VCSEL having thermal management

• US 7,075,962 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2003
• Issued: 07/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: II-VI Delaware, Inc. (Coherent Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Finisar Corporation (II-VI Incorporated)
• Inventors: Liu, Yue, Ryou, Jae-Hyun, Ringle, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, Minsun Oh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tuan N.
• Application Number:
  US10/607,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20040264530A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 372/46, 372/43, 372/45, 372/75, 372/36, 372/50
• US Class Current: 372/46.011
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 2301/176 Specific passivation layers on surfaces other than the emission facet
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02461 Structure or details of the laser chip to manipulate the heat flow, e.g. passive layers in the chip with a low heat conductivity
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0282 Passivation layers or treatments
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/04254 characterised by the shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/04257 having positive and negative electrodes on the same side of the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18308 having a special structure for lateral current or light confinement
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18311 using selective oxidation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18341 Intra-cavity contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18369 based on dielectric materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18377 comprising layers of different kind of materials, e.g. combinations of semiconducting with dielectric or metallic layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/2063 obtained by particle bombardment

Abstract

A VCSEL structure having thermal management. The structure may be designed for conveyance of heat from the active layer primarily through one of the mirrors to a material that removes heat externally away from the structure. Thermal management may involve various configurations of heat removal for various VCSEL structures. The structures may be designed to effect such respective configurations for heat removal.

Claims

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

a substrate;

a first mirror situated on said substrate;

an active region situated on said first mirror;

a second mirror situated on said active region;

a first contact situated on a first portion of said second mirror;

a thermally conductive layer situated on a second portion of said second mirror;

and wherein said thermally conductive layer is thermally connected to said first contact.

2. The VCSEL of claim 1, further comprising a thermally conductive metal connected to said first contact.

3. The VCSEL of claim 2, wherein said substrate comprises InP.

4. The VCSEL of claim 1, further comprising a thermally conductive material connected to said thermally conductive cover.

5. The VCSEL of claim 4, wherein said top mirror comprises InP based material.

6. The VCSEL of claim 5, wherein said top mirror is designed for reflecting some radiation having a wavelength be 1200 and 1800 nanometers (nm).

7. The VCSEL of claim 6, wherein said thermally conductive cover comprises a material from a group of GaP, SiN, AlN, BN, SiC, diamond, and the like.

8. The VCSEL of claim 7, wherein said thermally conductive material comprises a material from a group of gold and like materials.

9. A VCSEL comprising:

a substrate;

a first mirror situated on said substrate;

an active region situated on said first mirror;

a second mirror situated on said active region;

a contact situated on a first portion of said second mirror;

a low thermal conductive covering situated on a second portion of said second mirror; and

a thermally conductive material connected to said contact.

10. The VCSEL of claim 9, wherein said substrate comprises InP.

11. The VCSEL of claim 10, wherein said first mirror comprises a material nearly lattice matched with the InP of said substrate.

12. The VCSEL of claim 11, wherein said thermally conductive material is for conducting heat from said second mirror via said contact.

13. The VCSEL of claim 12, wherein said thermally conductive material comprises material from a group of gold and other like materials.

14. The VCSEL of claim 13, wherein the VCSEL is for emitting a laser light having a wavelength between 1200 nm and 1800 nm.

15. The VCSEL of claim 12, wherein said contact comprises a thermally conductive material.

16. The VCSEL of claim 15, wherein said thermally conductive material is connected to a heat sink.

17. A VCSEL comprising:

a substrate;

a first semiconductor mirror situated on said substrate;

an active region situated on said first semiconductor mirror;

a second semiconductor mirror situated on said active region;

a dielectric mirror situated on said second semiconductor mirror;

a first contact situated on said second semiconductor mirror; and

a metal interconnect connected to said first contact and in contact with an edge of said dielectric mirror; and

wherein said dielectric mirror comprises thermally conductive material.

18. A VCSEL comprising:

a substrate;

a first mirror situated on said substrate;

an active region situated on said first mirror;

a second mirror situated on said active region; and

a thermally conductive material in contact with an edge of said second mirror;

a contact thermally connected to said thermally conductive material and

a thermally conductive layer that is thermally connected to said thermally conductive material and said second mirror.

19. The VCSEL of claim 18, wherein the contact is situated on said second mirror.

20. The VCSEL of claim 19, wherein said thermally conductive layer is situated on said second mirror.

21. The VCSEL of claim 20, further comprising a second thermally conductive material situated on said second mirror and said contact.

22. A vertical cavity surface emitting laser, comprising:

a substrate;

a first mirror situated on said substrate;

an active region situated on said first mirror;

a second mirror situated on said active region;

a contact situated on said second mirror; and

a thermally conductive structure arranged for thermal communication with the first mirror and the second mirror.