← Back to Patent Explorer
US4366568A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Semiconductor laser

Assignee: Panasonic Holdings Corp
•
Filing: 1980-12-18
•
Granted: 1982-12-28
•
Expires: 2000-12-18
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract In a semiconductor laser, an n-type first clad layer, an undoped active layer, and a p-type second clad layer are formed on an n-type semiconductor substrate by liquid phase sequential epitaxial growth. The second clad layer is photo-etched to form a stripe-shaped thicker part at the center and thinner parts on both sides thereof. Thereafter, an n-type isolation layer is further epitaxially formed, and a Zn impurity is diffused in a thinner part of the isolation layer in a stripe-shaped pattern at the position above the thicker part, thereby forming a p+-type conduction region in the central part of the thinner part of the n-type isolation layer. By forming the stripe-shaped ridge part in the clad layer, light lased in the active layer is effectively confined in a stripe-shaped part thereof which is underneath the ridge part. Therefore, a stable transverse mode of lasing results. By forming the thicker part, the n-type isolation layer, very closely above the thinner side parts of the active layer, injected current is effectively confined to the lasing region which is underneath the ridge part. Therefore, the threshold current is decreased.

Inventors

  • 👤 Hirokazu Shimizu
  • 👤 Kunio Itoh
  • 👤 Takashi Sugino
  • 👤 Masaru Wada

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-31 05:25
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01S; H01S5/00; H01S5/20; H01S5/22; H01S5/223

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim 129 words
In a semiconductor laser, a structure comprising a semiconductor substrate and a set of epitaxial layers formed on said semiconductor substrate, wherein said set of epitaxial layers includes a first layer formed on said substrate, an active layer formed on said first layer, a second layer, which is formed on said active layer and has a stripe-shaped thicker part and thinner parts on both sides of said thicker part, and a third layer formed on said second layer and having a stripe-shaped region as a current injection region of a same conductivity type as that of said second layer only at the part contacting said thicker part, and having other regions of the opposite conductivity type to that of said second layer at the parts contacting said thinner part.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 129 words
In a semiconductor laser, a structure comprising a semiconductor substrate and a set of epitaxial layers formed on said semiconductor substrate, wherein said set of epitaxial layers includes a first layer formed on said substrate, an active layer formed on said first layer, a second layer, which is formed on said active layer and has a stripe-shaped thicker part and thinner parts on both sides of said thicker part, and a third layer formed on said second layer and having a stripe-shaped region as a current injection region of a same conductivity type as that of said second layer only at the part contacting said thicker part, and having other regions of the opposite conductivity type to that of said second layer at the parts contacting said thinner part.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 29 words
A semiconductor laser structure in accordance with claim 1, wherein said active layer is flat and said stripe-shaped thicker part of said second layer projects into said third layer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 31 words
A semiconductor laser structure in accordance with claim 1, wherein said substrate, said first layer and said second layer are InP, and said active layer and said third layer are InGaAsP.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 30 words
A semiconductor laser structure in accordance with claim 1, wherein said substrate has a stripe-shaped groove and said stripe-shaped thicker part of said second layer is formed above said groove.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 20 words
A semiconductor laser structure in accordance with claim 1 or 4, wherein said second layer forms a light wave guide.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 22 words
A semiconductor laser structure in accordance with claim 1, wherein said third layer consists of a clad layer and a cap layer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 127 words
In a semiconductor laser, a structure comprising a semiconductor substrate and a set of epitaxial layers formed on said semiconductor substrate, and including a first layer formed on said substrate, an active layer formed on said first layer, a second layer formed on said active layer, a third layer formed on said second layer, wherein said second layer has a stripe-shaped thicker part and thinner parts on both sides of said thicker part, and said third layer has a stripe-shaped region as a current injection region of a same conductivity type as that of said second layer only at the part contacting said thicker part, and has other regions of the opposite conductivity type to that of said second layer at the parts contacting said thinner part.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 127 words
In a semiconductor laser, a structure comprising a semiconductor substrate and a set of epitaxial layers formed on said semiconductor substrate, and including a first layer formed on said substrate, an active layer formed on said first layer, a second layer formed on said active layer, a third layer formed on said second layer, wherein said second layer has a stripe-shaped thicker part and thinner parts on both sides of said thicker part, and said third layer has a stripe-shaped region as a current injection region of a same conductivity type as that of said second layer only at the part contacting said thicker part, and has other regions of the opposite conductivity type to that of said second layer at the parts contacting said thinner part.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4121179A Cited
US4309670A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1985-12-27 1986-06-28 1986-12-28 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1989-12-27 1990-06-28 1990-12-28 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1993-12-27 1994-06-28 1994-12-28 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag