Role of p-doping profile and regrowth on the static characteristics of 1.3-μm MQW InGaAsP-InP lasers : Experiment and modeling

• Published in: IEEE journal of quantum electronics Vol. 35; no. 10; pp. 1515 - 1520
• Main Authors: BELENKY, G. L, REYNOLDS, C. L, SMITH, L. E, DONETSKY, D. V, SHTENGEL, G. E, HYBERTSEN, M. S, ALAM, M. A, BARAFF, G. A, SMITH, R. K, KAZARINOV, R. F, WINN, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 01.10.1999
• Subjects: Computing time; Devices; Efficiency, stability, gain, and other operational parameters; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Laser optical systems: design and operation; Lasers; Mathematical models; Optics; Physics; Placement; Semiconductor lasers; laser diodes; Simulation; Threshold currents; Tuning; Crystal growth; Temperature dependence; Gallium arsenides; Theoretical study; Multiple quantum well; Binary compounds; Threshold current; Doping profiles; Leakage currents; Experimental study; MOCVD; Indium arsenides; Optical losses; Gallium phosphides; Semiconductor lasers; Infrared laser; Indium phosphides; Heterojunctions; Quantum well lasers; Quaternary compounds
• DOI: 10.1109/3.792585
• ISSN: 0018-9197

In this paper, we study both experimentally and theoretically how the change of the p-doping profile, particularly the p-i junction placement, affects the output characteristics of 1.3- mu m InGaAsP-InP multiple-quantum-well (MQW) lasers. The relationship between the p-doping profile before and after regrowth is established, and the subsequent impact of changes in the p-i junction placement on the device output characteristics, is demonstrated. Device characteristics are simulated including carrier transport, capture of carriers into the quantum wells, the quantum mechanical calculation of the properties of the wells, and the solution for the optical mode and its population self-consistently as a function of diode bias. The simulations predict and the experiments confirm that an optimum p-i junction placement simultaneously maximizes external efficiency and minimizes threshold current. Tuning of the base epitaxial growth Zn profile allows one to fabricate MQW devices with a threshold current of approximately 80 A/cm super(2) per well for devices with nine QW's at room temperature or lasers with a characteristic temperature T sub(0)=70 K within the temperature range of 20 degree C-80 degree C