Microcavity semiconductor laser coupled to a waveguide

• US 20030036217A1
• Filed: 11/06/2001
• Published: 02/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Holm, Paige M., Richard, Fred V.
• Application Number:
  US09/985,757
• Publication Number:
  US 20030036217A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/98
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/021 Silicon based substrates
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0218 Substrates comprising semiconducting materials from other groups of the Periodic Table than the materials of the active layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/026 Monolithically integrated components, e.g. waveguides, monitoring photo-detectors, drivers stabilisation of output H01S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/1032 Coupling to elements comprising an optical axis that is not aligned with the optical axis of the active region
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/1075 Disk lasers with special modes, e.g. whispering gallery lasers
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/22 having a ridge or stripe structure

Abstract

High quality epitaxial layers of monocrystalline materials can be grown overlying monocrystalline substrates such as large silicon wafers by forming a compliant substrate for growing the monocrystalline layers. One way to achieve the formation of a compliant substrate includes first growing an accommodating buffer layer on a silicon wafer. The accommodating buffer layer is a layer of monocrystalline oxide spaced apart from the silicon wafer by an amorphous interface layer of silicon oxide. The amorphous interface layer dissipates strain and permits the growth of a high quality monocrystalline oxide accommodating buffer layer. The foregoing is utilized for a microcavity semiconductor laser coupled to a waveguide.

Claims

1. A semiconductor structure, comprising:

a monocrystalline silicon substrate;

an amorphous oxide material overlying the monocrystalline silicon substrate;

a monocrystalline perovskite oxide material overlying the amorphous oxide material;

a first monocrystalline compound semiconductor material overlying the monocrystalline perovskite oxide material;

a microcavity semiconductor laser formed at least partially of said monocrystalline compound semiconductor material; and

a waveguide overlying said microcavity semiconductor laser.

2. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein said waveguide overlying said microcavity semiconductor laser is optically coupled to said microcavity semiconductor laser.

3. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein said waveguide overlying said microcavity semiconductor laser is optically coupled to said microcavity semiconductor laser with an evanescent wave coupling.

4. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein said waveguide is formed at least partially from a second monocrystalline compound semiconductor material.

5. The semiconductor structure of claim 4, wherein said second monocrystalline compound semiconductor material is substantially the same as said first monocrystalline compound semiconductor material.

6. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein said microcavity semiconductor laser comprises an elliptical cross-sectional periphery.

7. The semiconductor structure of claim 6, wherein said elliptical cross-sectional periphery comprises a circular cross-sectional periphery.

8. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein said microcavity semiconductor laser comprises a microcavity semiconductor ring laser.

9. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein said microcavity semiconductor laser comprises a microcavity semiconductor disk laser.

10. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein said microcavity semiconductor laser comprises a distorted microcavity semiconductor ring laser.

11. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein said microcavity semiconductor laser comprises a distorted microcavity semiconductor disk laser.

12. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein said first monocrystalline compound semiconductor material forms an active lasing medium.

13. The semiconductor structure of claim 12, wherein said active lasing medium supports resonant modes having wavelengths compatible with a radial dimension of the microcavity semiconductor laser.

14. The semiconductor structure of claim 12, wherein said active lasing medium enables circulation of said plurality of photons about a periphery of said microcavity semiconductor laser in a manner capable of producing stimulated emission of radiation that generates a second plurality of photons capable of forming a lasing field within said active lasing medium.

15. The semiconductor structure of claim 12, wherein said active lasing medium comprises a relatively high refractive index medium that is substantially surrounded by a relatively low refractive index medium.

16. The semiconductor structure of claim 15, wherein said relatively high refractive index medium has a refractive index that is greater than approximately 2.5.

17. The semiconductor structure of claim 15, wherein said relatively low refractive index medium has a refractive index that is less than approximately 2.0.

18. The semiconductor structure of claim 15, wherein the ratio of the refractive indices of said relatively high refractive index medium and said relatively low refractive index medium is greater than approximately 1.3.

19. The semiconductor structure of claim 12, wherein said active lasing medium comprises a first cladding layer overlying said monocrystalline perovskite oxide material.

20. The semiconductor structure of claim 19, wherein said active lasing medium comprises an active layer overlying said first cladding layer.

21. The semiconductor structure of claim 12, wherein said active lasing medium comprises of an active layer.

22. The semiconductor structure of claim 21, wherein said active lasing medium comprises of a second cladding layer overlying said active layer.

23. The semiconductor structure of claim 21, wherein said active layer comprises a quantum well.

24. The semiconductor structure of claim 21, wherein said active layer comprises a plurality of quantum wells.

25. The semiconductor structure of claim 21, wherein said active layer comprises a quantum well barrier layer.

26. The semiconductor structure of claim 12, wherein said active lasing medium comprises a first cladding layer disposed between a first guiding layer and said monocrystalline perovskite oxide material.

27. The semiconductor structure of claim 26, wherein said active lasing medium comprises a second guiding layer disposed between an active layer and a second cladding layer.

28. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein said monocrystalline compound semiconductor material comprises gallium arsenide (GaAs).

29. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein said monocrystalline compound semiconductor material comprises indium phosphide (InP)

30. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein said waveguide is coupled to said microcavity semiconductor laser with evanescent wave coupling at a segment of said microcavity semiconductor laser.

31. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein said microcavity semiconductor laser comprises:

a first cladding layer overlying said monocrystalline perovskite oxide material;

a first guiding layer overlying said first cladding layer;

an active layer overlying said first guiding layer;

a second guiding layer overlying said active layer; and

a second cladding layer overlying said second guiding layer.

32. The semiconductor structure of claim 31, wherein said waveguide comprises a third cladding layer overlying said second cladding layer.

33. The semiconductor structure of claim 32, wherein said waveguide comprises a third guiding layer overlying said third cladding layer.

34. The semiconductor structure of claim 33, wherein said waveguide comprises a fourth guiding layer overlying said third guiding layer.

35. The semiconductor structure of claim 33, wherein said waveguide comprises a second active layer overlying said third guiding layer.

36. The semiconductor structure of claim 34, wherein said waveguide comprises a fourth cladding layer overlying said fourth guiding layer.

37. An electro-optical integrated circuit comprising the semiconductor structure of claim 1 for intra integrated circuit information communication.

38. An electro-optical integrated circuit comprising the semiconductor structure of claim 1 for inter integrated circuit information communication.

39. An electro-optic network node comprising the semiconductor structure of claim 1.

40. A semiconductor laser system, comprising:

a monocrystalline silicon substrate;

an amorphous oxide material overlying the monocrystalline silicon substrate;

a monocrystalline perovskite oxide material overlying the amorphous oxide material;

a monocrystalline compound semiconductor material overlying the monocrystalline perovskite oxide material; and

a plurality of microcavity semiconductor lasers formed at least partly from said monocrystalline compound semiconductor material;

a plurality of waveguides overlying said plurality of microcavity semiconductor lasers, said plurality of waveguides optically coupled to said plurality of semiconductor lasers with an evanescent wave coupling.

41. The semiconductor laser system of claim 40, further comprising a plurality of optic cables coupled to said plurality of waveguides.

42. The semiconductor laser system of claim 40, further comprising a control circuit connected to at least one of said plurality of microcavity semiconductor lasers and configured to control said at least one of said plurality of microcavity semiconductor lasers.

43. The semiconductor laser system of claim 42 further comprising a second control circuit.

44. An electro-optical integrated circuit comprising the semiconductor structure of claim 40 for inter integrated circuit information communication.

45. An electro-optic network node comprising the semiconductor structure of claim 40.