Nitride semiconductor laser element

• US 7,609,737 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2004
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nichia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nichia Corporation
• Inventors: Matsumura, Hiroaki, Ochiai, Masanao
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey; Minsun
• Assistant Examiner(s): NIU, XINNING
• Application Number:
  US10/563,811
• Publication Number:
  US 20060256825A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,936 Days
• Field of Search: 372 39- 5032, 372/43.01, 372 4401- 5023
• US Class Current: 372/43.01
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/028 Coatings ; Treatment of the laser facets, e.g. etching, passivation layers or reflecting layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/20 Structure or shape of the semiconductor body to guide the optical wave ; Confining structures perpendicular to the optical axis, e.g. index or gain guiding, stripe geometry, broad area lasers, gain tailoring, transverse or lateral reflectors, special cladding structures, MQW barrier reflection layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/32341 blue laser based on GaN or GaP

Abstract

A nitride semiconductor laser device comprises a nitride semiconductor substrate (101); a nitride semiconductor lamination structure that has an n-type semiconductor layer (102), an active layer (104) and a p-type semiconductor layer (103) laminated on or above the nitride semiconductor substrate (101), and has a stripe-shaped waveguide region for laser light; and end surface protective films (110) on the both end surfaces substantially perpendicular to the waveguide region. In the nitride semiconductor laser device, the nitride semiconductor substrate (101) has a luminescent radiation region (112) that absorbs light emitted from the active layer (104) and emits luminescent radiation with a wavelength longer than the wavelength of the emitted light, and the end surface protective films (110) have a high reflectivity for the wavelength of the luminescent radiation from the luminescent radiation region (112). Accordingly, a nitride semiconductor laser device that does not improperly operate and has excellent FFP is provided.

Claims

1. A nitride semiconductor laser device comprising:

a nitride semiconductor substrate;

a nitride semiconductor layer that has an n-type semiconductor layer, an active layer and a p-type semiconductor layer laminated on or above the nitride semiconductor substrate, and has a stripe-shaped waveguide region for laser light; and

an emission-side end surface protective film and a rear-side end surface protective film opposed thereto on the end surfaces of resonance sandwiching the waveguide region, wherein

the nitride semiconductor substrate has a luminescent radiation region that absorbs light emitted from the active layer and emits luminescent radiation with a wavelength longer than the wavelength of the emitted light, and

the rear-side end surface protective film includes a first end surface protective film having a higher reflectivity for the wavelength of the luminescent radiation, and a second end surface protective film having a higher reflectivity for the wavelength of the emitted light from the active layer,

the emission-side end surface protective film includes a third end surface protective film having a higher reflectivity for the wavelength of the luminescent radiation and having a lower reflectivity for the wavelength of the emitted light from the active layer,

the emission-side end surface protective film covers the stripe-shaped waveguide region or an emission-side of the end surface of the resonance,

the end surface protective films further cover both end surfaces of the nitride semiconductor substrate, and wherein

the second end surface protective film is sandwiched by the nitride semiconductor layer and the first end surface protective film.

3. The nitride semiconductor laser device according to claim 1, wherein the emission-side end surface protective film includes a fourth end surface protective film having a higher reflectivity for the wavelength of the emitted light from the active layer (104).

4. The nitride semiconductor laser device according to claim 3, wherein each of the first, second, third and fourth end surface protective films has a single-layer or multilayer structure.

6. The nitride semiconductor laser device according to claim 4, wherein the third and fourth end surface protective films are laminated so as to at least partially overlap each other.

7. The nitride semiconductor laser device according to claim 1, wherein the second end surface protective film is formed in contact with the nitride semiconductor layer.

8. The nitride semiconductor laser device according to claim 3, wherein the fourth end surface protective film is formed in contact with the nitride semiconductor layer.

14. The nitride semiconductor laser device according to claim 1, wherein the waveguide region is formed above the luminescent radiation region.

17. A laser apparatus comprising the nitride semiconductor laser device according to claim 1, and a detector that detect the light emission of the nitride semiconductor laser device, wherein the detector has a spectral sensitivity in a wavelength λ

_ex of the luminescent radiation higher than a wavelength λ

_LD of the emitted light of the nitride semiconductor laser device.

2. A nitride semiconductor laser device comprising:

a nitride semiconductor substrate;

a nitride semiconductor layer that has an n-type semiconductor layer, an active layer and a p-type semiconductor layer laminated on or above the nitride semiconductor substrate, and has a stripe-shaped waveguide region for laser light; and

an emission-side end surface protective film and a rear-side end surface protective film opposed thereto on the end surfaces of resonance sandwiching the waveguide region, wherein

the nitride semiconductor substrate has a luminescent radiation region that absorbs light emitted from the active layer and emits luminescent radiation with a wavelength longer than the wavelength of the emitted light,

the rear-side end surface protective film includes a first end surface protective film having a higher reflectivity for the wavelength of the luminescent radiation, and a second end surface protective film having a higher reflectivity for the wavelength of the emitted light from the active layer,

the emission-side end surface protective film includes a third end surface protective film having a higher reflectivity for the wavelength of the luminescent radiation,

the first end surface protective film and/or the third end surface protective film has a lower reflectivity for the wavelength of the emitted light from the active layer, the emission-side end surface protective film covers the stripe-shaped waveguide region or an emission-side end surface of resonance

the end surface protective films further cover both end surfaces of the nitride semiconductor substrate, and wherein

the second end surface protective film is sandwiched by the nitride semiconductor layer and the first end surface protective film.

5. A nitride semiconductor laser device comprising:

a nitride semiconductor substrate;

a nitride semiconductor layer that has an n-type semiconductor layer, an active layer and a p-type semiconductor layer laminated on or above the nitride semiconductor substrate, and has a stripe-shaped waveguide region for laser light; and

an emission-side end surface protective film and a rear-side end surface protective film opposed thereto on the end surfaces of resonance sandwiching the waveguide region, wherein

the nitride semiconductor substrate has a luminescent radiation region that absorbs light emitted from the active layer and emits luminescent radiation with a wavelength longer than the wavelength of the emitted light,

the rear-side end surface protective film includes a first end surface protective film having a higher reflectivity for the wavelength of the luminescent radiation, and a second end surface protective film having a higher reflectivity for the wavelength of the emitted light from the active layer,

the emission-side end surface protective film includes a third end surface protective film having a higher reflectivity for the wavelength of the luminescent radiation,

the first and second end surface protective films are laminated so as to at least partially overlap each other,

the emission-side end surface protective film covers the stripe-shaped waveguide region or an emission-side end surface of resonance,

the end surface protective films further cover both end surfaces of the nitride semiconductor substrate, and wherein

the second end surface protective film is sandwiched by the nitride semiconductor layer and the first end surface protective film.

9. The nitride semiconductor laser device comprising:

a nitride semiconductor substrate;

a nitride semiconductor layer that has an n-type semiconductor layer, an active layer and a p-type semiconductor layer laminated on or above the nitride semiconductor substrate, and has a stripe-shaped waveguide region for laser light; and

end surface protective films on both end surfaces of resonance sandwiching the waveguide region, wherein

the nitride semiconductor substrate has a luminescent radiation region that absorbs light emitted from the active layer and emits luminescent radiation with a wavelength longer than the wavelength of the emitted light,

at least one of the end surface protective films has a higher reflectivity for the wavelength of the luminescent radiation from the luminescent radiation region,

the luminescent radiation region has a lower dislocation density as compared with the periphery thereof,

at least one of the end surface protective film covers the stripe-shaped waveguide region or an emission-side end surface of resonance˜

the end surface protective films further cover both end surfaces of the nitride semiconductor substrate, and wherein

the second end surface protective film is sandwiched by the nitride semiconductor lager and the first end surface protective film.

13. The nitride semiconductor laser device according to claim 9, wherein the luminescent radiation region is formed in a stripe shape substantially parallel to the waveguide region.

16. A laser apparatus comprising the nitride semiconductor laser device according to claim 9, and a detector that detect the light emission of the nitride semiconductor

laser device, wherein the detector has a spectral sensitivity in a wavelength )˜

ex of the luminescent radiation higher than a wavelength) λ

_LD of the emitted light of the nitride semiconductor laser device.

10. A nitride semiconductor laser device comprising:

a nitride semiconductor substrate;

a nitride semiconductor layer that has an n-type semiconductor layer, an active layer and a p-type semiconductor layer laminated on or above the nitride semiconductor substrate, and has a stripe-shaped waveguide region for laser light; and

end surface protective films on both end surfaces of resonance sandwiching the waveguide region, wherein

the nitride semiconductor substrate has a luminescent radiation region that absorbs light emitted from the active layer and emits luminescent radiation with a wavelength longer than the wavelength of the emitted light,

at least one of the end surface protective films has a higher reflectivity for the wavelength of the luminescent radiation from the luminescent radiation region, and

the luminescent radiation region has a high impurity concentration as compared with the periphery thereof,

at least one of the end surface protective film covers the stripe-shaped waveguide region or an emission-side end surface of resonance,

the end surface protective films further cover both end surfaces of the nitride semiconductor substrate, and wherein

the second end surface protective film is sandwiched by the nitride semiconductor laver and the first end surface protective film.

11. The nitride semiconductor laser device according to claim 10, wherein the impurity is at least one element selected from the group consisting of H, O, C and Si.

12. A nitride semiconductor laser device comprising:

a nitride semiconductor substrate;

a nitride semiconductor layer that has an n-type semiconductor layer, an active layer and a type semiconductor layer laminated on or above the nitride semiconductor substrate, and has a stripe-shaped waveguide region for laser light; and

end surface protective films on both end surfaces of resonance sandwiching the waveguide region, wherein

the nitride semiconductor substrate has a luminescent radiation region that absorbs light emitted from the active layer and emits luminescent radiation with a wavelength longer than the wavelength of the emitted light,

at least one of the end surface protective films has a higher reflectivity for the wavelength of the luminescent radiation from the luminescent radiation region,

the active layer has a light emission wavelength of 390 to 420 nm, and the luminescent radiation has a wavelength of 550 to 600 nm,

at least one of the end surface protective film covers the stripe-shaped waveguide region or an emission-side end surface of resonance;

the end surface protective films further cover both end surfaces of the nitride semiconductor substrate, and wherein

the second end surface protective film is sandwiched by the nitride semiconductor layer and the first end surface protective film.

15. A nitride semiconductor laser device comprising:

a nitride semiconductor substrate);

a nitride semiconductor layer that has an n-type semiconductor layer, an active layer and a p-type semiconductor layer laminated on or above the nitride semiconductor substrate, and has a stripe-shaped waveguide region for laser light; and

end surface protective films on both end surfaces of resonance sandwiching the waveguide region, wherein

the nitride semiconductor substrate has a luminescent radiation region that absorbs light emitted from the active layer and emits luminescent radiation with a wavelength longer than the wavelength of the emitted light,

at least one of the end surface protective films has a higher reflectivity for the wavelength of the luminescent radiation from the luminescent radiation region, and

the waveguide region is formed in a region that is spaced away from the luminescent radiation region,

at least one of the end surface protective film covers the stripe-shaped waveguide region or an emission-side end surface of resonance,

the end surface protective films further cover both end surfaces of the nitride semiconductor substrate, and wherein

the second end surface protective film is sandwiched by the nitride semiconductor layer and the first end surface protective film.