[go: up one dir, main page]

GB2129211A - Semiconductor laser and a method of making same - Google Patents

Semiconductor laser and a method of making same Download PDF

Info

Publication number
GB2129211A
GB2129211A GB08230129A GB8230129A GB2129211A GB 2129211 A GB2129211 A GB 2129211A GB 08230129 A GB08230129 A GB 08230129A GB 8230129 A GB8230129 A GB 8230129A GB 2129211 A GB2129211 A GB 2129211A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
substrate
layer
ridge
semiconductor laser
overlying
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB08230129A
Other versions
GB2129211B (en
Inventor
Gregory Hammond Olsen
Thomas Joseph Zamerowski
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
RCA Corp
Original Assignee
RCA Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by RCA Corp filed Critical RCA Corp
Priority to GB08230129A priority Critical patent/GB2129211B/en
Publication of GB2129211A publication Critical patent/GB2129211A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2129211B publication Critical patent/GB2129211B/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • HELECTRICITY
    • H10SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10HINORGANIC LIGHT-EMITTING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES HAVING POTENTIAL BARRIERS
    • H10H20/00Individual inorganic light-emitting semiconductor devices having potential barriers, e.g. light-emitting diodes [LED]
    • H10H20/01Manufacture or treatment
    • H10H20/011Manufacture or treatment of bodies, e.g. forming semiconductor layers
    • H10H20/013Manufacture or treatment of bodies, e.g. forming semiconductor layers having light-emitting regions comprising only Group III-V materials
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01SDEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL
    • H01S5/00Semiconductor lasers
    • H01S5/20Structure or shape of the semiconductor body to guide the optical wave ; Confining structures perpendicular to the optical axis, e.g. index or gain guiding, stripe geometry, broad area lasers, gain tailoring, transverse or lateral reflectors, special cladding structures, MQW barrier reflection layers
    • H01S5/22Structure or shape of the semiconductor body to guide the optical wave ; Confining structures perpendicular to the optical axis, e.g. index or gain guiding, stripe geometry, broad area lasers, gain tailoring, transverse or lateral reflectors, special cladding structures, MQW barrier reflection layers having a ridge or stripe structure
    • H01S5/223Buried stripe structure
    • H01S5/2232Buried stripe structure with inner confining structure between the active layer and the lower electrode
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01SDEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL
    • H01S5/00Semiconductor lasers
    • H01S5/20Structure or shape of the semiconductor body to guide the optical wave ; Confining structures perpendicular to the optical axis, e.g. index or gain guiding, stripe geometry, broad area lasers, gain tailoring, transverse or lateral reflectors, special cladding structures, MQW barrier reflection layers
    • H01S5/22Structure or shape of the semiconductor body to guide the optical wave ; Confining structures perpendicular to the optical axis, e.g. index or gain guiding, stripe geometry, broad area lasers, gain tailoring, transverse or lateral reflectors, special cladding structures, MQW barrier reflection layers having a ridge or stripe structure
    • H01S5/223Buried stripe structure
    • H01S5/2232Buried stripe structure with inner confining structure between the active layer and the lower electrode
    • H01S5/2234Buried stripe structure with inner confining structure between the active layer and the lower electrode having a structured substrate surface
    • H01S5/2235Buried stripe structure with inner confining structure between the active layer and the lower electrode having a structured substrate surface with a protrusion

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Geometry (AREA)
  • Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Semiconductor Lasers (AREA)

Abstract

A semiconductor laser includes a semiconductor body having parallel end faces 34 and a substrate on a major surface of which, and/or of a buffer layer 44 overlying the substrate, there is a ridge 46 which extends between the end surfaces. An active layer 50 overlies the ridge and tapers in thickness from that portion of the active layer which overlies the ridge. A confinement layer 52 overlies the active layer. A method of forming such a semiconductor laser includes the steps of coating a portion of a flat surface of the substrate, on which there may be a buffer layer, with an etch resistant material, etching with an anisotropic etchant thereby forming a mesa, removing the etch resistant material, further etching to round the mesa to form a ridge, and depositing the active and confinement layers over the surface and the ridge. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Semiconductor laser and a method of making same This invention relates to a semiconductor laser having a substrate with a rounded ridge in a surface thereof extending between the end faces of the laser and a method of making this laser.
A semiconductor laser includes a body of semiconductor material, generally composed of group Ill-V compounds, having a thin active layer between layers of opposite conductivity type, i.e., a layer of P-type conductivity on one side of the active layer and a layer of N-type conductivity on the other side of the active layer. Such a laser, however, typically emits light in more than one optical mode which limits its utility. Botez, in U.S.
Patent 4,215,319 issued July 29, 1980 and entitled Single Filament Semiconductor laser, has disclosed a laser having a stable, single mode, output light beam. The control over the output light beam from this laser arises from the tapering in thickness of the layers. This laser is prepared by deposition of the confinement and active layers onto a substrate having a pair of substantially parallel grooves therein. The tapering is caused by the difference in growth rate of the layers over a land between the grooves and over the grooves when the layers are prepared by liquid or vapor phase epitaxy techniques.
However, if the layers are deposited on an indium phosphide substrate having such a pair of parallel grooves, using either liquid phase or vapor phase epitaxy, flat, planar surfaces are observed with the grooves filling faster than the flat substrate portions until a continuous, smooth surface is obtained. This growth habit of InP limits the utilization of the structure disclosed by Botez for lasers composed of InP and related alloys. It would be desirable to have a laser composed of InP and related alloys which exhibits the tapered layer structure characteristic of the laser disclosed by Botez.
We have discovered that when a laser is formed on a substrate having a ridge therein, the deposited layers have curved surfaces with the desired taper in thickness. The semiconductor laser of the invention includes a body of semiconductor material having a pair of end surfaces and a substrate having one or more ridges therein extending between the end faces. An active layer overlying the surface of the substrate and the ridges tapers in thickness in the lateral direction (a direction in the plane of the surface of the substrate and perpendicular to the axis of the ridges). A confinement layer overlies the active layer.
The method of forming this laser includes the steps of depositing a layer of an etch resistant material on a portion of the substrate, etching the uncovered portions of the surface of the substrate, removing the etch resistant material and leaving a mesa in the substrate surface, further etching the surface thereby forming a ridge therein and depositing the active and confinement layers sequentially over the surface of the substrate and the ridge.
In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of a perspective view of a semiconductor laser of the invention.
Figure 2 is a schematic illustration of a cross sectional view of a second embodiment of the semiconductor laser of the invention.
Figure 3 is a schematic illustration of the steps of the method of the invention.
Figure 4 is a photomicrograph of a cross section of the semiconductor laser of the invention.
Referring to Fig. 1, a semiconductor laser 30 includes a semiconductor body 32 having spaced parallel end faces 34, at least one of which is partially transmissive of light at the wavelength of the output laser beam, and a pair of side surfaces 36 extending between the end faces 34. The semiconductor body 32 includes a substrate 38 having a pair of opposed major surfaces 40 and 42. A buffer layer 44 overlies the major surface 40 and has a rounded ridge 46 in a surface 48 thereof which extends between the end faces 34 of the body 32. An active layer 50 overlies the ridge 46 and the surface 48 of the buffer layer 44 and tapers in thickness in the lateral direction. A confinement layer 52 overlies the active layer 50 and a capping layer 54 overlies the confinement layer 52.An electrically insulating layer 56 overlies the capping layer 54 and has an opening extending therethrough in the form of a stripe 58 which is over the ridge 46 in the buffer layer 44. A first electrically conducting layer 60 overlies the electrically insulating layer 56 and the surface of the capping layer 54 in the region of the stripe 58.
A second electrically conducting layer 62 overlies the second major surface 42 of the substrate 38.
The first and second electrically conducting layers 60 and 62 respectively form the electrical contacts to the body 32.
Referring to Fig. 2 the identification of the elements common to a semiconductor laser 70 and the semiconductor laser 30 of Fig. 1 is the same. The semiconductor laser 70 differs from the semiconductor laser 30 in that there are a pair of rounded ridges 46 in the substrate 38 with the buffer layer 44 overlying the substrate and ridges.
The active layer 50 then overlies the buffer layer 44 and tapers in thickness in the region over a land 72 between the ridges 46.
The substrate 38 is typically composed of a binary group Ill-V compound or an alloy of such compounds having a surface 40 which is parallel to the (100) or (110) crystallographic plane. The substrate may be slightly misoriented from one of these orientations but preferably either a (100) or (110) plane is used. However, it is to be understood that other substrate orientations may also be used. In the selection of the substrate and the layers deposited thereon, it is desirable that the layers be lattice matched to the substrate.
Preferably the substrate is composed of N-type InP.
The buffer layer 44 is typically composed of the same material as the substrate and is used to provide a high quality surface upon which the overlying layers can be deposited. Typically this layer is between about 3 and about 10 micrometers thick. If the ridges 46 are in the substrate 38 a buffer layer may be interposed between the substrate 38 and active layer 50.
The rounded ridges 46 are shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as being in the buffer layer 44 and the substrate 38 respectively. The ridges may be between about 5 and about 20 micrometers wide at their base and between about 0.2 and about 10 micrometers in height. The height and width are chosen so as to provide the desired curvature of the layers deposited thereon. If more than one ridge is present, the spacing between the ridges as well as the height and width of the individual ridges is chosen so as to provide the desired curvature of the layers deposited thereon.
Typically, the center-to-center spacing of the ridges is between about 10 and about 100 micrometers.
The ridges may be formed using the sequence of steps shown in Fig. 3. In Fig. 3(a) the substrate 102 is coated with a buffer layer 104. Portions of the surface 106 of the buffer layer 104 are then coated with a masking layer 108 of etch resistant material such as an oxide of silicon, using standard photolithographic and deposition techniques.The surface 106 is then etched with an anisotropic etchant such as 0.1 to 1.0 percent bromine in methanol which etches the exposed portion of the buffer layer 104 and forms mesas 110 in the surface 112 of the buffer layer 104 as shown in Fig. 3(b). The masking layer 108 is then removed leaving the mesas 110 and the surface 112 as shown in Fig. 3(c). The mesas 110 and surface 11 2 are then further etched using the same or a different etchant to round off the mesas thereby forming the rounded ridges 120 in the surface 122 of the buffer layer 104 as shown in Fig. 3(d). The active, confinement and capping layers are then sequentially deposited over the ridges 120 and surface 122.It is clear that the ridges could equally well have been formed in the substrate itself followed by the sequential deposition of the layers.
The various epitaxial layers may be deposited on the substrate 38 of Fig. 1 using techniques of liquid phase epitaxy such as are disclosed by H. F.
Lockwood et al in U.S. Patent 3,753,801 entitled Method of Depositing Epitaxial Semiconductor Layers from the Liquid Phase, issued August 21, 1973 and which is incorporated herein by reference. Alternatively, the layers may be deposited by vapor phase epitaxy using techniques such as are disclosed by Olsen et al in U.S. Patent 4,116,733 entitled Vapor Phase Growth Technique of Ill-V Compounds Utilizing a Pre-heating Step, issued September 26, 1 978 and incorporated herein by reference. Using these techniques, layers with taper in thickness can be deposited since the local growth rate of an individual layer will vary with the local curvature of the surface upon which it is grown; the greater the amount of local positive curvature of the surface, the higher the local growth rate.
The active layer is typically between about 0.05 and about 2.2 micrometers thick and is preferably between about 0.1 and about 0.5 micrometer thick. This layer is either undoped or lightly P- or N-type conducting and may be composed of an InGaAsP or InGaAs alloy where the relative concentration of the elements is chosen to provide an approximate lattice match to the buffer layer and an output light beam of the desired wavelength, as disclosed, for example, by Olsen et al in the Journal of Electronic Materials 9,977(1980).
The confinement layer 52 is typically composed of P-type InP and is between about 0.5 and about 3 micrometers thick. The capping layer 54 may be used to improve the quality of the electrical contact made to the laser 30. It is typically between about 0.2 and about 0.5 micrometer thick and is composed of InGaAsP or InGaAs having the same conductivity type as the confinement layer 52.
It is to be understood that the devices of the invention can be fabricated using other combinations of group ill--V alloys.
The electrically insulating layer 56 is preferably composed of silicon dioxide which may be deposited on the capping layer 38 by pyrolytic decomposition of a silicon-containing gas, such as silane, in oxygen or water vapor. The strip 58 is formed through the electrically insulating layer 56 down to the capping layer 54 using standard photolithographic and etching techniques and is preferably located over the ridge 46 when a single ridge is present. Alternatively, if two ridges are used, then the stripe 58 is located over the land between the ridges.
The electrically conducting layer 60 is preferably composed of titanium, platinum and gold and is deposited by sequential evaporation.
One skilled in the art would realize that it is only necessary that the electrically conducting layer overlie the confinement layer in the region over the ridge 46 in a device having a single ridge.
Alternatively, the electrically insulating layer 56 may be eliminated by depositing on the confinement layer 52 a blocking layer of opposite conductivity type to the confinement layer 52 which has a region therein of the same conductivity type as the confinement layer. The electrically conducting layer 60 then may overlie the entire surface of this blocking layer. Upon application of a bias voltage to the laser 30 the p-n junction between the blocking layer and the confinement layer is reverse biased except in the region of this layer which has been converted to the same conductivity type as the confinement layer 52.
The electrically conducting layer 62 on the second major surface 42 of the substrate 38 may be formed by vacuum deposition and sintering of tin and gold.
An end face 34 of the laser 30 is typically coated with a layer of aluminum oxide or similar material having a thickness of about one half wave at the lasing wavelength. Such a layer has been disclosed by Ladany et al in U.S. Patent 4,178,564 issued December 11, 1979 and entitled Half Wave Protection Layers on Injection Lasers. The opposed end face 34 may be coated with a mirror which is reflecting at the lasing wavelength. Such as disclosed by Caplan et al in U.S. Patent No. 3,701,047 issued October 24, 1972, entitled Semiconductor Laser Devices Utilizing Light Reflective Metallic Layers and Ettenberg in U.S. Patent 4,092,659 issued May 30, 1 978 and entitled Multi-Layer Reflector for Electroluminescent Device.
Referring to Fig. 4 a photomicrograph of a cross secton of a laser 1 50 constructed according to the principles of the invention and having the desired taper includes an InP substrate 152 having an InP buffer layer thereon which has a ridge 154 therein. An InGaAsP active layer 156 which is about 300 nanometers thick overlies the surface of the buffer layer. An InP confinement layer 158 overlies the active layer and an InGaAsP capping layer 160 overlies the confinement layer. The layers are distinguished from one another by the use of staining techniques which are well known in the art. A demarkation between the substrate 152 and the buffer layer cannot be seen because they are composed of the same material and thus the staining will affect both in the same way. The ridge 154 in the buffer layer is asymmetric because the substrate surface was slightly misoriented from the (110) direction. For the purpose of the claims which follow, a buffer layer, when present, is considered as part of the - substrate.

Claims (13)

Claims
1. A semiconductor laser comprising a semiconductor body having two end faces at least one of which is partially transmissive of light, a substrate having opposed major surfaces and a ridge in a major surface thereof which extends between the two end faces; an active layer overlying the substrate and tapering in thickness in the lateral direction from the portion thereof which overlies the ridge; a confinement layer overlying the active layer; a first electrically conducting layer overlying a portion of the confinement layer over the ridge; and a second electrically conducting layer overlying a portion of the second major surface of the substrate; wherein the substrate is of one conductivity type and the confinement layer and the capping layer of the opposite conductivity type and wherein the index of refraction of the active layer is greater than that of the substrate and that of the confinement layer.
2. A semiconductor laser according to claim 1 further comprising a capping layer overlying the confinement layer and an electrically insulating layer overlying the capping layer and having an opening extending therethrough, wherein the first electrically conducting layer overlies the capping layer in the opening in the electrically insulating layer.
3. A semiconductor laser according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the substrate includes a buffer layer underlying the active layer and having the ridge therein.
4. A semiconductor laser according to claim 3 wherein the substrate, the buffer layer and the confinement layer are composed of InP and the active layer is composed of InGaAsP.
5. A semiconductor laser comprising a body composed of InP and alloys containing indium and phosphorous having two end faces at least one of which is partially transmissive to light and a substrate having opposed major surfaces and a ridge in a major surface thereof which extends between the two end faces; an active layer, composed of InGaAsP, overlying the substrate and tapering in thickness from the portion thereof which overlies the ridge; a confinement layer, composed of InP, overlying the active layer; a capping layer, composed of InGaAsP, overlying the confinement layer; an electrically insulating layer overlying the capping layer and having an opening therethrough; a first electrically conducting layer overlying the electrically insulating layer and the portion of the capping layer exposed in the opening; and a second electrically conducting layer overlying a portion of the second major surface of the substrate; wherein the substrate is of one conductivity type and the confinement layer and the capping layer of the opposite conductivity type and wherein the index of refraction of the active layer is greater than that of the substrate and that of the confinement layer.
6. A semiconductor laser according to claim 5 wherein the substrate is of InP and includes a buffer layer underlying the active layer and having the ridge therein.
7. A semiconductor laser according to any preceding claim wherein spaced apart from and substantially parallel to the ridge in the substrate there is a second ridge in the substrate with the active layer tapering in thickness from that portion over a land between the ridges in the substrate.
8. A method of making a semiconductor laser comprising the steps of coating a portion of a surface of a semiconductor substrate with an etch resistant material; etching said surface with an anisotropic etchant whereby a mesa is formed in said surface; removing the etch resistant material; etching said surface and the mesa therein whereby a ridge is formed in the surface of the substrate; depositing an active layer over the ridge and said surface of the substrate whereby the active layer tapers in thickness in the lateral direction; depositing a confinement layer over the active layer; and depositing electrically conducting layers over portions of the confinement layer and an opposed surface of the substrate.
9. A method of making a substrate having a ridge therein comprising the steps of coating a portion of a surface of the semiconductor substrate with an etch resistant material; etching said surface with an anisotropic etchant whereby a mesa is formed in said surface; removing the etch resistant material; and etching said surface and the mesa therein whereby a ridge is formed in the surface of the substrate.
10. A method according to claim 8 or 9 wherein the substrate is composed of InP.
11. A method according to claim 8 or 9 wherein the portion of the surface of the substrate coated with an etch resistant material is in the form of a stripe on the surface of the substrate.
12. A semiconductor laser substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 or Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.
13. A method of making a semiconductor laser or substrate therefor, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.
GB08230129A 1982-10-21 1982-10-21 Semiconductor laser and a method of making same Expired GB2129211B (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB08230129A GB2129211B (en) 1982-10-21 1982-10-21 Semiconductor laser and a method of making same

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB08230129A GB2129211B (en) 1982-10-21 1982-10-21 Semiconductor laser and a method of making same

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB2129211A true GB2129211A (en) 1984-05-10
GB2129211B GB2129211B (en) 1987-01-14

Family

ID=10533764

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB08230129A Expired GB2129211B (en) 1982-10-21 1982-10-21 Semiconductor laser and a method of making same

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (1) GB2129211B (en)

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1273284A (en) * 1970-10-13 1972-05-03 Standard Telephones Cables Ltd Improvements in or relating to injection lasers
US4185256A (en) * 1978-01-13 1980-01-22 Xerox Corporation Mode control of heterojunction injection lasers and method of fabrication
GB2027261A (en) * 1978-07-31 1980-02-13 Rca Corp Semiconductor laser
US4215319A (en) * 1979-01-17 1980-07-29 Rca Corporation Single filament semiconductor laser
GB1587008A (en) * 1977-08-15 1981-03-25 Ibm Heterostructure junction laser
EP0026062A1 (en) * 1979-09-12 1981-04-01 Xerox Corporation A heterojunction semiconductor laser
GB2062949A (en) * 1979-10-12 1981-05-28 Rca Corp Single filament semiconductor laser with large emitting area

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1273284A (en) * 1970-10-13 1972-05-03 Standard Telephones Cables Ltd Improvements in or relating to injection lasers
GB1587008A (en) * 1977-08-15 1981-03-25 Ibm Heterostructure junction laser
US4185256A (en) * 1978-01-13 1980-01-22 Xerox Corporation Mode control of heterojunction injection lasers and method of fabrication
GB2027261A (en) * 1978-07-31 1980-02-13 Rca Corp Semiconductor laser
US4215319A (en) * 1979-01-17 1980-07-29 Rca Corporation Single filament semiconductor laser
EP0026062A1 (en) * 1979-09-12 1981-04-01 Xerox Corporation A heterojunction semiconductor laser
GB2062949A (en) * 1979-10-12 1981-05-28 Rca Corp Single filament semiconductor laser with large emitting area

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB2129211B (en) 1987-01-14

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US4958355A (en) High performance angled stripe superluminescent diode
CA1295404C (en) Super-luminescent diode
GB2222307A (en) Semiconductor laser
US4385389A (en) Phase-locked CDH-LOC injection laser array
US4948753A (en) Method of producing stripe-structure semiconductor laser
US4416012A (en) W-Guide buried heterostructure laser
US4523317A (en) Semiconductor laser with reduced absorption at a mirror facet
JPS6237904B2 (en)
US4426701A (en) Constricted double heterostructure semiconductor laser
US4725112A (en) Buried undercut mesa-like waveguide
US4429395A (en) Semiconductor laser
US5478774A (en) Method of fabricating patterned-mirror VCSELs using selective growth
US4383320A (en) Positive index lateral waveguide semiconductor laser
US4523316A (en) Semiconductor laser with non-absorbing mirror facet
US4416011A (en) Semiconductor light emitting device
US4966863A (en) Method for producing a semiconductor laser device
US4837775A (en) Electro-optic device having a laterally varying region
CA1207423A (en) Semiconductor laser and a method of making same
US4523318A (en) Semiconductor laser having high manufacturing yield
JPS6144485A (en) Semiconductor laser device and manufacture thereof
GB2129211A (en) Semiconductor laser and a method of making same
US4642143A (en) Method of making a double heterostructure laser
US4569054A (en) Double heterostructure laser
US4691320A (en) Semiconductor structure and devices
JPH05327111A (en) Semiconductor laser device and manufacturing method thereof

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PE20 Patent expired after termination of 20 years

Effective date: 20021020