Highly directional light emitting diode using photonic bandgap waveguides

A method for fabricating an edge-emitting light source, comprising:

• providing a substrate;
• forming a photonic crystal waveguide on the substrate, the photonic crystal waveguide comprising a semiconductor structure formed in at least one waveguide region of the photonic crystal waveguide;
• wherein, the semiconductor structure comprises a plurality of layers spaced from one another in a first direction;
• and
• wherein the waveguide region restricts light emitted by the edge-emitting light source from propagating in at least a second direction that is perpendicular to said first direction.

An edge-emitting light-emitting diode light source, comprising:

• a two-dimensional photonic crystal slab having at least one waveguide region extending through the two-dimensional photonic crystal slab;
• an edge-emitting semiconductor structure having a light emitting active layer incorporated within each at least one waveguide region, wherein light emitted by the edge-emitting semiconductor structure and within a photonic bandgap of the photonic crystal is confined within the at least one waveguide region and guided out of the photonic crystal through the at least one waveguide region;
• wherein, the edge-emitting semiconductor structure comprises a plurality of layers spaced from one another in a first direction;
• and
• wherein the waveguide region restricts light emitted by the edge-emitting semiconductor structure from propagating in at least a second direction that is perpendicular to said first direction.