On-chip alignment fiducials for surface emitting devices

• US 5,981,975 A
• Filed: 02/27/1998
• Issued: 11/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation (Meggitt PLC)
• Original Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation (Meggitt PLC)
• Inventors: Imhoff, Eugene A.
• Primary Examiner(s): MINTEL, WILLIAM A
• Application Number:
  US09/031,586
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• Field of Search: 257/797, 257/99, 257/95, 257/81, 257/623, 257/94, 257/96, 257/622
• US Class Current: 257/81
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4224 using visual alignment markings, e.g. index methods
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02375 Positioning of the laser chips
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0238 using marks

Abstract

An optoelectronic apparatus has, a die having a mesa (103) with a surface emitting optical device and a metallized p-type contact (209), a planar pad (201) adjacent the mesa for Z-height registration with an optical bench, a first notch (206) having been provided by a first etch and having thereon a metallized n-type contact (208) that is coplanar with the p-type contact (209), a second notch having a side surface (204) having been provided by a second etch, the second notch to abut the optical bench along an x-axis, the first notch (206) extending to the second notch, and the die having side surfaces (207) to abut the optical bench along a y-axis, and the second notch extending to the side surfaces (207).

Claims

1. An optoelectronic apparatus comprising:

a die having a mesa, the mesa having thereon a surface emitting optical device, the mesa having thereon a metallized p-type contact, a planar pad adjacent the mesa for Z-height registration with an optical bench, a first notch having been provided by a first etch, the first notch having thereon a metallized n-type contact that is coplanar with the p-type contact, a second notch having been provided by a second etch, the second notch having a side surface to abut the optical bench along an x-axis, the first notch extending to the second notch, and the die having side surfaces to abut the optical bench along a y-axis, and the second notch extending to the side surfaces.

2. An optoelectronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the second notch is deeper than the first notch.

3. An optoelectronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the surface emitting optical device has an optically active layer of quaternary material defining an alignment fiduciary edge facing the second slot.

4. An optoelectronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the surface emitting optical device has an optically active layer of quaternary material defining an alignment fiduciary edge, and the second slot is reentrant beneath the active layer.

5. An optoelectronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the surface emitting optical device has an optically active layer of quaternary material defining an alignment fiduciary edge, the second slot is reentrant beneath the active layer, and the surface emitting optical device has a layer of silicon dioxide extending to nearly the edge of the quaternary material but not extending to the edge of the quaternary material.

6. An optoelectronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the surface emitting optical device has an optically active layer of quaternary material defining an alignment fiduciary edge, a p-type InP cladding layer over the quaternary material, a cap layer over the cladding layer, and a layer or silicon dioxide over the cap layer.

7. An optoelectronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the surface emitting optical device has an optically active layer of quaternary material defining an alignment fiduciary edge, a p-type InP cladding layer over the quaternary material, a cap layer over the cladding layer, and a layer of silicon dioxide over the cap layer, and the layer of silicon dioxide extending to nearly the edge of the quaternary material but not extending to the edge of the quaternary material.

8. An optoelectronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the surface emitting optical device has an optically active layer of quaternary material defining an alignment fiduciary edge, and the quaternary material is an etch-stop for the second notch having been produced by etching.

9. An optoelectronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the surface emitting optical device has an optically active layer of quaternary material defining an alignment fiduciary edge, the quaternary material is an etch-stop for the second notch having been produced by etching, and a layer of silicon dioxide extending to nearly the edge of the quaternary material but not extending to the edge of the quaternary material.

10. An optoelectronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the surface emitting optical device has an optically active layer of quaternary material defining an alignment fiduciary edge, a p-type InP cladding layer over the quaternary material, a cap layer over the cladding layer, and a layer of silicon dioxide over the cap layer, and the quaternary material is an etch-stop for the second notch having been produced by etching.

11. An optoelectronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the surface emitting optical device has an optically active layer of quaternary material defining an alignment fiduciary edge, a p-type InP cladding layer over the quaternary material, a cap layer over the cladding layer, a layer or silicon dioxide over the cap layer, the layer of silicon dioxide extending to nearly the edge of the quaternary material but not extending to the edge of the quaternary material, and the quaternary material is an etch-stop for the second notch having been produced by etching.