Epitaxial Regrowth and Hole Shape Engineering for Photonic Crystal Surface Emitting Lasers (PCSELs)

Journal Article · 27 January 2020 · Journal of Crystal Growth

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2020.125531 · OSTI ID:1601262

Reilly, Kevin ^[1]; Kalapala, Akhil ^[2]; Yeom, Seuongwon ^[2]; Addamane, Sadhvikas Jayachandra ^[3]; Renteria, Emma ^[1]; Zhou, Weidong ^[2]; Balakrishnan, Ganesh ^[1]

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1. Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States). Center for High Technology Materials (CHTM)
2. Univ. of Texas, Arlington, TX (United States)
3. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

In the present research, epitaxial regrowth by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is investigated as a fabrication process for void-semiconductor photonic crystal (PhC) surface emitting lasers (PCSELs). The PhC is patterned by electron beam lithography (EBL) and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etch and is subsequently regrown by molecular beam epitaxy to embed a series of voids in bulk semiconductor. Experiments are conducted to investigate the effects of regrowth on air-hole morphology. The resulting voids have a distinct teardrop shape with the radius and depth of the etched hole playing a very critical role in the final regrown void’s dimensions. We demonstrate that specific hole diameters can encourage deposition to the bottom of the voids or to their sidewalls, allowing us to engineer the shape of the void more precisely as is required by the PCSEL design. A 980 nm InGaAs quantum well laser structure is optimized for low threshold lasing at the design wavelength and full device structures are patterned and regrown. An optically pumped PCSEL is demonstrated from this process.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000; NA-0003525
• OSTI ID: 1601262
• Alternate ID(s): OSTI ID: 1601492
• Report Number(s): SAND2020-1361J; 683615
• Journal Information: Journal of Crystal Growth, Vol. 535, Issue C; ISSN 0022-0248
• Publisher: ElsevierCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English