EP0025690A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
A method of producing semiconductor laser elements
Assignee: Fujitsu Ltd
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Filing: 1980-09-10
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2000-09-10
Abstract
Abstract A wafer for forming semiconductor laser elements is scribed along scribe lines 10 with a scriber 11. Scratches are formed in the top surface of the wafer along the scribe lines except in regions of the top surface above light emitting regions 3' of the laser elements. The absence of scratches in the top surface above regions 3' means that minute cracks 12 such as are formend in the wafer under scratched parts of the top surface are not formed in the regions 3'. The wafer is cracked along the scribe lines, and a flat surface effective as a laser resonator mirror is formed at the end of light emitting region 3'. Protection film 9, of gold for example, laid over light emitting regions 3' before scribing and over which scribing takes place, prevents scratching of the top wafer surface above the regions 3'.
Inventors
- 👤 Sigeo Ohsaka
- 👤 Kanji Fujiwara
- 👤 Takao Fujiwara
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 10:16
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10H; H10H20/00; H10H20/80; H10H20/81; H10H20/8215; H01; H01S; H01S5/00; H01S5/02; H01S5/0201; H10H20/01; H10H20/011; H10H20/013; H10P; H10P52/00; H10P54/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
116 words
A method of producing a semiconductor laser element having a semiconductor body, a light emitting region in the semiconductor body, and a mirror surface, provided by a surface of the semiconductor body, for forming a laser resonator, in which method a semiconductor wafer is prepared from which the laser element is to be provided, which wafer has the light emitting region therein, and which method is characterised in that scratches are formed in a surface of the wafer, along a line along which the wafer is to be separated, except in the region of the surface above the light emitting region, and the wafer is cracked along the line of the scratches, to separate the wafer.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
116 words
A method of producing a semiconductor laser element having a semiconductor body, a light emitting region in the semiconductor body, and a mirror surface, provided by a surface of the semiconductor body, for forming a laser resonator, in which method a semiconductor wafer is prepared from which the laser element is to be provided, which wafer has the light emitting region therein, and which method is characterised in that scratches are formed in a surface of the wafer, along a line along which the wafer is to be separated, except in the region of the surface above the light emitting region, and the wafer is cracked along the line of the scratches, to separate the wafer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
119 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a semiconductor wafer is prepared from which a plurality of such semiconductor laser elements are to be formed, each laser element having a crystalline semiconductor body, a light emitting region in the semiconductor body, and a pair of mirror surfaces, provided by surfaces of the semiconductor body, for T I rming a laser resonator, and wherein scratches are formed, in the said surface of the wafer, along a plurality of lines along which the wafer is to be separated, except in regions of the surface above the light emitting regions, and the wafer is cracked along the lines of the scratches, to separate the wafer to form the semiconductor laser elements.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
47 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein a protective film is formed on the surface of the wafer so as to cover the or each region of the surface above the or each light emitting region, but leaving other parts of that surface exposed.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
67 words
A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the scratches are formed on the exposed parts of the surface of the wafer and on the protective film, the scratches on the protective film not penetrating to the surface of the wafer, and wherein after cracking a cleavage surface formed along a line of scratches, under the protective film,forms a mirror surface for the or a laser element.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, 2 , 3 or 4, wherein the scratches are formed by scribing.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
19 words
A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the or each light emitting region has a stripe-like shape.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method as claimed in claim 5, read as appended to claim 2, wherein the stripe-like emitter regions are disposed in parallel to one another, parallel to a major surface of the wafer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
65 words
A method as claimed in claim 3 or 4, or claim 5, 6 or 7 read as appended to claim 3 or 4, wherein the protective film is provided with gaps along the line of scratches or along each of the lines of scratches, each gap being so narrow as to prevent scratches from being formed on the surface of the wafer in the gap.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
15 words
A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the protective film comprises a metal.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
12 words
A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the metal is gold.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as claimed in claim 9 or 10, wherein the protective film is a metal film which serves as a laser element electrode.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
19 words
A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the protective film comprises a resin.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the protective film comprises a photoresist.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
14 words
A semiconductor laser element formed by a method as claimed in any preceding claim.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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