Surface emitting semiconductor laser and surface emitting semiconductor laser array

• US 20010026567A1
• Filed: 12/21/2000
• Published: 10/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kondo, Takayuki, Nishida, Tetsuo, Kaneko, Tsuyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 6,751,242 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 372/43
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 2301/176 Specific passivation layers on surfaces other than the emission facet
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/04254 characterised by the shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0607 by varying physical parameters other than the potential of the electrodes, e.g. by an electric or magnetic field, mechanical deformation, pressure, light, temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18311 using selective oxidation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/1835 Non-circular mesa
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18355 having a defined polarisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/3201 incorporating bulkstrain effects, e.g. strain compensation, strain related to polarisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/423 having a vertical cavity

Abstract

A surface emitting semiconductor laser capable of controlling the polarization direction of laser light and a surface emitting semiconductor laser array. In a surface emitting semiconductor laser, a resonator is formed on a semiconductor substrate in the perpendicular direction, from which light is emitted in the direction perpendicular to the semiconductor substrate. The surface emitting semiconductor laser includes a columnar portion, which is part of the resonator, and an insulating layer formed in contact with the side of the columnar portion, wherein the insulating layer exhibits anisotropic stress caused by the planar configuration thereof, and the polarization direction of laser light is controlled by the anisotropic stress.

Claims

1. A surface emitting semiconductor laser in which a resonator is formed on a semiconductor substrate in the perpendicular direction, from which laser light is emitted in the direction perpendicular to the semiconductor substrate, comprising:

a columnar semiconductor deposit which comprises at least part of the resonator; and

an insulating layer formed in contact with the side of the semiconductor deposit;

wherein the insulating layer exhibits anisotropic stress caused by the planar configuration thereof, and the polarization direction of laser light is controlled by the anisotropic stress.

2. The surface emitting semiconductor laser according to

claim 1

, wherein, assuming that the axes intersecting at right angles through the center of the upper side of the semiconductor deposit are respectively the x-axis and y-axis, the anisotropic stress comprises stresses in the x-axial direction and the y-axial direction in different amounts.

3. The surface emitting semiconductor laser according to

claim 1

, wherein, assuming that the axes intersecting at right angles through the center of the upper side of the semiconductor deposit are respectively the x-axis and y-axis, the planar configuration of the insulating layer is designed so that the distance between the center and the first intersection point between the x-axis and the side of the insulating layer differs from the distance between the center and the second intersection point between the y-axis and the side of the insulating layer.

5. The surface emitting semiconductor laser according to

claim 1

, wherein, assuming that the axes intersecting at right angles through the center of the upper side of the semiconductor deposit are respectively the x-axis and y-axis, the planar configuration of the insulating layer is symmetrical with regard to at least either the x-axis or y-axis.

6. The surface emitting semiconductor laser according to

claim 1

, wherein the planar configuration of the insulating layer is two-fold rotationally symmetrical around the semiconductor deposit.

7. The surface emitting semiconductor laser according to

claim 1

, wherein the insulating layer is embedded.

8. The surface emitting semiconductor laser according to

claim 1

, wherein the insulating layer is formed of a polyimide resin, acrylic resin, or epoxy resin.

9. A surface emitting semiconductor laser array formed by arraying a plurality of surface emitting semiconductor lasers according to

claim 1

.

4. A surface emitting semiconductor laser in which a resonator is formed on a semiconductor substrate in the perpendicular direction, from which laser light is emitted in the direction perpendicular to the semiconductor substrate, comprising:

a columnar semiconductor deposit comprising at least part of the resonator; and

an insulating layer formed in contact with the side of the semiconductor deposit;

wherein, assuming that the axes intersecting at right angles through the center of the upper side of the semiconductor deposit are respectively the x-axis and y-axis, the planar configuration of the insulating layer is designed so that the distance between the center and the first intersection point between the x-axis and the side of the insulating layer differs from the distance between the center and the second intersection point between the y-axis and the side of the insulating layer.

10. The surface emitting semiconductor laser according to

claim 4

, wherein, assuming that the axes intersecting at right angles through the center of the upper side of the semiconductor deposit are respectively the x-axis and y-axis, the planar configuration of the insulating layer is symmetrical with regard to at least either the x-axis or y-axis.

11. The surface emitting semiconductor laser according to

claim 4

, wherein the planar configuration of the insulating layer is two-fold rotationally symmetrical around the semiconductor deposit.

12. The surface emitting semiconductor laser according to

claim 4

, wherein the insulating layer is embedded.

13. The surface emitting semiconductor laser according to

claim 4

, wherein the insulating layer is formed of a polyimide resin, acrylic resin, or epoxy resin.

14. A surface emitting semiconductor laser array formed by arraying a plurality of surface emitting semiconductor lasers according to

claim 4

.