Compact emitter design for a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser

• US 10,574,031 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2017
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lumentum Operations, LLC (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Lumentum Operations, LLC (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Barve, Ajit Vijay, Yuen, Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tuan N
• Application Number:
  US15/638,813
• Publication Number:
  US 20170310086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 372 4501
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 2301/176 Specific passivation layers on surfaces other than the emission facet
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18308 having a special structure for lateral current or light confinement
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18311 using selective oxidation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18369 based on dielectric materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/2063 obtained by particle bombardment
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/423 having a vertical cavity

Abstract

A surface emitting laser may include an isolation layer including a first center portion and a first plurality of outer portions extending from the first center portion, and a metal layer including a second center portion and a second plurality of outer portions extending from the second center portion. The metal layer may be formed on the isolation layer such that a first outer portion, of the second plurality of outer portions, is formed over one of the first plurality of outer portions. The surface emitting laser may include a passivation layer including a plurality of openings. An opening may be formed over the first outer portion. The surface emitting laser may include a plurality of oxidation trenches. An oxidation trench may be positioned at least partially between the first outer portion and a second outer portion of the second plurality of outer portions.

Claims

1. A vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), comprising:

an isolation layer including a plurality of extended portions along an outer perimeter of the isolation layer;

a metal layer formed on the isolation layer;

a plurality of dielectric via openings formed on a dielectric layer; and

a plurality of oxidation trenches,

an oxidation trench, of the plurality of oxidation trenches, being;

positioned along a portion of the outer perimeter of the isolation layer and to be shareable with a different VCSEL, and

positioned at least partially between a first extended portion of the plurality of extended portions and a second extended portion of the plurality of extended portions.

2. The VCSEL of claim 1, wherein a radius, associated with the isolation layer, is less than or equal to a radius associated with the metal layer.

3. The VCSEL of claim 1, further comprising:

an optical aperture to emit a laser beam; and

an oxidation aperture formed by an oxidation layer.

4. The VCSEL of claim 3, wherein the oxidation layer is located below the optical aperture.

5. The VCSEL of claim 3, wherein the oxidation trench includes one or more openings that allow oxygen to access an epitaxial layer from which the oxidation layer is formed.

6. The VCSEL of claim 1, further comprising:

a passivation layer that includes a plurality of openings,

wherein the metal layer is located in each of the plurality of openings.

7. A vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), comprising:

an isolation layer including a plurality of extended portions along an outer perimeter of the isolation layer;

a metal layer formed on the isolation layer;

a plurality of dielectric via openings formed on a dielectric layer; and

a plurality of oxidation trenches,

an oxidation trench of the plurality of oxidation trenches;

positioned along a portion of the outer perimeter of the isolation layer and to extend between two dielectric via openings of a different VCSEL, and

being positioned at least partially between a first extended portion of the plurality of extended portions and a second extended portion of the plurality of extended portions.

8. The VCSEL of claim 7, wherein a radius, associated with the isolation layer, is less than or equal to a radius associated with the metal layer.

9. The VCSEL of claim 7, where the plurality of oxidation trenches are formed in an irregular shape.

10. The VCSEL of claim 7, further comprising:

an optical aperture to emit a laser beam; and

an oxidation aperture formed by an oxidation layer.

11. The VCSEL of claim 10, wherein

the oxidation layer is located below the optical aperture, and

the oxidation trench includes one or more openings that allow oxygen to access an epitaxial layer from which the oxidation layer is formed.

12. A vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), comprising:

an isolation layer including a plurality of extended portions extending along an outer perimeter of the isolation layer;

a metal layer formed on the isolation layer;

a plurality of dielectric via openings formed on a dielectric via layer; and

an oxidation trench being;

positioned along a portion of the outer perimeter of the isolation layer, and

at least partially positioned between a first extended portion, of the plurality of extended portions, and a second extended portion of the plurality of extended portions.

13. The VCSEL of claim 12, wherein the oxidation trench is shared with a different VCSEL.

14. The VCSEL of claim 12, wherein the oxidation trench is positioned at least partially between a first extended portion of the isolation layer and a second extended portion of the isolation layer.

15. The VCSEL of claim 12, further comprising:

an optical aperture to emit a laser beam; and

an oxidation aperture formed by an oxidation layer.

16. The VCSEL of claim 15, wherein

the oxidation layer is located below the optical aperture, and

the oxidation trench includes one or more openings that allow oxygen to access an epitaxial layer from which the oxidation layer is formed.

17. The VCSEL of claim 12, wherein the VCSEL is one of a plurality of VCSELs and the plurality of VCSELs are part of a laser array.

18. The VCSEL of claim 17, wherein the laser array is a non-grid VCSEL array.

19. The VCSEL of claim 12, wherein a radius, associated with the isolation layer, is less than or equal to a radius associated with the metal layer.

20. The VCSEL of claim 12, further comprising:

a passivation layer that includes a plurality of openings,

wherein the metal layer is located in each of the plurality of openings.