Mode Control in Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018041010-A1
Application number	US-201715677810-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 15, 2017
Priority date	Nov 6, 2014
Publication date	Feb 8, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a first distributed Bragg reflector, a second distributed Bragg reflector, an active region with an oxide aperture between the first and second distributed Bragg reflectors, and a dielectric layer, where a positioning of the dielectric layer with respect to the first and second distributed Bragg reflectors and the oxide aperture causes suppression of higher modes of the vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser device, comprising:
a first distributed Bragg reflector; a second distributed Bragg reflector; an active region with an oxide aperture between the first and second distributed Bragg reflectors; and a dielectric layer positioned above the second distributed Bragg reflector, wherein the dielectric layer does not have an opening therethrough, and wherein a positioning of the dielectric layer with respect to the first and second distributed Bragg reflectors and the oxide aperture causes suppression of higher modes of the vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser device.

2 . The vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser device of claim 1 , wherein a distal portion of the second distributed Bragg reflector includes a zinc diffusion region formed in a ring that is concentrically aligned with the oxide aperture, the distal portion being on an end of the second distributed Bragg reflector that is opposite to the active region.

3 . The vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser device of claim 2 , wherein a center portion of the ring of the zinc diffusion region is aligned with the dielectric layer, and wherein the dielectric layer comprises a diameter that is smaller than a corresponding diameter of the oxide aperture.

4 . The vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser device of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric layer comprises amorphous silicon.

5 . The vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser device of claim 1 , wherein a p-contact layer is disposed between the dielectric layer and the second distributed Bragg reflector.

6 . The vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser device of claim 1 , wherein a distal portion of the second distributed Bragg reflector includes a zinc diffusion region, the distal portion being on an end of the second distributed Bragg reflector that is opposite to the active region.

7 . The vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser device of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric layer is concentrically aligned with the oxide aperture.

8 . The vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser device of claim 7 , wherein the dielectric layer comprises a dimension smaller than a corresponding dimension of the second distributed Bragg reflector.

9 . The vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser device of claim 8 , wherein the dielectric layer has multiple layers of different dielectric material, wherein a first diameter of the dielectric layer is larger than a second diameter of the oxide aperture.

10 . The vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser device of claim 1 , wherein a distal portion of the second distributed Bragg reflector includes a zinc diffusion region formed in a ring that is concentrically aligned with the oxide aperture, the distal portion being on an end of the second distributed Bragg reflector that is opposite to the active region.

11 . A method of forming a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser device, the method comprising:
forming a first distributed Bragg reflector on a substrate, the first distributed Bragg reflector being an n-type distributed Bragg reflector; forming an active region on the first distributed Bragg reflector, the active region having an oxide aperture; forming a second distributed Bragg reflector on the active region, the second distributed Bragg reflector being a p-type distributed Bragg reflector; and forming a dielectric layer on the second distributed Bragg reflector, wherein the dielectric layer does not have an opening therethrough, and wherein a positioning of the dielectric layer with respect to the first and second distributed Bragg reflectors and the oxide aperture causes suppression of higher modes of the vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser device.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein a distal portion of the second distributed Bragg reflector includes a zinc diffusion region formed in a ring that is concentrically aligned with the oxide aperture, the distal portion being on an end of the second distributed Bragg reflector that is opposite to the active region.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein a center portion of the ring of the zinc diffusion region is aligned with the dielectric layer, and wherein the dielectric layer comprises a dimension that is larger than a corresponding dimension of the oxide aperture.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the dielectric layer comprises amorphous silicon.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the forming of the dielectric layer further comprises forming the dielectric layer without epitaxially growing an additional semiconductor layer.

16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the forming of the dielectric layer further comprises forming the dielectric layer without utilizing a precise etching process.

17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the forming of the dielectric layer further comprises forming the dielectric layer according to a pattern based on a function of the oxide aperture.

18 . A surface-emitting laser device, comprising:
a first distributed Bragg reflector; a second distributed Bragg reflector; an active region disposed between the first and second distributed Bragg reflectors and comprising an oxide aperture; and a dielectric layer positioned above the second distributed Bragg reflector, wherein the dielectric layer does not have an opening therethrough, and wherein a positioning of the dielectric layer and the opening with respect to the first and second distributed Bragg reflectors and the oxide aperture causes suppression of at least a first mode of the surface-emitting laser device.

19 . The surface-emitting laser device of claim 18 , wherein a distal portion of the second distributed Bragg reflector includes a zinc diffusion region formed in a ring that is concentrically aligned with the oxide aperture, the distal portion being on an end of the second distributed Bragg reflector that is opposite to the active region.

20 . The surface-emitting laser device of claim 19 , wherein a center portion of the ring of the zinc diffusion region is aligned with the dielectric layer.

Assignees

• Univ Illinois

Inventors

• Dallesasse John Michael
• Kesler Benjamin
• Obrien Jr Thomas

Classifications

• H01S2301/166

  Single transverse or lateral mode · CPC title

• H01S5/2072

  obtained by vacancy induced diffusion · CPC title

• H01S5/18394 Primary

  Apertures, e.g. defined by the shape of the upper electrode · CPC title

• H01S5/18369

  based on dielectric materials · CPC title

• H01S5/18333

  only above the active layer · CPC title