Very-low-threshold, strained In/sub y/Ga/sub 1-y/As-GaAs quantum-well lasers defined by impurity-induced disordering

Generic degradation mechanism for 980 nm InxGa1−xAs/GaAs strained quantum-well lasers

“…Currently, one of the popular active structures for these devices uses a strained In x Ga 1Ϫx As/GaAs quantum well with xϳ0.2. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] Although degradation of GaAs/AlGaAs, and InGaAsP/InP-based laser devices, has been studied extensively, [14][15][16][17] there are few studies of degradation of InGaAs/GaAs strained quantum-well lasers. [11][12][13] This study reports a generic degradation mechanism observed in 980 nm lasers, where In out diffusion ͑IOD͒ from the InGaAs quantum well into the GaAs barrier regions is observed.…”

Semiconductor lasers using diffused quantum-well structures

“…The degree of disordering can be controlled by the energy of the implanted species. In addition, this technology enables a planar process because selective implantation can be achieved by masking into the desired regions [1]- [4]. It is noted that the implanted impurities enhance the interdiffusion rate which is directly proportional to the amount of implanted dose.…”

“…IID can be achieved in heterostructure QW systems such as GaAs-AlGaAs [2], [3], [9]- [11] and InGaAs-GaAs [1], [4], [5], [12]- [14] with suitable selection of impurities. The corresponding impurities commonly used in the IID process are the zinc, silicon, and oxygen.…”

“…Modification of electrical conductivity and refractive index will be resulted between the as-grown and the disordered regions. This technology enables a planar process leading to improvement of the lateral electrical and optical confinement of semiconductor lasers such that low threshold current and single lateral-mode operation can be obtained [1]- [5]. Furthermore, interdiffusion between QW and adjacent barriers results in a change in the shape of QW.…”

“…One is the impurity-induced interdiffusion (IID), while the other is the impurity-free vacancy diffusion (IFVD) [8]. IID technique involves impurities to realize interdiffusion for the substantial change in refractive index and electrical conductivity [1]- [5]. This technique is commonly used to achieve lateral electrical and optical confinement in Manuscript received January 20, 1998; revised April 28, 1998.…”