Monolithic multi-wavelength vertical-cavity surface emitting laser array and method of manufacture therefor

• US 6,806,110 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2002
• Issued: 10/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Robbins, Virginia M., Lester, Steven D., Miller, Jeffrey N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mulpuri, Savitri
• Application Number:
  US10/151,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20030214992A1
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: 438/21-47, 438/706-744
• US Class Current: 438/28
• 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 5/18369 based on dielectric materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4087 emitting more than one wavelength
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/423 having a vertical cavity

Abstract

A monolithic array of vertical cavity lasers with different emission wavelengths on a single wafer, and method of manufacture therefor, is provided. A first reflector is over the semiconductor substrate with a photoactive semiconductor layer. A reflector support defines first and second air gaps with the photoactive semiconductor layer. The second and third air gaps are made to be different from each other by geometric differences in the reflector support structure. Second and third reflectors are formed over the reflector support whereby a first laser is formed by the first reflector, the photoactive semiconductor structure, the first air gap, and the second reflector and whereby a second laser is formed by the first reflector, the photoactive semiconductor structure, the second air gap, and the third reflector. The emission wavelengths of the first and second lasers are different because of the different sizes of the first and second air gaps.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a monolithic array of vertical cavity optical devices comprising:

forming a first reflector over a wafer;

forming a photoactive semiconductor structure over the first reflector;

forming first and second sacrificial islands of a sacrificial layer over the photoactive semiconductor structure, the first and second sacrificial islands having respective first and second configurations, the first configuration different from the second configuration;

forming a reflector support over the first and second sacrificial islands;

forming second and third reflectors over the reflector support; and

removing the first and second sacrificial islands to form first and second air gaps whereby a first optical device is formed by the first reflector, the photoactive semiconductor structure, the first air gap, and the second reflector and whereby a second optical device is formed by the first reflector, the photoactive semiconductor structure, the second air gap, and the third reflector.

2. The method for manufacturing a monolithic array of vertical cavity optical devices as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

removing the first and second sacrificial islands forms the first and second vertical cavity optical devices to provide different wavelengths of light.

3. The method for manufacturing a monolithic array of vertical cavity optical devices as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

forming the second and third reflectors includes using a single mask to control the geometrical configuration of the second and third reflectors, the second and third reflectors having different geometrical configurations; and

removing the first and second sacrificial islands includes forming the first and second vertical cavity optical devices with the first and second air gaps of different heights due to different geometrical configurations of the second and third reflectors.

4. The method for manufacturing a monolithic array of vertical cavity optical devices as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

forming the reflector support using a single mask to control the geometrical configuration of the reflector support; and

removing the first and second sacrificial islands forms the first and second vertical cavity optical devices with the first and second air gaps of different heights due to the geometrical configuration of the reflector support.

5. The method for manufacturing a monolithic array of vertical cavity optical devices as claimed in claim 1 including:

forming an anchor between the first and second sacrificial islands on the reflector support using a single mask to control the geometrical configuration of the anchor.

and wherein;

removing the first and second sacrificial islands forms the first and second vertical cavity optical devices with the first and second air gaps of different heights due to the geometrical configuration of the anchor.

6. A method for manufacturing a monolithic array of vertical cavity optical devices comprising:

forming a first distributed Bragg reflector over a single wafer forming a photoactive semiconductor structure over the first distributed Bragg reflector;

forming first and second sacrificial islands of a sacrificial layer over the photoactive semiconductor structure, the first and second sacrificial islands having respective first and second sizes, the first size different from the second size;

forming a reflector support over the first and second sacrificial islands;

forming second and third distributed Bragg reflectors over the reflector support;

forming openings in the reflector support; and

removing the first and second sacrificial islands through the. openings in the reflector support to form first and second air gaps whereby a first optical device is formed by the first distributed Bragg reflector, the photoactive semiconductor structure, the first air gap, and the second distributed Bragg reflector and whereby a second optical device is fanned by the first distributed Bragg reflector, the photoactive semiconductor structure, the second air gap, and the third distributed Bragg reflector.

7. The method for manufacturing a monolithic array of vertical cavity optical devices as claimed in claim 6 wherein:

removing the first and second sacrificial islands forms the first and second vertical cavity optical devices with the first and second air gaps having different heights and providing different wavelengths of laser light.

8. The method for manufacturing a monolithic array of vertical cavity optical devices as claimed in claim 6 wherein:

forming the second and third distributed Bragg reflectors using a single mask to control the geometrical sizes of the second and third distributed Bragg reflector, the second and third distributed Bragg reflectors having different from the geometrical sizes; and

removing the first and second sacrificial islands forms the first and second vertical cavity optical devices with the first and second air gaps of different heights due to different geometrical sizes of the second and third reflectors.

9. The method for manufacturing a monolithic array of vertical cavity optical devices as claimed in claim 6 wherein:

forming the reflector support using a single mask to control the geometrical sizes and configurations of different portions of the reflector support; and

removing the first and second sacrificial islands forms the first and second vertical cavity optical devices with the first and second air gaps of different heights due to the geometrical sizes of the different portions of the reflector support.

10. The method for manufacturing a monolithic array of vertical cavity optical devices as claimed in claim 6 including:

forming an anchor between the first and second sacrificial islands on the reflector support using a single mask to control the geometrical sizes of different portions of the anchor.

and wherein;

removing the first and second sacrificial islands forms the first and second vertical cavity optical devices with the first and second air gaps of different heights due to the geometrical sizes of the different portions of the anchor.