COMPACT EMITTER DESIGN FOR A VERTICAL-CAVITY SURFACE-EMITTING LASER

• US 20170310086A1
• Filed: 06/30/2017
• Published: 10/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lumentum Operations, LLC (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Lumentum Operations, LLC (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: BARVE, Ajit Vijay, YUEN, Albert
• Granted Patent: US 10,574,031 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 2301/176 Specific passivation layers on surfaces other than the emission facet
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18308 having a special structure for lateral current or light confinement
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18311 using selective oxidation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18369 based on dielectric materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/2063 obtained by particle bombardment
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/423 having a vertical cavity

Abstract

A surface emitting laser may include an isolation layer including a first center portion and a first plurality of outer portions extending from the first center portion, and a metal layer including a second center portion and a second plurality of outer portions extending from the second center portion. The metal layer may be formed on the isolation layer such that a first outer portion, of the second plurality of outer portions, is formed over one of the first plurality of outer portions. The surface emitting laser may include a passivation layer including a plurality of openings. An opening may be formed over the first outer portion. The surface emitting laser may include a plurality of oxidation trenches. An oxidation trench may be positioned at least partially between the first outer portion and a second outer portion of the second plurality of outer portions.

Claims

1. A vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), comprising:

an implant isolation layer including a circular portion with a first radius and a first plurality of extended portions extending from a circumference of the circular portion;

a P-Ohmic metal layer including a ring portion with a second radius and a second plurality of extended portions extending from a circumference of the ring portion,

the P-Ohmic metal layer being formed on the implant isolation layer such that the second plurality of extended portions is positioned over the first plurality of extended portions of the implant isolation layer;

a plurality of dielectric via openings formed on a dielectric via layer,

a dielectric via opening, of the plurality of dielectric via openings, being positioned over a first extended portion, of the first plurality of extended portions, and a first extended portion of the second plurality of extended portions; and

a plurality of oxidation trenches,

an oxidation trench, of the plurality of oxidation trenches, being positioned at least partially between the first extended portion, of the first plurality of extended portions, and a second extended portion of the first plurality of extended portions.

2. The VCSEL of claim 1, where a width of the VCSEL is approximately equal to 32.4 micrometers.

3. The VCSEL of claim 1, where a quantity of the first plurality of extended portions matches a quantity of the second plurality of extended portions, a quantity of the plurality of dielectric via openings, and a quantity of the plurality of oxidation trenches.

4. The VCSEL of claim 1, where two or more of the plurality of dielectric via openings are connected to form a partial ring-shape.

5. The VCSEL of claim 1, where the plurality of oxidation trenches are formed in a partial ring-shape.

6. The VCSEL of claim 1, where the first radius, associated with the implant isolation layer, is approximately less than or equal to the second radius associated with the P-Ohmic metal layer.

7. The VCSEL of claim 1, where the first plurality of extended portions, the second plurality of extended portions, and the plurality of dielectric via openings are approximately equally spaced around the circumference of the circular portion.

8. A surface emitting laser, comprising:

an isolation layer including a first center portion and a first plurality of outer portions extending from a circumference of the first center portion;

a metal layer including a second center portion and a second plurality of outer portions extending from a circumference of the second center portion,

the metal layer being formed on the isolation layer such that a first outer portion, of the second plurality of outer portions, is formed over one of the first plurality of outer portions;

a passivation layer including a plurality of openings,

an opening, of the plurality of openings, being formed over the first outer portion of the second plurality of outer portions; and

a plurality of oxidation trenches,

an oxidation trench, of the plurality of oxidation trenches, being positioned at least partially between the first outer portion, of the second plurality of outer portions, and a second outer portion of the second plurality of outer portions,

the first outer portion being adjacent to the second outer portion.

9. The surface emitting laser of claim 8, where each outer portion, of the second plurality of outer portions is formed over one of the first plurality of outer portions or each opening, of the plurality of openings, is formed over one of the second plurality of outer portions.

10. The surface emitting laser of claim 8, where a quantity of the first plurality of outer portions matches a quantity of the second plurality of outer portions, a quantity of the plurality of openings, or a quantity of the plurality of oxidation trenches.

11. The surface emitting laser of claim 10, where the quantity of the first plurality of outer portions includes five outer portions, six outer portions, or seven outer portions.

12. The surface emitting laser of claim 8, where the plurality of oxidation trenches are formed in an irregular shape.

13. The surface emitting laser of claim 8, where two or more of the plurality of openings or two or more of the plurality of oxidation trenches are connected.

14. The surface emitting laser of claim 8, where the first plurality of outer portions, the second plurality of outer portions, and the plurality of openings are approximately equally spaced around the circumference of the first center portion.

15. A laser array, comprising:

a plurality of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs), each of the VCSELs having an oxidation aperture size of approximately six micrometers to fourteen micrometers.

16. The laser array of claim 15, where a VCSEL, of the plurality of VCSELs, includes:

an isolation layer including a circular portion and a first plurality of extended portions extending from the circular portion;

a metal layer including a ring portion and a second plurality of extended portions extending from the ring portion,

the metal layer being formed on the isolation layer such that the second plurality of extended portions is positioned over the first plurality of extended portions;

a plurality of dielectric via openings,

a dielectric via opening, of the plurality of dielectric via openings, being positioned over a first extended portion, of the first plurality of extended portions, and a first extended portion of the second plurality of extended portions; and

a plurality of oxidation trenches,

an oxidation trench, of the plurality of oxidation trenches, being formed such that the oxidation trench is at least partially positioned between the first extended portion, of the first plurality of extended portions, and a second extended portion of the first plurality of extended portions.

17. The laser array of claim 16, where a quantity of the first plurality of extended portions matches a quantity of the second plurality of extended portions, a quantity of the plurality of dielectric via openings, and a quantity of the plurality of oxidation trenches.

18. The laser array of claim 16, where a VCSEL, of the plurality of VCSELs, does not share any oxidation trench, of the plurality oxidation trenches, with another VCSEL of the plurality of VCSELs.

19. The laser array of claim 15, where each VCSEL, of the plurality of VCSELS, has a width that is less than 40 micrometers.

20. The laser array of claim 15, where the laser array is a non-grid VCSEL array.