Compact emitter design for a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11437784-B2
Application number	US-202016797600-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2020
Priority date	Feb 23, 2016
Publication date	Sep 6, 2022
Grant date	Sep 6, 2022

Abstract

A surface emitting laser may include an isolation layer including a first center portion and a first plurality of outer portions extending from the first center portion, and a metal layer including a second center portion and a second plurality of outer portions extending from the second center portion. The metal layer may be formed on the isolation layer such that a first outer portion, of the second plurality of outer portions, is formed over one of the first plurality of outer portions. The surface emitting laser may include a passivation layer including a plurality of openings. An opening may be formed over the first outer portion. The surface emitting laser may include a plurality of oxidation trenches. An oxidation trench may be positioned at least partially between the first outer portion and a second outer portion of the second plurality of outer portions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), comprising:
an isolation layer including a plurality of extended portions along an outer perimeter of the isolation layer;
a dielectric via opening formed on a dielectric layer; and
an oxidation trench being:
positioned along a portion of the outer perimeter of the isolation layer, and
positioned at least partially between a first extended portion of the plurality of extended portions and a second extended portion of the plurality of extended portions.

2. The VCSEL of claim 1 , wherein the oxidation trench is interdigitized with the plurality of extended portions.

3. The VCSEL of claim 1 , wherein the oxidation trench is not shared with a different VCSEL.

4. The VCSEL of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric via opening includes a plurality of connected dielectric via opening portions.

5. The VCSEL of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of connected dielectric via opening portions are connected via at least one arcuate segment between two or more oxidation trenches.

6. The VCSEL of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of connected dielectric via opening portions form a full ring-shape.

7. The VCSEL of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of connected dielectric via opening portions form a partial ring-shape.

8. The VCSEL of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of extended portions along the outer perimeter of the isolation layer are shaped as a cog wheel shape.

9. The VCSEL of claim 1 , further comprising a metal layer formed on the isolation layer.

10. The VCSEL of claim 9 , wherein a radius, associated with the isolation layer, is less than or equal to a radius associated with the metal layer.

11. The VCSEL of claim 1 , further comprising:
an optical aperture to emit a laser beam; and
an oxidation aperture formed by an oxidation layer.

12. The VCSEL of claim 11 , wherein the oxidation layer is located below the optical aperture.

13. The VCSEL of claim 11 , wherein the oxidation trench includes one or more openings that allow oxygen to access an epitaxial layer from which the oxidation layer is formed.

14. The VCSEL of claim 1 , further comprising:
a passivation layer that includes a plurality of openings,
wherein a metal layer is located in each of the plurality of openings.

15. The VCSEL of claim 1 , where the oxidation trench is formed in an irregular shape.

16. The VCSEL of claim 1 , wherein the VCSEL is one of a plurality of VCSELs and the plurality of VCSELs are part of a laser array.

17. The VCSEL of claim 16 , wherein the laser array is a non-grid VCSEL array.

Assignees

• Lumentum Operations Llc

Inventors

• Barve Ajit Vijay
• Yuen Albert

Classifications

• H01S5/2063

  obtained by particle bombardment · CPC title

• H01S5/423

  having a vertical cavity · CPC title

• H01S2301/176

  Specific passivation layers on surfaces other than the emission facet · CPC title

• H01S5/183 Primary

  having only vertical cavities, e.g. vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers [VCSEL] · CPC title

• H01S5/18369

  based on dielectric materials · CPC title