INTEGRATED OPTICAL SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE HAVING RIDGE STRUCTURE GROWN RATHER THAN ETCHED, AND METHOD FOR MAKING SAME

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve a manufacturing yield of an optical semiconductor device such as an electroabsorption modulator integrated with distributed-feedback laser (EML), and to reduce cost thereof. SOLUTION: A SAG technique is used to grow the ridge structure in an optical semiconductor device, such as an electroabsorptive modulator assembly integrated with distributed-feedback laser (EML). The adoption of the SAG technique to grow the ridge structure results in the formation of a self-assembled and self-aligned ridge structure that has a very precise configuration. The use of this process enables straight, bent and tilted ridge structures to be formed with high precision. In addition, since the ridge structure is self-assembled and self-aligned, a lesser number of processing steps are required to create the optical device in comparison to the known approach that uses wet chemical etching techniques to form the ridge structure. COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT