Method of fabricating single mode VCSEL for optical mouse

• US 20070153861A1
• Filed: 05/25/2006
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Device Innovations, U.S.A., Inc. (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Emcore Corporation
• Inventors: Collins, Douglas, Li, Neinyi
• Granted Patent: US 7,408,967 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 372/50.124
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 2301/166 Single transverse or lateral mode
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 2301/18 Semiconductor lasers with special structural design for influencing the near- or far-field
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/04257 having positive and negative electrodes on the same side of the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18311 using selective oxidation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18327 Structure being part of a DBR H01S5/18391 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/2059 by means of particular conductivity zones, e.g. obtained by particle bombardment or diffusion

Abstract

A surface emitting laser having a substrate with top and bottom surfaces, a first stack of mirror layers of alternating indices of refraction located upon the top surface of the substrate and an active layer disposed over the first stack. The surface emitting layer also includes a second stack of mirror layers of alternating indices of refraction disposed over the active layer and a reduced-diameter mirror extension portion of the second stack that forms an optical aperture of the surface emitting laser extending outwards from a center portion of the second stack on a side of the second stack opposite the active layer.

Claims

1. A surface emitting laser comprising:

a substrate with top and bottom surfaces;

a first stack of mirror layers of alternating indices of refraction located upon the top surface of the substrate;

an active layer disposed over the first stack;

a second stack of mirror layers of alternating indices of refraction disposed over the active layer; and

a reduced-diameter mirror extension portion of the second stack that forms an optical aperture of the surface emitting laser extending outwards from a center portion of the second stack on a side of the second stack opposite the active layer.

2. The surface emitting laser as in claim 1 further comprising an annular contact disposed around a base of the mirror extension.

3. The surface emitting laser as in claim 1 wherein the mirror extension further comprises an undoped distributed Bragg reflector.

4. The surface emitting laser as in claim 1 wherein the mirror extension further comprises a dielectric distributed Bragg reflector.

5. The surface emitting laser as in claim 1 wherein the mirror extension further comprises a diameter of from 4 to 5 micrometer.

6. The surface emitting laser as in claim 1 wherein the mirror extension further comprises a height of approximately 0.2 to 1.5 micrometers.

7. The surface emitting laser as in claim 1 wherein the mirror extension further comprises a cylindrical shaped region.

8. The surface emitting laser as in claim 1 wherein said laser is a gain guided implant VCSEL including an implant region for current confinement.

9. The surface emitting laser as in claim 1 further comprising disposing a p-contact layer on an antiphase layer of the second stack of mirror layers.

11. The surface emitting laser as in claim 9 further comprising an annular contact disposed around the second stack of mirror layers on a surface of the step change from the first diameter to the second diameter.

12. The surface emitting laser as in claim 9 wherein mirror layers within the second reduced diameter further comprises an undoped distributed Bragg reflector.

13. The surface emitting laser as in claim 9 wherein mirror layers within the second reduced diameter further comprises a dielectric distributed Bragg reflector.

14. The surface emitting laser as in claim 9 wherein the second reduced diameter further comprises 4 to 5 micrometer.

15. The surface emitting laser as in claim 9 wherein the mirror layers within the second reduced diameter further comprises a height of approximately 0.2 to 1.5 micrometers.

16. The surface emitting laser as in claim 9 wherein the mirror layers within the second reduced diameter further comprises a cylindrical shaped region.

17. The surface emitting laser as in claim 9 wherein said laser is a gain guided implant VCSEL including an implant region for current confinement.

18. The surface emitting laser as in claim 9 further comprising disposing a p-contact layer on an antiphase layer of the second stack of mirror layers.

10. A surface emitting laser comprising:

a substrate with top and bottom surfaces;

a first stack of mirror layers of alternating indices of refraction located upon the top surface of the substrate;

an active layer disposed over the first stack; and

a second stack of mirror layers of alternating indices of refraction disposed over the active layer, said second stack of mirror layers having a first diameter adjacent the active layer and a step change to a second reduced diameter on a distal end.

19. A surface emitting laser comprising:

a substrate with top and bottom surfaces;

a first stack of mirror layers of alternating indices of refraction located upon the top surface of the substrate;

an active layer disposed over the first stack; and

a second stack of mirror layers of alternating indices of refraction disposed over the active layer, said second stack of mirror layers having a first portion of mirror layers having a first diameter adjacent the active layer and a second portion of mirror layers having a second reduced diameter on a distal end.

20. The surface emitting laser as in claim 19 further comprising disposing a p-contact on an outside surface of a periphery of a mirror layer of the first portion lying adjacent the second portion.