Planar narrow-stripe laser with improved charge carrier confinement

Patent · Tue Jul 16 00:00:00 EDT 1985

OSTI ID:6239472

Chik, K D

Double heterostructure lasers which use a narrow stripe contact exhibit linear characteristics with a low lasing threshold current making them very suitable for fiber optic communication systems. Linearity and low threshold currents are achieved if the carrier current injected into the device is confined to a narrow region of the active layer. To further confine the current a p-type diffusion is performed to produce a relatively low conductivity path between the contact stripe and the lasing region of the active layer. Ideally the diffusion front extends to within 0.5 microns of the active layer. In order to achieve this, a p-type double heterostructure second confining layer of 0.5 microns or less is grown immediately adjacent to the active layer and an n-type blocking layer is grown on the second confining layer. By diffusing the p-type dopant through the n-type blocking layer the diffusion front can be accurately monitored using a scanning electron microscope. As soon as the diffusion front merges with the p-type second confining layer then it can be concluded that it is within 0.5 microns of the active layer. Moreover the pn junction between the second confining layer and the blocking layer is reverse biased in use and so provides further charge carrier confinement in comparision with the conventional wholly p-type second confining layer which is usually of the order of 15. m thick.

• Assignee: Northern Telecom Limited (Canada)
• Patent Number(s): US 4530099
• OSTI ID: 6239472
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420300* -- Engineering-- Lasers-- (-1989)
CHARGE CARRIERS
COMMUNICATIONS
CURRENTS
DESIGN
DIFFUSION
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
FIBER OPTICS
HETEROJUNCTIONS
JUNCTIONS
LASERS
MATERIALS
MICROSCOPY
N-TYPE CONDUCTORS
P-N JUNCTIONS
P-TYPE CONDUCTORS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTIONS
SEMICONDUCTOR LASERS
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
THRESHOLD CURRENT