Semiconductor laser and method of fabricating the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9231372-B2
Application number	US-201414279839-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2014
Priority date	Nov 28, 2013
Publication date	Jan 5, 2016
Grant date	Jan 5, 2016

Abstract

Provided is a method of fabricating a semiconductor laser. The method includes: providing a semiconductor substrate including a first region and a second region; forming a silicon single crystal layer in the second region of the semiconductor substrate by using a selective epitaxial growth process; forming an optical coupler by using the silicon single crystal layer; and forming a laser core structure including a germanium single crystal layer in the first region of the semiconductor substrate by using a selective epitaxial growth process.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of fabricating a semiconductor laser, the method comprising:
providing a semiconductor substrate including a first region and a second region;
forming a silicon single crystal layer in the second region of the semiconductor substrate by using a selective epitaxial growth process;
forming an optical coupler by using the silicon single crystal layer; and
forming a laser core structure including a germanium single crystal layer in the first region of the semiconductor substrate by using a selective epitaxial growth process,
wherein the semiconductor substrate comprises a silicon substrate, an upper silicon layer on the silicon substrate, and a buried oxide layer between the silicon substrate and the upper silicon layer,
wherein forming the optical coupler by using the silicon single crystal layer comprises:
forming an upper optical coupler by dry etching the silicon single crystal layer; and
forming a lower optical coupler by dry etching the upper silicon layer of the second region, and

wherein the upper optical coupler and the lower optical coupler are formed to overlap each other in a plan view.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming an optical waveguide by dry etching the upper silicon layer of the second region,
wherein the lower optical coupler and the optical waveguide are formed simultaneously.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein one end of the upper optical coupler and one end of the lower optical coupler are formed in a tapered shape in a plan view and the one end of the lower optical coupler is connected to the optical waveguide.

4. A method of fabricating a semiconductor laser, the method comprising:
providing a semiconductor substrate including a first region and a second region;
forming a silicon single crystal layer in the second region of the semiconductor substrate by using a selective epitaxial growth process;
forming an optical coupler by using the silicon single crystal layer; and
forming a laser core structure including a germanium single crystal layer in the first region of the semiconductor substrate by using a selective epitaxial growth process,
wherein the semiconductor substrate comprises a silicon substrate, an upper silicon layer on the silicon substrate, and a buried oxide layer between the silicon substrate and the upper silicon layer,
wherein forming the optical coupler by using the silicon single crystal layer comprises:
forming an upper optical coupler by wet etching the silicon single crystal layer; and
forming a lower optical coupler by dry etching the upper silicon layer of the second region, and

wherein the upper optical coupler and the lower optical coupler are formed to overlap each other in a plan view.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising forming an optical waveguide by dry etching the upper silicon layer of the second region,
wherein the lower optical coupler and the optical waveguide are formed simultaneously.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein one end of the upper optical coupler and one end of the lower optical coupler are formed in a tapered shape in a plan view, and the one end of the lower optical coupler is connected to the optical waveguide.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the one end of the upper optical coupler is formed in a tapered shape from the vertical viewpoint.

Assignees

• Korea Electronics Telecomm

Inventors

• Kim In Gyoo
• Kim Sang Hoon
• Park Jaegyu
• Kim Gyungock
• Jang Ki Seok

Classifications

• G02B6/122

  Basic optical elements, e.g. light-guiding paths · CPC title

• H01S2304/00

  Special growth methods for semiconductor lasers · CPC title

• H01S5/3223

  IV compounds · CPC title

• G02B2006/12147

  Coupler · CPC title

• H01S5/026

  Monolithically integrated components, e.g. waveguides, monitoring photo-detectors, drivers (stabilisation of output H01S5/06) · CPC title