High-power, multi-junction, 905 nm vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser with an AlGaAsSb electron-blocking layer

Abstract

We report high-power multi-junction vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) with a significantly suppressed carrier leakage issue under high injection current and temperature. By carefully optimizing the energy band structure of quaternary AlGaAsSb, we obtained a 12-nm-thick AlGaAsSb electron-blocking layer (EBL) with a high effective barrier height (∼122 meV), a low compressive strain (∼0.99%), and a reduced electronic leakage current. The resulting three-junction (3J) 905 nm VCSEL with the proposed EBL exhibits an improved maximum output power (∼46.4 mW) and power conversion efficiency (PCE; ∼55.4%) during room-temperature operation. Also, it was found from thermal simulation that the optimized device shows more advantages over the original device during high-temperature operation. The type-II AlGaAsSb EBL provided an excellent electron-blocking effect and would be a promising strategy for multi-junction VCSELs to realize high-power applications.

Advances in high-power vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

“…National Chiao-Tung University conducted both theoretical and experimental investigations into the carrier blocking effect on 850 nm InAlGaAs/AlGaAs VCSELs [24]. Yun et al made further advancements by optimizing the energy band structure of quaternary AlGaAsSb [31]. An EBL with a thickness of 12 nm was developed using AlGaAsSb, exhibiting a high effective barrier height (∼122 meV), low compressive strain (∼0.99%), and reduced electronic leakage current.…”

“…These devices also exhibited a maximum SE of 5.4 W A −1 , approximately five times higher than that of traditional single-junction VCSELs with the same aperture size. Also, Yun et al reported on high-power MJ 905 nm VCSELs featuring a 12 nm thick AlGaAsSb EBL [31]. The 905 nm VCSEL with three junctions (3 J) and the suggested EBL demonstrated enhanced performance, with an increased maximum output power (∼46.4 mW) and PCE (∼55.4%) under RT operation.…”