Integrated circuit of semiconductor lasers

• US 5,365,533 A
• Filed: 11/09/1992
• Issued: 11/15/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomson Hybrides
• Original Assignee: Thomson Hybrides
• Inventors: Groussin, Bernard
• Primary Examiner(s): Davie, James W.
• Application Number:
  US07/973,823
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: 372/50, 372/36, 257/745
• US Class Current: 372/36
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/15 including semiconductor components having potential barriers, specially adapted for light emission
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/42 Arrays of surface emitting lasers

Abstract

The disclosure relates to integrated circuits of lasers, wherein the linear arrays are supplied in series, with a return of current through the substrate. When the substrate is semi-insulating, only the first epitaxially grown layer is conductive. To reduce its electrical resistance, a surface film of the substrate is made conductive by diffusion of a dopant. Application to power semiconductor lasers.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit of semiconductor lasers, comprising:

at least one linear array of lasers formed by a plurality of layers epitaxially grown on a semi-insulator substrate, said lasers being supplied with current between a first metal contact deposited on said linear array and a second metal contact on a first of said plurality of epitaxially grown conductive layers;

wherein, in order to lower the resistance of the first epitaxially grown conductive layer, a surface layer of the substrate in contact with said first epitaxially grown conductive layer has a dopant diffused therein to make said surface layer conductive.

2. An integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is semi-insulating gallium arsenide, and the dopant diffused in the surface layer is silicon.

3. An integrated circuit according to claim 1 wherein:

said at least one linear array of lasers includes at least two linear arrays of lasers which are supplied with current in series, both the first epitaxially grown layer and the diffused surface layer are interrupted by an etching located between the at least two linear arrays.

4. An integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein said lasers emit light in a horizontal direction which is reflected off of an angular surface to produce light in a vertical direction.

5. An integrated circuit according to claim 4, wherein both said first epitaxially grown conductive layer and said surface layer of the substrate extend from under said lasers, under said angular surface, to said second metal contact which is disposed on a top portion of a bulge which has at least one side thereof defined by said angular surface.

6. An integrated circuit according to claim 5, wherein said first metal contact is disposed on an upper portion of said lasers and said first epitaxially grown conductive layer is disposed on a lower portion of said lasers.

7. An integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein said first metal contact is disposed on an upper portion of said lasers and said first epitaxially grown conductive layer is disposed on a lower portion of said lasers.