Isolated modulator electrodes for low power consumption

A method of making a multichannel light-emitting device, comprising:

• forming a lower contact layer on a substrate;
• patterning the lower contact layer to form a first lower contact in a first region of the substrate and a plurality of second lower contacts in a second region of the substrate;
• forming a first thin film PN structure on the first lower contact and the plurality of second lower contacts and electrically contacting the first lower contact;
• forming a first upper contact layer on the first thin film PN structure;
• removing the first thin film PN structure and the first upper contact layer in the second region;
• forming a second thin film PN structure and a second upper contact layer in the second region;
• and
• forming an isolation region between the first and second regions, electrically separating the first upper contact layer and the second upper contact layer and thereby forming a plurality of light-emitting devices and a plurality of first upper contacts in the first region and a plurality of light-modulating devices and a plurality of second upper contacts in the second region, wherein each of the plurality of first upper contacts electrically contacts a unique one of the light-emitting devices, each of a plurality of the second upper contacts electrically contacts a unique one of the light-modulating devices, and each of the light-modulating devices electrically contacts a unique one of the second lower contacts.

A multi-channel light-emitting device, comprising:

• a substrate;
• a lower contact layer on or over the substrate, the lower contact layer comprising a first lower contact in a first region of the light-emitting device and a plurality of second lower contacts in a second region of the light-emitting device;
• a plurality of laser diodes on or over the first lower contact in the first region and electrically contacting the first lower contact;
• a plurality of first upper contacts in the first region, wherein each of the plurality of first upper contacts electrically contacts a unique one of the plurality of laser diodes;
• a plurality of modulators on or over the plurality of second lower contacts in the second region and electrically contacting a unique one of the second lower contacts, wherein each of the plurality of modulators is configured to modulate light from a corresponding one of the plurality of laser diodes;
• a plurality of second upper contacts in the second region, wherein each of the plurality of second upper contacts electrically contacts electrically contacts a unique one of the modulators;
• a plurality of waveguides on or over a third region of the light-emitting device, wherein each of the plurality of waveguides is configured to direct light from a corresponding one of the plurality of modulators towards a target;
• and
• a wave combiner configured to receive light from each of the plurality of waveguides.