Abstract:
A process for fabricating AlGaInN-based photonic devices, such as lasers, capable of emitting blue light employs etching to form device waveguides and mirrors, preferably using a temperature of over 500° C. and an ion beam in excess of 500 V in CAIBE.
Abstract:
An etched-facet single lateral mode semiconductor photonic device is fabricated by depositing an anti reflective coating on the etched facet, and depositing a reflectivity modifying coating in a spatially controlled manner to modify the spatial performance of the emitted beam.
Abstract:
Unidirectionality of lasers is enhanced by forming one or more etched gaps (78, 80) in the laser cavity. The gaps may be provided in any segment of a laser, such as any leg of a ring laser, or in one leg (62) of a V-shaped laser (60). A Brewster angle facet at the distal end of a photonic device coupled to the laser reduces back-reflection into the laser cavity. A distributed Bragg reflector is used at the output of a laser to enhance the side-mode suppression ratio of the laser.
Abstract:
Unidirectionality of lasers is enhanced by forming one or more etched gaps (78, 80) in the laser cavity. The gaps may be provided in any segment of a laser, such as any leg of a ring laser, or in one leg (62) of a V-shaped laser (60). A Brewster angle facet at the distal end of a photonic device coupled to the laser reduces back-reflection into the laser cavity. A distributed Bragg reflector is used at the output of a laser to enhance the side-mode suppression ratio of the laser.
Abstract:
A laser and electroabsorption modulator (EAM) are monolithically integrated through an etched facet process. Epitaxial layers on a wafer include a first layer for a laser structure and a second layer for an EAM structure. Strong optical coupling between the laser and the EAM is realized by using two 45-degree turning mirrors to route light vertically from the laser waveguide to the EAM waveguide. A directional angled etch process is used to form the two angled facets.
Abstract:
A photonic device incorporate an epitaxial structure having an active region, and which includes a wet etch stop layer above, but close to, the active region. An etched-facet ridge laser is fabricated on the epitaxial structure by dry etching followed by wet etching. The dry etch is designed to stop before reading the depth needed to form the ridge. The wet etch completes the formation of the ridge and stops at the wet etch stop layer.
Abstract:
A laser and detector integrated on corresponding epitaxial layers of a single chip cooperate with on-chip and/or external optics to couple light of a first wavelength emitted by the laser to a single external device such as an optical fiber and to simultaneously couple light of a different wavelength received from the external device to the detector to provide bidirectional photonic operation. Multiple lasers and detectors may be integrated on the chip to provide multiple bidirectional channels. A monitoring photodetector is fabricated in the detector epitaxy adjacent one end of the laser.
Abstract:
A process for fabricating AlGaInN-based photonic devices, such as lasers, capable of emitting blue light employs etching to form device waveguides and mirrors, preferably using a temperature of over 500° C. and an ion beam in excess of 500 V in CAIBE.
Abstract:
A method and structure for producing lasers having good optical wavefront characteristics, such as are needed for optical storage includes providing a laser wherein an output beam emerging from the laser front facet is essentially unobstructed by the edges of the semiconductor chip in order to prevent detrimental beam distortions. The semiconductor laser structure is epitaxially grown on a substrate with at least a lower cladding layer, an active layer, an upper cladding layer, and a contact layer. Dry etching through a lithographically defined mask produces a laser mesa of length lc and width bm. Another sequence of lithography and etching is used to form a ridge structure with width w on top of the mesa. The etching step also forming mirrors, or facets, on the ends of the laser waveguide structures. The length ls and width bs of the chip can be selected as convenient values equal to or longer than the waveguide length lc and mesa width bm, respectively. The waveguide length and width are selected so that for a given defect density D, the yield YD is larger than 50%.
Abstract:
Long semiconductor laser cavities are placed in relative short length chips through the use of total internal reflection (TIR) surfaces formed through etched facets. In one embodiment, a laser cavity is formed along the perimeter edges of a rectangular semiconductor chip by using three 45° angled TIR facets to connect four legs of a ridge or buried heterostructure (BH) waveguide that defines the laser cavity. In other embodiments, even more TIR facets and waveguide legs or sections are employed to make even longer laser cavities in the shape of rectangular or quadrilateral spirals. These structures are limited in the spacing of adjacent waveguide sections, which if too small, can cause undesirable coupling between the sections. However, use of notches etched between the adjacent sections have been shown to decrease this coupling effect.