Self-mixing interference device for sensing applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11549799-B2
Application number	US-202016913645-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2020
Priority date	Jul 1, 2019
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

Disclosed herein are self-mixing interferometry (SMI) sensors, such as may include vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) diodes and resonance cavity photodetectors (RCPDs). Structures for the VCSEL diodes and RCPDs are disclosed. In some embodiments, a VCSEL diode and an RCPD are laterally adjacent and formed from a common set of semiconductor layers epitaxially formed on a common substrate. In some embodiments, a first and a second VCSEL diode are laterally adjacent and formed from a common set of semiconductor layers epitaxially formed on a common substrate, and an RCPD is formed on the second VCSEL diode. In some embodiments, a VCSEL diode may include two quantum well layers, with a tunnel junction layer between them. In some embodiments, an RCPD may be vertically integrated with a VCSEL diode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A self-mixing interferometry (SMI) sensor, comprising:
a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) diode; and
a resonant cavity photodetector (RCPD) laterally adjacent to the VCSEL diode; wherein:
the RCPD includes a first set of semiconductor layers formed on a common substrate;
the first set of semiconductor layers include a first active region layer positioned between a first emission side distributed Bragg reflector and a first based side distributed Bragg reflector;
the VCSEL diode includes a second set of semiconductor layers formed on the first set of semiconductor layers; and
the second set of semiconductor layers includes:
a second active region layer positioned between a second emission side distributed Bragg reflector and a second base side distributed Bragg reflector;
a third active region layer; and
a tunnel junction layer between the second active region layer and the third active region layer.

2. The SMI sensor of claim 1 , wherein:
the VCSEL diode and the RCPD include a common set of semiconductor layers formed on the common substrate;
the second set of semiconductor layers comprise an etch stop layer adjacent to the common set of semiconductor layers; and
a bias supply electrical contact is connected to a layer of the second set of semiconductor layers farthest from the common set of semiconductor layers.

3. The SMI sensor of claim 2 , wherein the second set of semiconductor layers are formed on the common set of semiconductor layers.

4. The SMI sensor of claim 1 , wherein:
the VCSEL diode is configured to emit a laser light under forward bias and undergo self-mixing interference caused by first reflections or backscatters of the emitted laser light from an object, the self-mixing interference altering a property of the emitted laser light;
the RCPD is configured to be reverse biased during emission of the laser light by the VCSEL diode and receive second reflections or backscatters of the emitted laser light from the object; and
the RCPD produces a measurable parameter related to the altered property of the emitted laser light.

5. The SMI sensor of claim 4 , further comprising:
processing circuitry configured to:
measure the measurable parameter produced by the RCPD; and
determine at least one of a displacement or a motion of the object using at least the measured parameter.

6. The SMI sensor of claim 4 , wherein the VCSEL diode is configured to emit the laser light with a natural wavelength of 940 nanometers.

7. The SMI sensor of claim 1 , wherein the first active region layer within the RCPD is doped to have a narrower band gap than the active region layer within the VCSEL diode.

8. A self-mixing interferometry (SMI) sensor, comprising:
a first vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) diode;
a second VCSEL diode laterally adjacent to the first VCSEL diode; and
a resonant cavity photodetector (RCPD); wherein:
the first VCSEL diode and the second VCSEL diode include a common set of semiconductor layers formed on a common substrate;
the common set of semiconductor layers includes:
a first active region layer;
a second active region layer; and
a tunnel junction layer between the first active region layer and the second active region layer;

the first VCSEL diode and the second VCSEL diode are at least partially separated by a trench extending at least partially through the common set of semiconductor layers; and
the RCPD is positioned vertically adjacent to the second VCSEL diode on a side of the second VCSEL diode opposite to the common substrate.

9. The SMI sensor of claim 8 , wherein:
the first VCSEL diode is configured to emit a laser light while forward biased and undergo self-mixing interference caused by receiving first reflections or backscatters from an object, the self-mixing interference altering a property of the emitted laser light;
the RCPD and the second VCSEL diode are configured to be reverse biased during emission of the laser light by the first VCSEL diode;
the RCPD is configured to receive second reflections or backscatters of the emitted laser light from the object; and
the altered property of the emitted laser light is detectable using a measured parameter of the RCPD.

10. The SMI sensor of claim 8 , wherein the RCPD comprises a junction layer containing a first semiconductor material different from a second semiconductor.

11. The SMI sensor of claim 10 , wherein the first semiconductor material of the junction layer of the RCPD is Indium Gallium Arsenide.

12. The SMI sensor of claim 8 , further comprising an etch stop layer between the RCPD and the second VCSEL diode.

13. The SMI sensor of claim 8 , wherein the first VCSEL diode is configured to emit laser light with a natural wavelength of 940 nanometers.

14. The SMI sensor of claim 8 , wherein the tunnel junction layer comprises a first sublayer comprising a highly doped n-type semiconductor and a second sublayer comprising a highly doped p-type semiconductor.

15. The SMI sensor of claim 8 , wherein:
the first VCSEL diode has an emission side distributed Bragg reflector with a reflectance of less than 99.0%.

16. The SMI sensor of claim 8 , wherein:
the RCPD comprises an emission side distributed Bragg reflector and a base side distributed Bragg reflector; and
the emission side distributed Bragg reflector has fewer Bragg pairs than the base side distributed Bragg reflector.

17. A self-mixing interferometry (SMI) sensor, comprising:
a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) diode; and
a resonant cavity photodetector (RCPD) vertically adjacent to the VCSEL diode;
wherein:
the VCSEL diode comprises a first set of semiconductor layers formed on a substrate, the first set of semiconductor layers comprising:
a first active region layer positioned between a second emission side distributed Bragg reflector and a second base side distributed Bragg reflector;
a second active region layer; and
a tunnel junction layer between the first active region layer and the second active region layer;

the RCPD comprises a second set of semiconductor layers formed on the first set of semiconductor layers opposite to the substrate;
the VCSEL diode is configured to emit laser light when forward biased and undergo self-mixing interference upon reception of reflections or backscatters of the emitted laser light from an object, the self-mixing interference altering a property of the emitted laser light; and
the RCPD is configured to be reverse biased during emission of the laser light by the VCSEL diode and detect the alteration in the property of the emitted laser light.

18. The SMI sensor of claim 17 , further comprising an etch stop layer between the first set of semiconductor layers and the second set of semiconductor layers.

19. The SMI sensor of claim 17 , wherein the VCSEL diode is configured to emit the laser light with a natural wavelength of 940 nanometers.

20. The SMI sensor of claim 17 , wherein the VCSEL diode additionally comprises a forward biased quantum well to emit light.

21. The SMI sensor of claim 17 , wherein the RCPD additionally comprises a reverse biased quantum well to absorb light.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Tan Fei
• Laflaquiere Arnaud
• Lin Chin Han
• Lyon Keith
• Drader Marc A
• Li Weiping

Classifications

• H01S5/0262

  Photo-diodes, e.g. transceiver devices, bidirectional devices (H01S5/0265 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01S5/3432

  the whole junction comprising only (AI)GaAs · CPC title

• G01B11/026

  by measuring distance between sensor and object (G01B11/0608 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01S17/34

  using transmission of continuous, frequency-modulated waves while heterodyning the received signal, or a signal derived therefrom, with a locally-generated signal related to the contemporaneously transmitted signal · CPC title

• G01S7/4916 Primary

  using self-mixing in the laser cavity · CPC title