# US 7,745,836 B2 · High-power, broad-band, superluminescent diode and method of fabricating the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,745,836 B2 - Document ID: US7745836B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/118,543 - Filed: 2008-05-09 - Published: 2009-06-18 - Granted: 2010-06-29 - Earliest claimed: 2007-09-18 - Assignees: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute - Inventors: Jung-Ho Song; Ki-Soo Kim; Young-Ahn Leem; Gyung-Ock Kim - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7745836B2 ## CPC - H10H 20/042: {Superluminescent diodes} - H10H 20/81: Bodies - H10H: INORGANIC LIGHT-EMITTING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES HAVING POTENTIAL BARRIERS ## Abstract Provided are a superluminescent diode with a high optical power and a broad wavelength band, and a method of fabricating the same. The superluminescent diode includes: at least one high optical confinement factor (HOCF) region; and at least one low optical confinement factor (LOCF) region having a lower optical confinement factor than the HOCF region. The method includes obtaining a difference of optical confinement factors in the HOCF region and the LOCF region through a selective area growth method, the selective area growth method using a deposition thicknesses difference of thin layers according to a width difference of openings that expose a substrate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A superluminescent diode comprising an active layer, the active layer including: at least one high optical confinement factor (HOCF) region; and at least one low optical confinement factor (LOCF) region having a lower optical confinement factor than the HOCF region, wherein the active layer is configured to enable light to propagate through the low optical confinement factor (LOCF) region and the high optical confinement factor (HOCF) region. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The superluminescent diode of claim 1, wherein each of the HOCF and LOCF regions comprises a quantum well structure including a plurality of barrier layers and at least one quantum well layer interposed between the barrier layers. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The superluminescent diode of claim 2, wherein a wavelength of light emitted from the HOCF region is the same as that of the LOCF region. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The superluminescent diode of claim 3, wherein the quantum well layers and the barrier layers of the HOCF and LOCF regions have at least one same factor of thickness and composition. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The superluminescent diode of claim 2, the active layer further comprising: at least one confinement layers provided over a first side of the quantum well structures, wherein the HOCF and LOCF regions differ in at least one factor of thickness and composition of the confinement layers. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The superluminescent diode of claim 1, wherein a wavelength of light emitted from the HOCF region is different from a wavelength of light emitted from the LOCF region. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The superluminescent diode of claim 6, wherein the HOCF and LOCF regions differ in thickness of at least one of the quantum well layer and the barrier layers. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The superluminescent diode of claim 6, wherein the HOCF and LOCF regions differ in composition of at least one of the quantum well layer and the barrier layers. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The superluminescent diode of claim 1, wherein the HOCF and LOCF regions are configured to form a continuously connected waveguide. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The superluminescent diode of claim 1, wherein a power and a wavelength bandwidth of light outputted from the superluminescent diode are determined by lengths of the HOCF and LOCF regions. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The superluminescent diode of claim 1, the active layer further comprising a transition region disposed between the HOCF and LOCF regions, wherein a thickness of the transition region gradually decreases as it approaches from the HOCF region toward the LOCF region. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The superluminescent diode of claim 11, wherein an optical confinement factor of the transition region gradually decreases as it approaches from the HOCF region toward the LOCF region. ### Claim 13 A superluminescent diode comprising an active layer, the active layer including: at least one high optical confinement factor (HOCF) region; and at least one low optical confinement factor (LOCF) region having a lower optical confinement factor than the HOCF region, wherein the HOCF and LOCF regions differ in number of the quantum well layers of the quantum well structure. ### Claim 14 A method of fabricating a super-luminescent diode comprising at least one high optical confinement factor (HOCF) region and at least one low optical confinement factor (LOCF) region, the method comprising: forming an active layer including a high optical confinement factor (HOCF) region and a low optical confinement factor (LOCF) region using a selective area growth process, the selective area growth process using a deposition thicknesses difference of thin layers according to a width difference of openings that expose a substrate, wherein the active layer is configured to enable light to propagate through the low optical confinement factor (LOCF) region and the high optical confinement factor (HOCF) region. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the selective area growth process comprises: forming a mask pattern on the substrate, the mask pattern having a narrow opening and a broad opening; and filling in the narrow opening and the broad opening through a metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) method to form the active layer, wherein the active layer in the narrow opening defines the LOCF region and the active layer in the broad opening defines the HOCF region. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the mask pattern further comprises an intermediate opening with a width gradually increasing that connects the narrow opening with the broad opening. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the active layer is formed by filling in the intermediate opening through a metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) method.