INDIUM-ALUMINUM-GALLIUM-ARSENIC VERTICAL CAVITY SURFACE EMITTING LASER(VCSEL) HAVING IMPROVED CURRENT CONFINEMENT SCHEME AND FABRICATION METHOD THEREOF

摘要

PURPOSE: An InAlGaAs VCSEL(Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser) having an improved current confinement scheme is provided, which prevents a rapid increase of a resistance by a decrease of a current confinement diameter and has a low threshold current and can increase a heat release efficiency. CONSTITUTION: An InAlGaAS/InAlAs bottom reflective mirror layer(10) and an active medium and a cladding layer(11) and the first InP wet etching mask layer(12a) are stacked on an InP substrate, and an InAlGaAs/InAlAs current confinement layer(13) is arranged on a center of the upper part. An InP insulation layer(14) is arranged to surround the InAlGaAs/InAlAs current confinement layer on an upper part of the first InP wet etching mask layer. Also, the second InP wet etching mask layer(12b), an InAlGaAs/InAlAs top reflective mirror layer(15) and an electrode(16) are stacked. The top/bottom reflective mirror are distributed Bragg reflectors and are formed with InAlGaAs/InAlAs. The InP insulation layer or an air gap act as an insulation layer and a current pass diameter of a current injected through the electrode is decreased at the InAlGaAs/InAlAs current confinement layer. Also, when the current confinement layer is arranged on a laser active medium, a threshold current is reduced without carrier loss.