US5314838A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method for making a semiconductor laser
Assignee: Nokia Bell Labs
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Filing: 1992-09-10
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Granted: 1994-05-24
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Expires: 2012-09-10
Abstract
Abstract Disclosed is a method for manufacturing a vertical cavity, surface-emitting laser. The method includes growing a distributed Bragg reflector having at least 10 layers of alternating composition on a gallium arsenide substrate. The growth surface of the substrate is tilted by an angle of 1°-7° from the orientation of a (100) surface toward the orientation of a (111)A surface. This results in improved reflectivity of the DBR.
Inventors
- 👤 Alfred Y. Cho
- 👤 Sung-Nee G. Chu
- 👤 Kuochou Tai
- 👤 Yeong-Her Wang
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 12:12
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01S; H01S5/00; H01S5/10; H01S5/18; H01S5/183; H01S5/18361; H01S5/18377; H01S5/18305; H01S5/18308; H01S5/18322; H01S5/18327; H01S5/18375; H01S5/30; H01S5/32; H01S5/3202; H01S5/3203; H01S5/323; H01S5/32308; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S117/00; Y10S117/901; Y10S117/902; Y10S438/00; Y10S438/973
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
165 words
A method for manufacturing a vertical cavity, surface-emitting laser (to be referred to as a VCSEL), the method comprising the steps of providing a gallium arsenide substrate having approximately a (100) growth surface, epitaxially growing a distributed Bragg reflector (to be referred to as a DBR) on the growth surface, and performing at least one additional step toward completion of the VCSEL, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the growth surface is tilted by at least 1°, and not more than about 7°, from the orientation of a (100) surface toward the orientation of a (111)A surface; the DBR comprises at least ten layers of alternating composition; the DBR layers of alternating composition comprise, in alternation, Al x Ga 1-x As and Al y Ga 1-y As, wherein one of x and y is greater than 0.35, and the other of x and y is less than or equal to 0.35; and during the step of epitaxially growing the DBR, the substrate temperature is less than 600° C.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
165 words
A method for manufacturing a vertical cavity, surface-emitting laser (to be referred to as a VCSEL), the method comprising the steps of providing a gallium arsenide substrate having approximately a (100) growth surface, epitaxially growing a distributed Bragg reflector (to be referred to as a DBR) on the growth surface, and performing at least one additional step toward completion of the VCSEL, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the growth surface is tilted by at least 1°, and not more than about 7°, from the orientation of a (100) surface toward the orientation of a (111)A surface; the DBR comprises at least ten layers of alternating composition; the DBR layers of alternating composition comprise, in alternation, Al x Ga 1-x As and Al y Ga 1-y As, wherein one of x and y is greater than 0.35, and the other of x and y is less than or equal to 0.35; and during the step of epitaxially growing the DBR, the substrate temperature is less than 600° C.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
Method of claim 1, in which x is approximately equal to 1, and y is approximately equal to 0.1.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
Method of claim 1, in which x is approximately equal to 0.1, and y is approximately equal to 0.7.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
Method of claim 1, in which the VCSEL has a threshold current density of at most about 10.5 kA/cm 2 .
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
Method of claim 1, in which the epitaxially growing step comprises growing the DBR by molecular beam epitaxy.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
Method of claim 1, in which one of x and y is at least 0.7 and not more than 1.0, and the other of x and y is less than 0.7.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
Method of claim 6, in which each layer of the DBR is grown by molecular beam epitaxy at a rate of at least 0.2 μm per hour.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1997-05-23 | 1997-11-22 | 1998-05-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2001-05-23 | 2001-11-22 | 2002-05-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2005-05-23 | 2005-11-22 | 2006-05-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |