Lateral injection vertical cavity surface-emitting laser

• Main Authors: CHIROVSKY LEO MARIA, D'ASARO LUCIAN ARTHUR, HOBSON WILLIAM SCOTT, LOPATA JOHN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 10.12.2002
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION; ELECTRICITY

A lateral injection VCSEL comprises upper and lower mirrors forming a cavity resonator, an active region disposed in the resonator, high conductivity upper and lower contact layers located on opposite sides of the active region, upper and lower electrodes disposed on the upper and lower contact layers, respectively, and on laterally opposite sides of the upper mirror, and a current guide structure including an apertured high resistivity layer for constraining current to flow in a relatively narrow channel through the active region, characterized in that a portion of the lower contact layer that extends under the top electrode has relatively high resistivity. This feature of our invention serves two purposes. First, it suppresses current flow in parallel paths and, therefore, tends to make the current density distribution in the aperture more favorable for the fundamental mode. Second, it reduces parasitic capacitance.