Monolithic integrated optoelectronic semiconductor component and process for manufacturing the same

US5889902A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Alcatel Alsthom Compagnie Generale d'Electricite · FR

Inventors

• Gert Laube · Stuttgart, DE
• Michael Schilling · Stuttgart, DE
• Klaus Wunstel · Schwieberdingen, DE
• Wilfried Idler · Asperg, DE
• Karin Grosskopf · Oberriexingen, DE
• Eugen Lach · Erbach, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 14, 1997
• Grant date: Mar 30, 1999
• Expiry date: Feb 14, 2017

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01S5/509
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An integrated optoelectronic semiconductor component is presented, which can equally process light signals of any polarization direction. Such semiconductor components are used for digital optical telecommunications. The semiconductor component has active (A) and passive (B) waveguide sections, which comprise a number of semiconductor layers (SP) with so-called multiple quantum well structures. The semiconductor layers (SP) are deposited by a process known as selective area growth (SAG). A portion of the semiconductor layers has a lattice constant which is smaller than the lattice constant of a substrate (SUB). This creates a biaxial tensile strain in these layers. The tensile strain is optimized in the active waveguide sections (A) to attain polarization independence. Furthermore a process is described whereby such a semiconductor component can be manufactured.