OPTOELECTRONIC SEMICONDUCTOR ELEMENT

• US 20090304039A1
• Filed: 03/15/2007
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH (Ams-Osram AG)
• Original Assignee: Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH (Ams-Osram AG)
• Inventors: Brick, Peter, Lutgen, Stephan, Albrecht, Tony
• Granted Patent: US 8,351,479 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 372/50.124
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/108 using non-linear optical devices, e.g. exhibiting Brillouin or Raman scattering mode locking using a non-linear element H01S3/1112
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/109 Frequency multiplication, e.g. harmonic generation
• 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 5/041 Optical pumping
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/141 using a wavelength selective device, e.g. a grating or etalon H01S5/146 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18388 Lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/227 Buried mesa structure ; Striped active layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4025 Array arrangements, e.g. constituted by discrete laser diodes or laser bar H01S5/42 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4031 Edge-emitting structures

Abstract

An optoelectronic semiconductor component has a semiconductor body (1) comprising a surface emitting vertical emitter region (2) comprising a vertical emitter layer (3), at least one pump source (4) provided for optically pumping the vertical emitter layer (3), and a radiation passage area (26) through which electromagnetic radiation (31) generated in the vertical emitter layer leaves the semiconductor body (1), wherein the pump source (4) and the vertical emitter layer (3) are at a distance from one another in a vertical direction.

Claims

1. An optoelectronic semiconductor component having a semiconductor body comprising:

a surface emitting vertical emitter region comprising a vertical emitter layer;

at least one pump source provided for optically pumping the vertical emitter layer; and

a radiation passage area through which electromagnetic radiation generated in the vertical emitter layer leaves the semiconductor body,

wherein the pump source and the vertical emitter layer are at a distance from one another in a vertical direction.

2. The optoelectronic semiconductor component as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the pump source is arranged between the vertical emitter layer and the radiation passage area.

3. The optoelectronic semiconductor component as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the vertical emitter layer is arranged between the pump source and the radiation passage area.

4. The optoelectronic semiconductor component as claimed in claim 3,

wherein the vertical emitter layer is arranged in a mesa of the semiconductor body.

5. The optoelectronic semiconductor component as claimed in claim 4,

wherein a material containing a metal is applied to the semiconductor body at least in places in the vicinity of the mesa.

6. The optoelectronic semiconductor component as claimed in claim 5,

wherein the material is deposited electrolytically in the vicinity of the mesa.

11. The optoelectronic semiconductor component as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the vertical emitter region comprises a Bragg mirror structure that is free of doping material.

12. The optoelectronic semiconductor component as claimed in claim 11,

wherein the Bragg mirror structure is arranged on that side of the vertical emitter layer which is remote from the pump source.

13. The optoelectronic semiconductor component as claimed in claim 11,

wherein the optoelectronic semiconductor component comprises at least one mirror which together with the Bragg mirror structure forms a laser resonator for electromagnetic radiation generated in the vertical emitter layer.

14. The optoelectronic semiconductor component as claimed in claim 13,

wherein at least one optical element which is in thermal contact with the semiconductor body of the optoelectronic semiconductor component is arranged in the laser resonator.

15. The optoelectronic semiconductor component as claimed in claim 14,

wherein the optical element has at least one of the following optical properties:

frequency-selective, frequency-multiplying, reflective, optically refractive.

16. The optoelectronic semiconductor component as claimed in claim 15,

wherein the optical element is formed at least in places by one of the following optical basic elements:

etalon, birefringent filter, optically nonlinear crystal, mirror, lens.

17. The optoelectronic semiconductor component as claimed in claim 13,

wherein the laser resonator has a length of at most 10 mm.

18. The optoelectronic semiconductor component as claimed in claim 17,

wherein the laser resonator has a length of at most 5 mm.

19. The optoelectronic semiconductor component as claimed in claim 18,

wherein the laser resonator has a length of at most 0.25 mm.

20. The optoelectronic semiconductor component as claimed in claim 19,

wherein the pump source has an etched laser facet.

21. The optoelectronioc semiconductor component as claimed in claim 20,

wherein the pump radiation is subjected to total reflection at the laser facet of the pump source.

22. The optoelectronic semiconductor component as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the pump source is electrically contact-connected by means of a transparent contact layer.

23. The optoelectronic semiconductor component as claimed in claim 22,

wherein the transparent contact layer contains at least one of the following materials:

ZnO, ITO.

7. The optoelectronic semiconductor component as claimed in 4,

wherein a side area that delimits the mesa is formed in reflective fashion for pump radiation.

8. The optoelectronic semiconductor component as claimed in claim 7,

wherein the side area of the mesa is coated at least in places with a material having a reflectivity for pump radiation of at least 80 percent.

9. The optoelectronic semiconductor component as claimed in claim 7,

wherein the side area of the mesa is formed at least in places in the manner of one of the following optical basic elements:

truncated-cone optical unit, truncated-pyramid optical unit, CPC, CHC, CEC.

10. The optoelectronic semiconductor component as claimed in claim 7,

wherein the side area of the mesa is provided at least in places so as to direct pump radiation to the vertical emitter layer.