摘要 |
There is provided a semiconductor optical device having remarkable features including a low threshold current, a high light emitting efficiency, a high and stable optical output, a fast modulation capability, a large gain characteristics, resistance against oxidization, a high quality and a high degree of processibility. The device comprises a pair of optical confinement layers 13, 17 and a pair of cladding layers 12 and 18 arranged on and under an active layer 15 to produce a SCH structure, at least one of said optical confinement layers 13 and 17 comprising multiquantum barrier (MQB) structures 14, 16 as part thereof. If the active layer 15 is of multiquantum well type, the barrier layer 15a of the active layer 15 also comprises a multiquantum barrier (MQB) structure. With such an arrangement, the barrier height of the barrier layer 15a and the optical confinement layers 13, 17 can be made very high relative to the active layer 15 (well layer 15b). Such a semiconductor optical device can effectively suppress any overflow of carriers from the active layer 15 (well layer 15b) into the optical confinement layers 13, 17 and further into the cladding layers so that it shows a low and stable threshold current, an enhanced optical output power, an improved high-speed modulation performance and a quick responsiveness.
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