MICROELECTROMECHANICALLY TUNABLE, CONFOCAL, VERTICAL CAVITY SURFACE EMITTING LASER AND FABRY-PEROT FILTER
First Claim
1. A method for introducing a pre-selected amount, and type, of strain into the quantum wells of a pre-grown crystalline semiconductor material, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a member formed of said crystalline semiconductor material, said member having an upper surface and defining multiple quantum wells; and
depositing at least one thin film layer on said upper surface of said member, said at least one thin film layer containing a pre-selected amount, and type, of strain, said type of strain in said at least one thin film layer being the opposite type to that desired to be introduced into said member.
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Abstract
A method is provided for fabricating microelectromechanically tunable vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers and microelectromechanically tunable Fabry-Perot filters with precise lateral and vertical dimensional control. Strained reflective dielectric film(s) are applied to a multiple quantum well structure to electronically band-gap-engineer the quantum wells. Appropriate strain in the reflective dielectric film layers is also used to create appropriate curvature in one of the reflective dielectric film stacks so as to form a confocal cavity between a planar reflective dielectric film layer and the curved reflective dielectric film layer in the vertical cavity surface emitting laser or filter. Microelectromechanical tunable vertical cavity surface emitting lasers and filter structures are also provided which include a suspended membrane structure made of a dielectric/metal membrane or metal film that supports a cavity-tuning reflective dielectric film stack while being anchored at the perimeter by metal support post(s). Precise air-cavity length and lateral dimensions are achieved by micro-die-casting using a micro-machined sacrificial polyimide or aluminum disk. Further, tuning is achieved by translational movement of the cavity-tuning reflective dielectric film stack in a controlled electrostatic field.
99 Citations
82 Claims
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1. A method for introducing a pre-selected amount, and type, of strain into the quantum wells of a pre-grown crystalline semiconductor material, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a member formed of said crystalline semiconductor material, said member having an upper surface and defining multiple quantum wells; and
depositing at least one thin film layer on said upper surface of said member, said at least one thin film layer containing a pre-selected amount, and type, of strain, said type of strain in said at least one thin film layer being the opposite type to that desired to be introduced into said member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 82)
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22. A microelectromechanically tunable vertical cavity surface emitting laser, said laser comprising:
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(a) a substrate having an upper surface;
(b) a first mirror having a first upper surface located on the upper surface of said substrate;
(c) a layer of gain material having a second upper surface and defining multiple quantum wells, said layer of gain material being located on said first upper surface;
(d) a first electrode deposited on said second upper surface;
(e) a membrane having an upper surface and a lower surface, at least part of said membrane carrying a second electrode on its lower surface in spaced relation to said first electrode, said membrane defining the length and lateral dimensions of an air cavity located between said first and second electrodes;
(f) a thick support structure, said support structure connecting said second upper surface to the periphery of said at least a part of said membrane carrying said second electrode, said support structure being adapted to stabilize said membrane; and
(g) a second mirror located centrally of said at least a part of said membrane carrying said second electrode, said second mirror being disposed on said upper surface of said membrane, wherein said second mirror is translatable relative to said first mirror in response to an electric field applied between said electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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37. A microelectromechanically tunable Fabry-Perot filter, said filter comprising:
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(a) a substrate having an upper surface;
(b) a first mirror having a first upper surface located on the upper surface of said substrate;
(c) a first electrode deposited on said second upper surface;
(d) a membrane having an upper surface and a lower surface, at least part of said membrane carrying a second electrode on its lower surface in spaced relation to said first electrode, said membrane defining the length and lateral dimensions of an air cavity located between said first and second electrodes;
(e) a thick support structure, said support structure connecting said second upper surface to the periphery of said at least a part of said membrane carrying said second electrode, said support structure being adapted to stabilize said membrane; and
(f) a second mirror located centrally of said at least a part of said membrane carrying said second electrode, said second mirror being disposed on said upper surface of said membrane, wherein said second mirror is translatable relative to said first mirror in response to an electric field applied between said electrodes.
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51. A method for making a microelectromechanically tunable, vertical cavity surface emitting laser, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a member having a substrate, a first mirror disposed on said substrate, and a layer of gain material disposed on said first mirror;
(b) depositing a first electrode onto said gain material;
(c) depositing a calibrated thickness of a sacrificial material on top of said gain material and said first electrode;
(d) etch-masking said sacrificial material so as to create a central structure having an inwardly sloped perimeter edge on said gain material/first electrode structure;
(e) depositing a second electrode on said central structure;
(f) depositing a thin layer of a second material on top of the gain material/central structure/second electrode structure;
(g) depositing a thick annulus of support material onto said layer of second material such that said annulus covers the sloped perimeter edge of said support structure and extends inwardly thereof, adjacent to and parallel to the top surface of said central structure, and outwardly thereof, adjacent to and parallel to the upper surface of said gain material;
(h) etch-masking openings through said layer of second material adjacent to the top of said central structure, between a substantially circular center portion thereof and the inner edge of said annulus;
(i) selectively depositing a second mirror onto said substantially circular center portion; and
(j) selectively removing said central structure through said openings using an etching technique. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81)
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68. A method for making a microelectromechanically tunable Fabry-Perot filter, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) depositing a first mirror onto the upper surface of a substrate;
(b) depositing a first electrode onto said first mirror;
(c) depositing a calibrated thickness of a sacrificial material on top of the substrate/first mirror/first electrode structure;
(d) etch-masking said sacrificial material so as to leave a central structure having an inwardly sloped perimeter edge on said first mirror/first electrode structure;
(e) depositing a second electrode on top of said central structure;
(f) depositing a thin layer of a second material on top of the central structure/second electrode/substrate structure;
(g) depositing a thick annulus of support material onto said layer of second material such that said annulus covers the sloped perimeter edge of said central structure and extends inwardly thereof, adjacent to and parallel to the top surface of said central structure, and outwardly thereof, adjacent to and parallel to the upper surface of said first mirror;
(h) etch-masking openings through the layer of second material adjacent to the top of said central structure, between a substantially circular center portion thereof and the inner edge of said annulus;
(i) selectively depositing a second mirror onto said substantially circular center portion; and
(j) selectively removing said central structure through said openings using an etching technique.
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Specification