“…Epitaxial regrowth in GaAs-based structures is problematic, mainly due to the Al containing layers within the structure, which, when exposed to oxygen, result in poor regrowth interfaces that are deleterious to the laser performance. Previous solutions have included the use of Al-free epitaxial structures [3], steam oxidation for current confinement [4], in situ etching and regrowth within a metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) reactor [5], and antiguided [6], buried ridge [7], or self-aligned structures [8], [9], where Al layers were exposed to oxygen. All these have associated difficulties in process control, reliability, and design flexibility.…”