Monolithically integrated laser diode chip having a construction as a multiple beam laser diode

• US 8,194,712 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2008
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OSRAM OLED GMBH (Ams-Osram AG)
• Original Assignee: Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH (Ams-Osram AG)
• Inventors: Müller, Martin, Grönninger, Günther, Behres, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Stultz, Jessica
• Assistant Examiner(s): NIU, XINNING
• Application Number:
  US12/217,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20090122823A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,436 Days
• Field of Search: 372 4301- 45011, 372 5012- 50122
• US Class Current: 372/50.12
• 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 5/3211 characterised by special cladding layers, e.g. details on band-discontinuities
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/3215 graded composition cladding layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4018 Lasers electrically in series
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4043 with vertically stacked active layers

Abstract

A monolithically integrated laser diode chip having a construction as a multiple beam laser diode, which, on a semiconductor substrate (3) comprised of GaAs, has at least two laser stacks (4a, 4b, 4c) which are arranged one above another and which each contain an active zone (7). The active zone (7) is in each case arranged between waveguide layers (8). The waveguide layers (8) each adjoin a cladding layer (6) at a side remote from the active zone. At least one of the waveguide layers (8) or cladding layers (6) of at least one laser stack (4a, 4b, 4c), comprises Al_xGa_1-xAs, where 0≦x≦1, and at least one additional material from main group III or V, such that the lattice mismatch between the at least one waveguide layer (8) or cladding layer (6) comprising the at least one additional element and the semiconductor substrate (3) composed of GaAs is reduced. This increases the lifetime of the laser diode chip.

Claims

1. A monolithically integrated laser diode chip having a construction as a multiple beam laser diode, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate comprised of GaAs;

at least two laser stacks, which are arranged one above another on the semiconductor substrate and which each contain an active zone arranged between waveguide layers and the waveguide layers each adjoin a cladding layer at a side remote from the active zone,

wherein at least one of the waveguide layers or cladding layers of at least one laser stack, comprises Al_xGa_1-xAs, where 0≦

x≦

1, and at least one additional element from main group III or V, such that the lattice mismatch between the at least one waveguide layer or cladding layer comprising the at least one additional element and the semiconductor substrate composed of GaAs is reduced;

wherein the lattice constant of the at least one waveguide layer or cladding layer is reduced by the at least one additional element; and

wherein the at least one waveguide layer or cladding layer is directly adjacent to the semiconductor substrate.

2. The laser diode chip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one additional element is P, N, In or Sb.

3. The laser diode chip as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one waveguide layer and at least one cladding layer or at least two waveguide layers or at least two cladding layers comprise AlxGa1-xAs, where 0≦

x≦

1, and the at least one additional element.

4. The laser diode chip as claimed in claim 3, wherein at least one waveguide layer and at least one cladding layer or at least two waveguide layers or at least two cladding layers comprise the at least one additional element in different concentrations.

5. The laser diode chip as claimed in claim 1, wherein each waveguide layer and each cladding layer of at least one laser stack contain AlxGa1-xAs, where 0 ≦

x≦

1, and the at least one additional element.

6. The laser diode chip as claimed in claim 1, wherein each waveguide layer and each cladding layer of each laser stack contain AlxGa1-xAs, where 0≦

x≦

1, and the at least one additional element.

7. The laser diode chip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one additional element within the at least one waveguide layer or cladding layer varies spatially in terms of its concentration.

8. The laser diode chip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one waveguide layer or cladding layer comprises at least one further additional element from main group III or V.

9. The laser diode chip as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least one waveguide layer or cladding layer contains InAlGaAsP, InAlGaAsPSb or AlGaAsPSb.

10. The laser diode chip as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one further waveguide layer or cladding layer comprises AlxGa1-xAs, where 0≦

x≦

1, and at least one further element from main group III or V, such that the lattice mismatch between the at least one further waveguide layer or cladding layer comprising the at least one further element and the semiconductor substrate composed of GaAs is reduced.

11. The laser diode chip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one waveguide layer or cladding layer comprising the at least one additional element and the semiconductor substrate composed of GaAs have the same lattice constant.

12. The laser diode chip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one additional element is an element from main group V, wherein the proportion of the additional element among the elements of main group V in the at least one waveguide layer or cladding layer is at most 15%.

13. The laser diode chip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one additional element is an element from main group III, wherein the proportion of the additional element among the elements of main group III in the at least one waveguide layer or cladding layer is at most 15%.

14. The laser diode chip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the laser stacks are connected to one another by tunnel junctions.