Purging: a reliability assurance technique for semiconductor lasers utilizing a purging process

摘要

Prior to packaging, semiconductor lasers are purged by being subjected first to high temperature and high current simultaneously so as to suppress stimulated emission and stress the shunt paths which allow leakage current to flow around the active region. A prudent, but nonessential, second step is to lower the temperature and/or current so that the lasers emit stimulated emission (preferably strongly, near the peak output power), thereby stressing the active region. Lasers subjected to such a purge exhibit stabilized degradation rates in short times (of the order of a few hours) and provide a robust population which meets the performance criteria of long lifetime systems.