Multibeam arrays of optoelectronic devices for high frequency operation

• US 8,848,757 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2011
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lumentum Operations, LLC (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TriLumina Corp
• Inventors: Joseph, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Stultz, Jessica T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN N
• Application Number:
  US13/077,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20110176567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,279 Days
• Field of Search: 372/35, 372/50.124, 372/50.12, 372/45.01, 372/43.01, 372/75
• US Class Current: 372/50.12
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 2301/176 Specific passivation layers on surfaces other than the emission facet
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0014 Measuring characteristics or properties thereof measuring techniques per se G01J, G01K, G01N, G01R
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/005 Optical components external to the laser cavity, specially adapted therefor, e.g. for homogenisation or merging of the beams or for manipulating laser pulses, e.g. pulse shaping H01S5/026, H01S5/18388 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0234 Up-side down mountings, e.g. Flip-chip, epi-side down mountings or junction down mountings
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02345 Wire-bonding
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0237 by soldering
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02469 Passive cooling, e.g. where heat is removed by the housing as a whole or by a heat pipe without any active cooling element like a TEC
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/06226 Modulation at ultra-high frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18311 using selective oxidation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18347 Mesa comprising active layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/423 having a vertical cavity

Abstract

A VCSEL array device formed of a monolithic array of raised VCSELs on an electrical contact and raised inactive regions connected to the electrical contact. The VCSELs can be spaced symmetrically or asymmetrically, in a manner to improve power or speed, or in phase and in parallel. The VCSELs include an active region positioned between two mirrors generating a pulsed light operating at a frequency of at least 1 GHz. The VCSELs having an output power of at least 120 mW. The raised VCSELs and raised inactive regions are positioned between the electrical contact and an electrical waveguide.

Claims

1. A high frequency VCSEL array device, comprising:

two or more VCSEL devices sharing a common electrical contact and connected in parallel, each VCSEL device among the two or more VCSEL devices forming a first mesa on the common electrical contact, each first mesa including a dielectric layer positioned on a sidewall of each first mesa and in contact with the common electrical contact, a first mirror, a first metal contact, and an active region positioned between the first metal contact and the first minor, the active region being in electrical contact with the first metal contact and generating a light reflected between the first mirror and a second mirror;

a ground plane partially surrounding the two or more VCSEL devices;

an electrical waveguide;

one or more raised areas including a second metal contact electrically connected to the common electrical contact and to the electrical waveguide; and

a metal structure deposited over one or more of the two or more VCSEL devices, electrically connected to the first metal contact, electrically isolated from the common electrical contact, and in contact with the electrical waveguide.

2. The high frequency VCSEL array device as recited in claim 1, wherein the metal structure is a heat sink.

3. The high frequency VCSEL array device as recited in claim 2, wherein the second metal contact is electrically connected to the ground plane without wire bonding.

4. The high frequency VCSEL array device as recited in claim 1, wherein the two or more VCSEL devices further include a containment region reducing capacitance within the first mesa.

5. The high frequency VCSEL array device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a set of lenses positioned over the two or more VCSEL devices.

6. The high frequency VCSEL array device as recited in claim 5, wherein each lens in the set of lenses is positioned over each VCSEL device of the two or more VCSEL devices by an offset distance necessary to direct the light to one or more locations.

7. The high frequency VCSEL array device as recited in claim 1, wherein the high frequency VCSEL array device is used as an emitter for data communication.

8. The high frequency VCSEL array device as recited in claim 7, wherein the data communication occurs within an optical fiber.

9. The high frequency VCSEL array device as recited in claim 7, wherein the data communication occurs within an optical free space.

10. The high frequency VCSEL array device as recited in claim 1, wherein the high frequency VCSEL array device is used as a short pulse emitter for material processing.

11. The high frequency VCSEL array device as recited in claim 1, wherein the high frequency VCSEL array device is used as a short pulse emitter for an optical pump.

12. The high frequency VCSEL array device as recited in claim 1, wherein the high frequency VCSEL array device is used as a pulsed emitter for laser detection and ranging.

13. The high frequency VCSEL array device as recited in claim 1, wherein the high frequency VCSEL array device is used as a pulsed emitter for light detection and ranging.

14. The high frequency VCSEL array device as recited in claim 1, wherein the high frequency VCSEL array device is used in a beam steering device.

15. The high frequency VCSEL array device as recited in claim 1, wherein the high frequency VCSEL array device is used in an illuminating device for imaging applications.

16. A high frequency VCSEL array device, comprising:

two or more raised VCSEL devices on a common electrical contact and connected in parallel, each of the two or more raised VCSEL devices including an active region positioned between a first mirror and a second mirror, the active region generating a pulsed or modulated light with a frequency component of at least 1 GHz, the pulsed or modulated light being reflected between the first mirror and the second mirror, the two or more raised VCSEL devices having an optical power of at least 30 mW, each raised VCSEL device forming a first mesa on the common electrical contact, each first mesa including a dielectric layer positioned on a sidewall of each first mesa and in contact with the common electrical contact, the first mirror, a first metal contact, and the active region positioned between the first metal contact and the first mirror;

a ground plane partially surrounding the two or more VCSEL devices;

one or more raised inactive regions connected to the common electrical contact; and

an electrical waveguide in contact with the two or more raised VCSEL devices and the one or more raised inactive regions such that the two or more raised VCSEL devices and the one or more raised inactive regions are positioned between the electrical waveguide and the common electrical contact.

17. The high frequency VCSEL array device as recited in claim 16, further comprising a set of lenses positioned over the two or more raised VCSEL devices.

18. The high frequency VCSEL array device as recited in claim 17, wherein each lens in the set of lenses is positioned over each raised VCSEL device of the two or more raised VCSEL devices by an offset distance necessary to direct the light to one or more locations.

19. The high frequency VCSEL array device as recited in claim 16, wherein the high frequency VCSEL array device is used as an emitter for data communication.

20. The high frequency VCSEL array device as recited in claim 19, wherein the data communication occurs within an optical fiber.

21. The high frequency VCSEL array device as recited in claim 19, wherein the data communication occurs within an optical free space.

22. The high frequency VCSEL array device as recited in claim 16, wherein the high frequency VCSEL array device is used as a short pulse emitter for material processing.

23. The high frequency VCSEL array device as recited in claim 16, wherein the high frequency VCSEL array device is used as a short pulse emitter for an optical pump.

24. The high frequency VCSEL array device as recited in claim 16, wherein the high frequency VCSEL array device is used as a pulsed emitter for laser detection and ranging.

25. The high frequency VCSEL array device as recited in claim 16, wherein the high frequency VCSEL array device is used as a pulsed emitter for light detection and ranging.

26. The high frequency VCSEL array device as recited in claim 16, wherein the high frequency VCSEL array device is used in a beam steering device.

27. The high frequency VCSEL array device as recited in claim 16, wherein the high frequency VCSEL array device is used in an illuminating device for imaging applications.

28. A high frequency VCSEL array device, comprising:

two or more VCSEL devices sharing a common electrical contact and connected in parallel, each VCSEL device among the two or more VCSEL devices forming a first mesa on the common electrical contact, each first mesa including a first side in contact with the common electrical contact, a first mirror, a first metal contact, a containment region produced by a metal layer encasing the first mesa reducing capacitance within the first mesa, and an active region positioned between the first metal contact and the first mirror, the active region being in electrical contact with the first metal contact and generating a pulsed or modulated light with a frequency component of at least 1 GHz being reflected between the first mirror and a second mirror, the two or more raised VCSEL devices having an optical power of at least 30 mW;

a ground plane partially surrounding the two or more VCSEL devices;

an electrical waveguide;

one or more raised areas including a second metal contact electrically connected to the common electrical contact and to the electrical waveguide.