Vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) device and method of making the same

US11721952B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• MELLANOX TECHNOLOGIES, LTD. · IL

Inventors

• Itshak Kalifa · Ramat Gan, IL
• Elad Mentovich · Tel Aviv-Yafo, IL
• Vladimir Iakovlev · Yoqneam Illit, IL
• Yuri Berk · Kiryat Tivon, IL
• Tamir Sharkaz · Kfar Tavor, IL

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 24, 2020
• Grant date: Aug 8, 2023
• Expiry date: Mar 24, 2040

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01S5/34
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A VCSEL includes an active region between a top distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) and a bottom DBR each having alternating GaAs and AlGaAs layers. The active region includes quantum wells (QW) confined between top and bottom GaAs-containing current-spreading layers (CSL), an aperture layer having an optical aperture and a tunnel junction layer above the QW. A GaAs intermediate layer configured to have an open top air gap is disposed over a boundary layer of the active region and the top DBR. The air gap is made wider than the optical aperture and has a height equal to one quarter of VCSEL's emission wavelength in air. The top DBR is attached to the intermediate layer by applying wafer bonding techniques. VCSEL output, the air gap, and the optical aperture are aligned on the same optical axis. The bottom DBR is epitaxially grown on a silicon or a GaAs substrate.