Integrated laser diodes with quality facets on GaN substrates

• US 8,767,787 B1
• Filed: 07/11/2012
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera SLD Laser Incorporated (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Soraa Laser Diode, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Raring, James W., Feezell, Daniel F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Park, Kinam
• Application Number:
  US13/546,943
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 372/44.011, 372/43.01, 372/93, 372/99
• US Class Current: 372/44.011
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 2301/14 Semiconductor lasers with special structural design for lasing in a specific polarisation mode
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 2301/176 Specific passivation layers on surfaces other than the emission facet
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 2304/04 MOCVD or MOVPE
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0202 Cleaving
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0206 Substrates, e.g. growth, shape, material, removal or bonding; specific crystal orientation H01S5/3202
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/101 Curved waveguide H01S5/1243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/22 having a ridge or stripe structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/2201 in a specific crystallographic orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/320275 semi-polar orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/34333 with a well layer based on Ga(In)N or Ga(In)P, e.g. blue laser
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4031 Edge-emitting structures

Abstract

A laser diode device operable at a one or more wavelength ranges. The device has a first waveguide provided on a non-polar or semipolar crystal plane of gallium containing material. In a specific embodiment, the first waveguide has a first gain characteristic and a first direction. In a specific embodiment, the first waveguide has a first end and a second end and a first length defined between the first end and the second end. The device has a second waveguide provided on a non-polar or semipolar crystal plane of gallium containing material. In a specific embodiment, the second waveguide has a second gain characteristic and a second direction. In a specific embodiment, the second waveguide has a first end, a second end, and a second length defined between the first end and the second end.

Claims

1. A laser diode device on a gallium and nitrogen semipolar substrate, the laser diode device comprising:

a first waveguide section provided on the semipolar substrate extending in a projection of a c-direction, the first waveguide section having a first gain and loss characteristic and having a first end and a second end;

a second waveguide section provided on the semipolar substrate and is substantially perpendicular to the first waveguide section and extending in an m-direction, the second waveguide section having a second gain and loss characteristic and extending between the first end of the first waveguide section and a first m-face facet, which is substantially perpendicular to the m-direction; and

a total internal reflector surface configured at the first end of the first waveguide section to transmit light between the first waveguide section and the second waveguide section, the first waveguide section being configured in a perpendicular orientation to the second waveguide section.

2. The laser diode device as in claim 1 further comprising a third waveguide section provided on the semipolar substrate and is substantially perpendicular to the first waveguide section and extending in the m-direction, the third waveguide section having a third gain and loss characteristic approximately equivalent to the second gain and loss characteristic of the second waveguide section and the third waveguide section extending between the second end of the first waveguide section and a second m-face facet, which is substantially perpendicular to the m-direction.

3. The laser diode device as in claim 1 wherein the total internal reflector surface is configured at the second end of the first waveguide section to transmit essentially all light between the first waveguide section and the third waveguide section, the first waveguide section is configured in a perpendicular manner to the second waveguide section.

4. The laser diode device as in claim 2 wherein the first m-face facet is parallel to the second m-face facet and is spaced apart by approximately a width of the semipolar substrate.

5. The laser diode device as in claim 2 wherein the first m-face facet and the second m-face facet are in a common plane.

6. The laser diode device as in claim 2 further comprising a fourth waveguide, a fifth waveguide, and a sixth waveguide formed on the nonpolar or semipolar substrate, the fourth waveguide being configured parallel to the first waveguide and extending in the projection of the c-direction, the fifth waveguide being configured parallel to the second waveguide and extending in the m-direction, and the sixth waveguide being configured parallel to the third waveguide and extending in the m-direction.

7. The laser diode device as in claim 6 wherein:

the fourth waveguide and the fifth waveguide are coupled by a third total internal reflection surface to transmit essentially all light between the fourth waveguide and the fifth waveguide; and

the fourth waveguide and the sixth waveguide are coupled by a fourth total internal reflection surface to transmit essentially all light between the fourth waveguide and the sixth waveguide.

8. The laser diode device of claim 1 wherein the first gain characteristic is larger than the second gain characteristic.

9. The laser diode device of claim 1 wherein the first end and the second end are separated by at least about 100 microns.

10. The laser diode device of claim 1 wherein the first end and the second end are separated by at least about 400 microns.

11. The laser diode device of claim 1 wherein the first end and the first m-face facet are separated by at least about 5 microns.

12. The laser diode device of claim 1 wherein the first end and the first m-face facet are separated by at least about 50 microns.

13. The laser diode device of claim 1 wherein the semipolar surface orientation is (11−

22).

14. The laser diode device of claim 1 wherein the first waveguide section extends in a [−

1−

1 2 3] direction.

15. The laser diode device of claim 1 wherein the semipolar surface orientation is selected from (2 0−

2

     1), (2 0−

2−

1), (3 0−

3

     1), and (3 0−

3−

1).

16. The laser diode device of claim 15 where the semipolar surface orientation is characterized by an offcut of the orientation.

17. The laser diode device of claim 1 wherein the m-face facet has a surface roughness of less than about 5 nm or less than 10 nm.

18. A method for fabricating a laser diode device comprising:

providing a gallium and nitrogen containing substrate having a surface region characterized by a semipolar surface orientation; and

forming a multi-directional waveguide structure having at least a first waveguide region configured in a projection of a c-direction on a semipolar substrate, a second waveguide region coupled to the first waveguide region by a first surface, the second waveguide region extending in an m-direction from the first surface to a first m-face facet.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the semipolar surface orientation is (1 1−

2

     2), and further comprising a third waveguide region coupled to the first waveguide region by a second surface having total internal reflection, the third waveguide region extending in the m-direction from the second surface to a second m-face facet.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the first waveguide section extends in a [−

1−

1 2 3] direction.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein the semipolar surface orientation is selected from one of (2 0−

2

     1), (2 0−

2−

1), (3 0−

3

     1), (3 0−

3−

1);

wherein the first surface has a total internal reflectors (TIR) characteristic.

22. The method of claim 21 where the semipolar surface orientation is characterized by an offcut of the orientation.