall having openings of sufficient size such that evanescent fields from the first laser aperture will induce mode locking between the first laser aperture and the second laser aperture;
- and,
- forming a top contact over the substrate, the top contact in conjunction with a second bottom contact to provide current simultaneously to the first laser aperture and the second laser aperture.
1 more element
An array of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) comprising:
- a first VCSEL including a first laser aperture partially bounded by an oxidized semiconductor material forming a first oxide wall, the first oxide wall including an opening in the first oxide wall;
- a second VCSEL positioned adjacent to the first VCSEL, the second VCSEL including a second laser aperture at least partially bounded by oxidized semiconductor material forming a second oxide wall, the second oxide wall including an opening in the second oxide wall;
- and,
- a high gain region positioned in the opening in the first oxide wall between the first VCSEL and the second VCSEL, the high gain region to receive current and thereby enhance mode coupling between the first VCSEL and the second VCSEL.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.