Ion-implanted planar-buried-heterostructure diode laser

• US 5,048,038 A
• Filed: 01/25/1990
• Issued: 09/10/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United States Department of Energy
• Original Assignee: United States Department of Energy
• Inventors: Brennan, Thomas M., Myers, David R., Vawter, Gregory A., Hammons, Burrell E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia
• Application Number:
  US07/469,996
• Time in Patent Office: 593 Days
• Field of Search: 372/46, 372/45, 357/16, 357/17
• US Class Current: 372/46.015
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/20 Structure or shape of the semiconductor body to guide the optical wave ; Confining structures perpendicular to the optical axis, e.g. index or gain guiding, stripe geometry, broad area lasers, gain tailoring, transverse or lateral reflectors, special cladding structures, MQW barrier reflection layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/2059 by means of particular conductivity zones, e.g. obtained by particle bombardment or diffusion
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/227 Buried mesa structure ; Striped active layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/2275 mesa created by etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/3211 characterised by special cladding layers, e.g. details on band-discontinuities
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/3215 graded composition cladding layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/3409 special GRINSCH structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/3428 layer orientation perpendicular to the substrate

Abstract

A Planar-Buried-Heterostructure, Graded-Index, Separate-Confinement-Heterostructure semiconductor diode laser 10 includes a single quantum well or multi-quantum well active stripe 12 disposed between a p-type compositionally graded Group III-V cladding layer 14 and an n-type compositionally graded Group III-V cladding layer 16. The laser 10 includes an ion implanted n-type region 28 within the p-type cladding layer 14 and further includes an ion implanted p-type region 26 within the n-type cladding layer 16. The ion implanted regions are disposed for defining a lateral extent of the active stripe.

Claims

1. A semiconductor laser device comprising:

(a) an optical resonant cavity;

(b) a optical waveguide layer of a high refractive index;

(c) an upper optical waveguide cladding layer having a low refractive index and a first type of electrical conductivity, said upper cladding layer above said optical waveguide layer of high refractive index;

(d) a lower optical waveguide cladding layer having a low refractive index and a second type of electrical conductivity, said lower cladding layer below said optical waveguide layer of high refractive index;

(e) an active region coincident with said optical waveguide layer of high refractive index for conversion of injected current into light, said active region confined vertically by said lower and upper cladding layers;

(f) electrode means for applying current to said device; and

(g) reversed-biased junctions laterally adjacent to and in the plane of the active region for constraining current to flow through said active region.

2. A laser device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said reversed-biased junctions further comprise:

(a) a first impurity compensated region within said lower optical waveguide cladding layer, said first impurity compensated region of opposite conductivity than said lower cladding layer and said first impurity compensated region laterally confining said active region; and

(b) a second impurity compensated region within said upper optical waveguide cladding layer, said second impurity compensated region of opposite conductivity than said upper cladding layer and said second impurity compensated region laterally confining said active region;

wherein said first impurity compensation region interfaces with said second impurity compensated region laterally adjacent to and in the plane of said confined active region to form said reverse-biased junction.

3. A laser device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said first impurity compensated region is ion implanted into said lower cladding layer and wherein said second impurity compensated region is ion implanted into said upper cladding layer.

4. A laser device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said lower cladding is n-type and said first impurity compensated region is p-type and wherein said upper cladding layer is p-type and said second impurity compensated region is n-type.

5. A laser device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said device includes an upper and a lower surface and wherein said surfaces are substantially planar.

6. A laser device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said lower and said upper cladding layers are each comprised of compositionally graded Group III-V material.

7. In a Planar-Buried-Heterostructure, Graded-Index, Separate-Confinement-Heterostructure semiconductor diode laser, a multi-quantum well active stripe disposed between a p-type compositionally graded Group III-V cladding layer and an n-type compositionally graded Group III-V cladding layer, said laser including an ion implanted n-type region within said p-type cladding layer and further including an ion implanted p-type region within said n-type cladding layer, said regions being disposed for defining a lateral extent of said active stripe.

8. In a semiconductor laser device, an arrangement comprising:

(a) an active region;

(b) electrode means for applying current to said device;

(c) means for constraining current to flow through said active region, said means further comprising a first cladding layer of a first type of electrical conductivity and having a first impurity compensated region laterally adjacent to said active region, said first cladding layer disposed beneath said active region, and a second cladding layer of a second type of electrical conductivity and having a second impurity compensated region laterally adjacent to, said second cladding layer disposed above said active region.

9. A laser device as set forth in claim 8 wherein said first cladding layer is n-type and said first impurity compensated region is p-type and wherein said second cladding layer is p-type and said second impurity compensated region is n-type.

10. A laser device as set forth in claim 8 wherein said first and second cladding layers are each comprised of compositionally graded Group III-V material.