Method for fabricating a monolithic integration of a laser diode and a wide aperture photo diode

摘要

A monolithic laser diode and photo diode is provided in a process in which a mesa is formed on a substrate, the mesa including two regions having different upper surface widths. A photoactive layer serving eventually as the active layer of the laser diode and the light detecting layer of the photo diode is formed on the mesa by means of a liquid phase epitaxy process in which the rate of growth of the layer is faster on the mesa region of greater surface width. This results in different layer thicknesses on the two mesa regions. The region with the thinner layer is thereafter incorporated into the laser diode, and the region with the thicker layer is incorporated into the photo diode. The thicker photo diode layer enhances the light capturing capacity of the photo diode.