Vertical cavity surface emitting laser including indium and antimony in the active region

• US 6,975,660 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2001
• Issued: 12/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: II-VI Delaware, Inc. (Coherent Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Finisar Corporation (II-VI Incorporated)
• Inventors: Johnson, Ralph H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, Minsun Oh
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUNG T
• Application Number:
  US10/026,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20030123501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,447 Days
• Field of Search: 372/45, 372/44, 372/46, 372/43, 257/89
• US Class Current: 372/45.01
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/183 having only vertical cavities, e.g. vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers [VCSEL]
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/3211 characterised by special cladding layers, e.g. details on band-discontinuities
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/32366 (In)GaAs with small amount of N
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/34306 emitting light at a wavelength longer than 1000nm, e.g. InP based 1300 and 1500nm lasers
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/34346 characterised by the materials of the barrier layers

Abstract

Quantum wells and associated barriers layers can be grown to include nitrogen (N), aluminum (Al), antimony (Sb), phosphorous (P) and/or indium (In) placed within or about a typical GaAs substrate to achieve long wavelength VCSEL performance, e.g., within the 1260 to 1650 nm range. In accordance with features of the present invention, a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), can include at least one quantum well comprised of InGaAsSb; barrier layers sandwiching said at least one quantum well; and confinement layers sandwiching said barrier layers. A vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), can also include at least one quantum well comprised of InGaAsSbN. Barrier layers can be comprised of GaAsN, GaAsP, or AlGaAs. Confinement layers can be comprised of AlGaAs. Quantum wells can include N. Quantum wells can be developed up to and including 50 Å in thickness. Quantum wells can also be developed with a depth of at least 40 meV.

Claims

1. A vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), comprising:

an active region further comprising at least one quantum well having a depth of at least 40 meV, wherein said depth is defined using the difference between a valence band offset and a conduction band offset, said quantum well being comprised of InGaAsSb and barrier layers sandwiching said at least one quantum well; and

confinement layers sandwiching said active region.

2. The VCSEL of claim 1 wherein said barrier layers are comprised of GaAsN.

3. The VCSEL of claim 1 wherein said barrier layers are comprised of GaAsP.

4. The VCSEL of claim 1 wherein said barrier layers are comprised of AlGaAs.

5. The VCSEL of claim 1 wherein said confinement layers are comprised of AlGaAs.

6. The VCSEL of claim 1 wherein said quantum well is up to and including 50 Å

in thickness.

7. The VCSEL of claim 2 wherein said confinement layers are comprised of AlGaAs.

8. The VCSEL of claim 7 wherein said quantum well is up to and including 50 Å

in thickness.

9. The VCSEL of claim 3 wherein said confinement layers are comprised of AlGaAs.

10. The VCSEL of claim 9 wherein said quantum well is up to and including 50 Å

in thickness.

11. The VCSEL of claim 4 wherein said confinement layers are comprised of AlGaAs.

12. The VCSEL of claim 11 wherein said quantum well is up to and including 50 Å

in thickness.

13. The VCSEL of claim 1 wherein said at least one quantum well further comprises >

1% N.

14. The VCSEL of claim 13 wherein said quantum well is up to and including 50 Å

in thickness.

15. The VCSEL of claim 13 wherein said barrier layers are comprised of GaAsN.

16. The VCSEL of claim 15 wherein said quantum well is up to and including 50 Å

in thickness.

17. The VCSEL of claim 13 wherein said barrier layers are comprised of GaAsP.

18. The VCSEL of claim 17 wherein said quantum well is up to and including 50 Å

in thickness.

19. The VCSEL of claim 13 wherein said barrier layers are comprised of AlGaAs.

20. The VCSEL of claim 19 wherein said quantum well is up to and including 50 Å

in thickness.

21. The VCSEL of claim 13 wherein said confinement layers are comprised of AlGaAs.

22. The VCSEL of claim 21 wherein said quantum well is up to and including 50 Å

in thickness.

23. The VCSEL of claim 15 wherein said confinement layers are comprised of AlGaAs.

24. The VCSEL of claim 23 wherein said quantum well is up to and including 50 Å

in thickness.

25. The VCSEL of claim 17 wherein said confinement layers are comprised of AlGaAs.

26. The VCSEL of claim 25 wherein said quantum well is up to and including 50 Å

in thickness.

27. The VCSEL of claim 19 wherein said confinement layers are comprised of AlGaAs.

28. The VCSEL of claim 27 wherein said quantum well is up to and including 50 Å

in thickness.

29. A vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), comprising:

an active region further comprising at least one quantum comprised of material including InGaAsSb and greater than 1% nitrogen, said at least one quantum well having a depth of at least 40 meV, wherein said depth is defined using the difference between a valence band offset and a conduction band offset, and barrier layers sandwiching said at least one quantum well; and

confinement layers sandwiching said active region.

30. The VCSEL of claim 29 wherein said barrier layers are comprised of GaAsN.

31. The VCSEL of claim 29 wherein said barrier layers are comprised of GaAs and at least one of P and Al.

32. The VCSEL of claim 29 wherein said confinement layers are comprised of AlGaAs.

33. The VCSEL of claim 30 wherein said confinement layers are comprised of AlGaAs.

34. The VCSEL of claim 31 wherein said confinement layers are comprised of AlGaAs.

35. The VCSEL of claim 32 wherein said barrier layers are comprised of GaAsN.

36. The VCSEL of claim 32 wherein said barrier layers are comprised of GaAs and at least one of P and Al.

37. A vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), comprising:

an active region further comprising at least one quantum comprised of material including InGaAsSb and greater than 1% nitrogen, said at least one quantum well having a depth of at least 40 meV, wherein said depth is defined using the difference between a valence band offset and a conduction band offset, said quantum well including thickness up to and including 50 Å

, and barrier layers sandwiching said at least one quantum well; and

confinement layers sandwiching said active region.

38. The VCSEL of claim 37 wherein said barrier layers are comprised of GaAsN.

39. The VCSEL of claim 37 wherein said barrier layers are comprised of GaAs and at least one of P and Al.

40. The VCSEL of claim 37 wherein said confinement layers are comprised of AlGaAs.

41. The VCSEL of claim 38 wherein said confinement layers are comprised of AlGaAs.

42. The VCSEL of claim 39 wherein said confinement layers are comprised of AlGaAs.

43. The VCSEL of claim 40 wherein said barrier layers are comprised of GaAs and at least one of N, P and Al.