Semiconductor stripe laser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9673590-B2
Application number	US-201514704532-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 5, 2015
Priority date	Nov 28, 2012
Publication date	Jun 6, 2017
Grant date	Jun 6, 2017

Abstract

A semiconductor stripe laser has a first semiconductor region having a first conductivity type and a second semiconductor region having a different, second conductivity type. An active zone for generating laser radiation is located between the semiconductor regions. A stripe waveguide is formed in the second semiconductor region and is arranged to guide waves in a one-dimensional manner and is arranged for a current density of at least 0.5 kA/cm 2 . A second electrical contact is located on the second semiconductor region and on an electrical contact structure for external electrical contacting. An electrical passivation layer is provided in certain places on the stripe waveguide. A thermal insulation apparatus is located between the second electrical contact and the active zone and/or on the stripe waveguide.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A semiconductor stripe laser comprising:
a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type;
a second semiconductor region of a second conductivity type that is different than the first conductivity type;
an active zone configured to generate laser radiation, the active zone located between the first semiconductor region and the second semiconductor region;
a stripe waveguide formed in the second semiconductor region, arranged to guide waves in a one-dimensional manner, and arranged for a current density of at least 0.5 kA/cm 2 ;
a first electrical contact on the first semiconductor region;
a second electrical contact located between the second semiconductor region and an electrical contact structure for external electrical contacting of the semiconductor stripe laser;
an electrical passivation layer provided in certain places on the stripe waveguide; and
a thermal insulation apparatus located between the second electrical contact and the active zone, wherein the thermal insulation apparatus is realized by a narrow portion in the stripe waveguide so that a temperature on the second electrical contact is increased during operation, wherein a width of the stripe waveguide in the narrowed portion amounts at most to 80 percent of a total width of the stripe waveguide, wherein a top face of the stripe waveguide is broader than the narrowed portion when seen in a sectional view, and wherein the stripe waveguide forms an I-shape when seen in the sectional view.

2. The semiconductor stripe laser according to claim 1 , wherein a thermal insulation layer is applied in a region of the narrowed portion.

3. The semiconductor stripe laser according to claim 2 , wherein the thermal insulation layer is formed from an electrically conductive oxide or nitride and is configured in a polycrystalline or amorphous manner.

4. The semiconductor stripe laser according to claim 3 , wherein the thermal insulation layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of indium-tin oxide, zinc oxide, fluorine-tin oxide, aluminum-zinc-oxide, antimony-zinc-oxide, titanium nitride, titanium-tungsten-nitride, and titanium-oxynitride and combinations thereof.

5. The semiconductor stripe laser according to claim 2 , wherein the thermal insulation layer is formed from an electrically conductive polymer, an electrically conductive resin, a synthetic resin having an electrically conductive metallic adjunct, or a poorly thermally conductive metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, titanium, platinum, bismuth, indium or antimony.

6. The semiconductor stripe laser according to claim 2 , wherein the thermal insulation layer has a constant thickness in the region of the narrowed portion.

7. The semiconductor stripe laser according to claim 2 , wherein the thermal insulation layer has an enlarged thickness in the region of the narrowed portion so that the stripe waveguide together with the thermal insulation layer has a rectangular shape when seen in a cross-sectional view.

8. The semiconductor stripe laser according to claim 2 ,
wherein the thermal insulation layer is formed by a layer stack, and
wherein layers of the layer stack are each formed from an oxide or nitride.

9. The semiconductor stripe laser according to claim 2 , wherein the thermal insulation layer completely extends between second electrical contact and the electrical contact structure for external electrical contacting of the semiconductor stripe laser with the second electrical contact, the second electrical contact being formed from a metal or a metal alloy.

10. The semiconductor stripe laser according to claim 1 ,
wherein the narrow portion is located between the active zone and the second electrical contact and formed by material being removed from the second semiconductor region, and
wherein the narrowed portion extends longitudinally of a main emission direction along the stripe waveguide.

11. The semiconductor stripe laser according to claim 1 ,
wherein, in a region of the narrowed portion, lateral surfaces of the stripe waveguide are oriented perpendicular to the active zone, the lateral surfaces being connected by further surfaces with remaining surfaces of the stripe waveguide outside the narrowed portion,
wherein the further surfaces run parallel with the active zone, and wherein a cross-section of the stripe waveguide remains constant along a z-direction.

12. The semiconductor stripe laser according to claim 1 , wherein a region directly on the second electrical contact and directly atop the narrowed portion has a thickness between 20 nm and 2 μm,
wherein the narrowed portion has a thickness between 10 nm and of 500 nm,
wherein a width of the narrowed portion is at least 100 nm and at most 60% of the total width of the stripe waveguide,
wherein a height of a base of the stripe waveguide below the narrowed portion is between 100 nm and 500 nm,
wherein a thickness of the second semiconductor region is between 40 nm and 400 nm, and
wherein a length of the stripe waveguide is between 600 nm and 2 mm.

13. The semiconductor stripe laser according to claim 1 , wherein the first semiconductor region, the second semiconductor region and the active zone are based on Al n In 1-n-m Ga m N, where 0≦n≦1, 0≦m≦1 and n+m≦1.

Assignees

• Osram Opto Semiconductors Gmbh

Inventors

• Avramescu Adrian Stefan
• Vierheilig Clemens
• Eichler Christoph
• Lell Alfred
• Mueller Jens

Classifications

• H01S5/04252

  characterised by the material · CPC title

• H01S5/04257

  having positive and negative electrodes on the same side of the substrate · CPC title

• H01S5/02461 Primary

  Structure or details of the laser chip to manipulate the heat flow, e.g. passive layers in the chip with a low heat conductivity · CPC title

• H10W72/5363

  the connected ends being wedge-shaped · CPC title

• H10W72/884

  Die-attach connectors and bond wires · CPC title