Mode control in vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9742154-B2
Application number	US-201514933716-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2015
Priority date	Nov 6, 2014
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

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 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 the dielectric layer has an opening therethrough.

3. The vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser device of claim 2 , wherein the opening of the dielectric layer is at a center of the dielectric layer.

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 does not have an opening therethrough.

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;
forming a dielectric layer on the second distributed Bragg reflector, 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 the dielectric layer has an opening therethrough.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the opening of the dielectric layer is at a center of the dielectric layer.

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

15. 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 has an opening therethrough, 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 vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser device.

16. The vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser device of claim 15 , wherein the dielectric layer comprises amorphous silicon, and wherein the opening of the dielectric layer is at a center of the dielectric layer.

17. The vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser device of claim 15 , wherein the opening of the dielectric layer is concentrically aligned with the oxide aperture.

Assignees

• Univ Illinois

Inventors

• Dallesasse John Michael
• Kesler Benjamin
• O'Brien Jr Thomas

Classifications

• H01S5/18333

  only above the active layer · CPC title

• H01S5/18369

  based on dielectric materials · CPC title

• H01S5/125

  Distributed Bragg reflector [DBR] lasers · CPC title

• H01S5/18394 Primary

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

• H01S2301/166

  Single transverse or lateral mode · CPC title