Patent · US Expired

Buried heterostructure with aluminum-free active layer and method of making same

US6011811A · kind A · utility

14Cited by
12References
48Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 26, 1997
Grant dateJan 4, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 26, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01S2301/173
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An epitaxially grown semiconductor heterostructure has an inner region (5) which is substantially laterally confined by confinement regions (9) and has enhanced transverse confinement by enhanced transverse confinement layers (3, 7). The latter layers are not exposed outside the growth chamber during processing, by stopping the etching for producing the lateral confinement, above the lower enhanced transverse confinement layer (3) and growing such an upper layer (7) after making the lateral confinement regions (9). The structure is intended to be used in particular having the inner region act as an active laser region, for instance in InP-based 1.3 .mu.m wavelength lasers. Then the simultaneous lateral confinement, enhanced transverse confinement and exposure protection enables simultaneously a low threshold current, a small temperature sensitivity and reliable, long life operation. The enhanced transverse confinement layers (3, 7) could comprise aluminium protected from oxidation during processing. Such a laser will then be protected from a declined reliability.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.