Vertical cavity apparatus with tunnel junction

• US 6,535,541 B1
• Filed: 06/23/2000
• Issued: 03/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NeoPhotonics Corporation (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BandwidthX Inc.
• Inventors: Boucart, Julien, Chang-Hasnain, Constance, Jansen, Michael, Nabiev, Rashit, Yuen, Wupen
• Primary Examiner(s): DAVIE, JAMES W
• Application Number:
  US09/603,296
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: 372/96, 372/45, 372/46, 372/50
• US Class Current: 372/96
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/105 with a resonant cavity structure
• 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 5/0614 controlled by electric field, i.e. whereby an additional electric field is used to tune the bandgap, e.g. using the Stark-effect
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/1021 Coupled cavities H01S5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/146 using a fiber as external cavity
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18311 using selective oxidation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/1833 with more than one structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18341 Intra-cavity contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18358 containing spacer layers to adjust the phase of the light wave in the cavity
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18366 Membrane DBR, i.e. a movable DBR on top of the VCSEL
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18372 by native oxidation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18397 Plurality of active layers vertically stacked in a cavity for multi-wavelength emission
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/2063 obtained by particle bombardment
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/3095 Tunnel junction
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/3201 incorporating bulkstrain effects, e.g. strain compensation, strain related to polarisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4018 Lasers electrically in series
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4087 emitting more than one wavelength
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/423 having a vertical cavity
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/426 Vertically stacked cavities

Abstract

A vertical cavity apparatus includes first and second mirrors, a substrate, first and second active regions and a plurality of individual active regions. Each of an individual active region is positioned between the first and second active regions. A first oxide layer is positioned between the first mirror and the second mirror. A plurality of tunnel junctions are positioned between the first and second mirrors.

Claims

1. A vertical cavity apparatus, comprising:

a first mirror;

a substrate

a second mirror coupled to the substrate;

a first active region positioned adjacent to the first mirror;

a second active region positioned adjacent to the second mirror, each of the first and second active regions being made of a material that upon application of electrical or electromagnetic energy the first and second regions become optically active;

a plurality of individual active regions, each of an individual active region being positioned between the first and second active regions and made of a material that upon application of electrical or electromagnetic energy becomes optically active;

a first oxide layer positioned between the first mirror and the second mirror; and

a plurality of tunnel junctions positioned between the first and second mirrors.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first oxide layer is positioned between the first mirror and the first active region.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first oxide layer is positioned between the second mirror and the second active region.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of an individual tunnel junction of the plurality of tunnel junctions is positioned between individual active regions of the plurality of active regions.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of an individual tunnel junction of the plurality of tunnel junctions is positioned between individual active regions of the plurality of active regions and the first and second active regions.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate has a given crystallographic orientation.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first mirror includes a metallic layer.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate includes an epitaxy structure.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate includes a dielectric pattern for selective area epitaxy.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein substantially the entire apparatus is grown on a planar substrate with at least one layer grown while the planar substrate is held stationary and the other layers are grown while the planar substrate is rotated.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of oxide layers, each of an individual oxide layer being positioned between an individual tunnel junction and an individual active layer.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first mirror is tunable.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first mirror includes a tunable filter.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a tunable filter coupled to the first mirror.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of individual tunnel junctions of the plurality of tunnel junctions have first and second opposing sides made of the same material.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of individual tunnel junctions of the plurality of tunnel junctions have first and second opposing sides made of different materials.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of individual tunnel junctions of the plurality of tunnel junctions have first and second opposing sides with different thickness'"'"'.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of individual tunnel junctions of the plurality of tunnel junctions have first and second opposing sides with different doping profiles.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of individual tunnel junctions of the plurality of tunnel junctions are non-doped.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of individual tunnel junctions of the plurality of tunnel junctions are uniformly doped.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of individual tunnel junctions of the plurality of tunnel junctions are non-uniformly doped.

23. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of individual tunnel junctions of the plurality of tunnel junctions are compositionally graded.

24. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the first active region, the second region and the plurality of individual active regions includes at least one individual quantum well and form a plurality of quantum wells between the top and bottom mirrors.

25. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first active region includes a plurality of first quantum wells, the second active region includes a plurality of second quantum wells, and the third region includes a plurality of third quantum wells.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of first quantum wells, second wells and third quantum wells have different widths.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of first quantum wells, second wells and third quantum wells have the same widths.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of first quantum wells, second wells and third quantum wells generate the same maximum gain wavelength.

29. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of first quantum wells, second wells and third quantum wells generate different maximum gain wavelengths.

30. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein all of the individual quantum wells of the pluralities of quantum wells have the same maximum gain wavelength.

31. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein at least a portion of individual quantum wells of the pluralities of quantum wells have different compositions.

32. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein at least a portion of individual quantum wells of the pluralities of quantum wells have the same composition.

33. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein at least a portion of individual quantum wells of the pluralities of quantum wells have the same strain.

34. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein at least a portion of individual quantum wells of the pluralities of quantum wells have different strain.

35. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the pluralities of quantum wells have a plurality of barriers and at least a portion of barriers in the plurality have the same strain.

36. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the pluralities of quantum wells have a plurality of barriers and at least a portion of barriers in the plurality have different strains.

37. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the pluralities of quantum wells have a plurality of barriers and at least a portion of barriers in the plurality are unstrained.

38. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein each of an individual quantum well of the plurality of quantum wells is selected from a strained quantum well, a tensile strained quantum well, an unstrained quantum well and a compression strained quantum well.

39. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein at least a portion of the individual quantum wells of the pluralities of quantum wells have different widths.

40. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein at least a portion of the individual quantum wells of the pluralities of quantum wells have the same widths.

41. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein each of an individual quantum well of the pluralities of quantum wells generates a maximum gain wavelength.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein at least a portion of the pluralities of quantum wells have different maximum gain wavelengths.

43. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein all of individual quantum wells of the pluralities of quantum wells have different maximum gain wavelengths.

44. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein at least a portion of the pluralities of quantum wells have the same maximum gain wavelength.

45. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein all of the individual quantum wells of the pluralities of quantum wells have the same maximum gain wavelength.

46. The apparatus of claim 45, further comprising:

a plurality of individual partial DBR'"'"'s, each of an individual partial DBR being positioned between an individual tunnel junction and an individual active layer.

47. The apparatus of claim 46, further comprising:

a plurality of oxide layers, each of an individual oxide layer being positioned between an individual partial DBR and an individual active layer.

48. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first mirror is tunable.

49. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first mirror includes a tunable filter.

50. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a tunable filter coupled to the first mirror.

8. The apparatus of cam 1, wherein the substrate has a etched pattern formed on a top or a bottom surface.

51. A vertical cavity surface emitting laser, comprising:

a first mirror;

a substrate

a second mirror coupled to the substrate;

a first active region positioned adjacent to the first mirror, each of the first and second active regions being made of a material that upon application of electrical or electromagnetic energy the first and second regions become optically active;

a second active region positioned adjacent to the second mirror;

a plurality of individual active regions, each of an individual active region being positioned between the first and second active regions;

a first oxide layer positioned between the first mirror and the second mirror; and

a plurality of tunnel junctions positioned between the first and second mirrors.

52. A detector, comprising:

a first mirror;

a substrate

a second mirror coupled to the substrate;

a first active region positioned adjacent to the first mirror, each of the first and second active regions being made of a material that upon application of electrical or electromagnetic energy the first and second regions become optically active;

a second active region positioned adjacent to the second mirror;

a plurality of individual active regions, each of an individual active region being positioned between the first and second active regions;

a first oxide layer positioned between the first mirror and the second mirror; and

a plurality of tunnel junctions positioned between the first and second mirrors.

53. A modulator, comprising:

a first mirror;

a substrate

a second mirror coupled to the substrate;

a first active region positioned adjacent to the first mirror, each of first and second active regions being made of a material that upon application of electrical or electromagnetic energy the first and second regions become optically active;

a second active region positioned adjacent to the second mirror;

a plurality of individual active regions, each of an individual active region being positioned between the first and second active regions;

a first oxide layer positioned between the first mirror and the second mirror; and

a plurality of tunnel junctions positioned between the first and second mirrors.

54. An attenuator, comprising:

a first mirror;

a substrate

a second mirror coupled to the substrate;

a first active region positioned adjacent to the first mirror, each of the first and second active regions being made of a material that upon application of electrical or electromagnetic energy the first and second regions become optically active;

a second active region positioned adjacent to the second mirror;

a plurality of individual active regions, each of an individual active region being positioned between the first and second active regions;

a first oxide layer positioned between the first mirror and the second mirror; and

a plurality of tunnel junctions positioned between the first and second mirrors.

55. An amplifier, comprising:

a first mirror;

a substrate

a second mirror coupled to the substrate;

a first active region positioned adjacent to the first mirror, each of the first and second active regions being made of a material that upon application of electrical or electromagnetic energy the first and second regions become optically active;

a second active region positioned adjacent to the second mirror;

a plurality of individual active regions, each of an individual active region being positioned between the first and second active regions;

a first oxide layer positioned between the first mirror and the second mirror; and

a plurality of tunnel junctions positioned between the first and second mirrors.