US5034958A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Front-surface emitting diode laser
Assignee: Nytell Software LLC
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Filing: 1990-04-19
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Granted: 1991-07-23
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Expires: 2010-04-19
Abstract
Abstract A front-surface emitting, vertical-cavity laser and its method of making in which a vertical laser cavity with Bragg reflectors and an active layer, preferably formed by a quantum well, is formed on a substrate. Lateral current confinement is achieved by implanting a conductivity-reducing ion into the region surrounding the quantum well. Electrical contact to the upper side of the active layer is achieved by implanting a conductivity-increasing ion into the region surrounding the cavity between the active layer and the upper reflector. By such an electrical contact, the upper reflector can advantageously be composed of dielectric layers. Light is then emitted through the upper reflector.
Inventors
- 👤 Young-Se Kwon
- 👤 Hoi-Jun Yoo
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 16:12
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01S; H01S5/00; H01S5/10; H01S5/18; H01S5/183; H01S5/18308; H01S5/04; H01S5/042; H01S5/0421; H01S5/18341; H01S5/18361; H01S5/18369; H01S5/20; H01S5/2054; H01S5/2059; H01S5/2063; H01S5/22; H01S5/2205; H01S5/2222; H01S5/30; H01S5/305
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
183 words
A surface-emitting laser, comprising: a semiconductor, crystalline substrate; a lower, semiconductor Bragg reflector epitaxially formed vertically over said substrate; a lower, semiconductor spacer epitaxially formed over said lower reflector; an active layer epitaxially formed over said lower spacer for emitting light at a wavelength; an upper spacer, comprising a semiconductor, formed over said active layer; an upper Bragg reflector formed over said upper spacer and comprising at least two layers having optical thicknesses related to said wavelength, an optical cavity having an optical length related to said wavelength being formed between said upper and lower reflectors, a laser structure being formed comprising said reflectors, said spacers, and said active layer; a first electrode electrically connected horizontally to a first horizontally central part of said laser structure in a contacting region disposed above said active layer and below a top of said upper reflector; and a current confining region formed horizontally outward from a second horizontally central part of said laser structure by first ions implanted into said laser structure below said contacting region, said first ions decreasing conductivity in said current confining region.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
183 words
A surface-emitting laser, comprising: a semiconductor, crystalline substrate; a lower, semiconductor Bragg reflector epitaxially formed vertically over said substrate; a lower, semiconductor spacer epitaxially formed over said lower reflector; an active layer epitaxially formed over said lower spacer for emitting light at a wavelength; an upper spacer, comprising a semiconductor, formed over said active layer; an upper Bragg reflector formed over said upper spacer and comprising at least two layers having optical thicknesses related to said wavelength, an optical cavity having an optical length related to said wavelength being formed between said upper and lower reflectors, a laser structure being formed comprising said reflectors, said spacers, and said active layer; a first electrode electrically connected horizontally to a first horizontally central part of said laser structure in a contacting region disposed above said active layer and below a top of said upper reflector; and a current confining region formed horizontally outward from a second horizontally central part of said laser structure by first ions implanted into said laser structure below said contacting region, said first ions decreasing conductivity in said current confining region.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
A laser as recited in claim 1, wherein said active layer comprises at least one quantum well layer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
A laser as recited in claim 2, wherein said second central part of said laser structure includes said quantum well layer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
A laser as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least two layers of said upper reflector include at least one dielectric layer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
A laser as recited in claim 1, further comprising a conducting region to which said first electrode is connected and formed horizontally outward from said first central part of said laser structure by implanted second ions, said second ions increasing conductivity in said conducting region.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
52 words
A laser as recited in claim 5, wherein said active layer comprises at least one quantum well layer; wherein said current confining region surrounds said quantum well layer; and wherein said upper reflector comprises a plurality of periods of said two layers, at least one of said two layers comprising a dielectric.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
A laser as recited in claim 6, further comprising a second electrode electrically connected to a bottom of said substrate.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
41 words
A laser as recited in claim 6, further comprising a second electrode electrically connected to said laser structure vertically above said substrate, said first and second electrodes providing a vertical current path through said second central part of said laser structure.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
34 words
A laser as recited in claim 8, wherein said lower reflector comprises an upper portion of a higher conductivity to which said second electrode is connected and a lower portion of a lower conductivity.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
217 words
A surface-emitting laser, comprising: a semiconductor, crystalline body of a first conductivity type; a semiconductor bottom layer of a second conductivity type epitaxially formed vertically over said crystalline body and having an aperture therethrough; a semiconductor aperture layer of said first conductivity type epitaxially formed over said crystalline body within said aperture and over said bottom layer; a lower, semiconductor Bragg reflector of said first conductivity type epitaxially formed vertically over said aperture layer; a lower, semiconductor spacer of said first conductivity type epitaxially formed over said lower reflector; an active layer epitaxially formed over said lower spacer for emitting light at a wavelength; an upper spacer, comprising a semiconductor of said second conductivity type, formed over said active layer; an upper Bragg reflector formed over said upper spacer and comprising at least two layers having optical thickness related to said wavelength, an optical cavity having an optical length related to said wavelength being formed between said upper and lower reflectors, a laser structure being formed comprising said reflectors, said spacers, and said active layer; a first electrode electrically connected horizontally to a first horizontally central part of said laser structure in a contacting region disposed above said active layer and below said at least two layers; and a second electrode electrically connected to said crystalline body.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
217 words
A surface-emitting laser, comprising: a semiconductor, crystalline body of a first conductivity type; a semiconductor bottom layer of a second conductivity type epitaxially formed vertically over said crystalline body and having an aperture therethrough; a semiconductor aperture layer of said first conductivity type epitaxially formed over said crystalline body within said aperture and over said bottom layer; a lower, semiconductor Bragg reflector of said first conductivity type epitaxially formed vertically over said aperture layer; a lower, semiconductor spacer of said first conductivity type epitaxially formed over said lower reflector; an active layer epitaxially formed over said lower spacer for emitting light at a wavelength; an upper spacer, comprising a semiconductor of said second conductivity type, formed over said active layer; an upper Bragg reflector formed over said upper spacer and comprising at least two layers having optical thickness related to said wavelength, an optical cavity having an optical length related to said wavelength being formed between said upper and lower reflectors, a laser structure being formed comprising said reflectors, said spacers, and said active layer; a first electrode electrically connected horizontally to a first horizontally central part of said laser structure in a contacting region disposed above said active layer and below said at least two layers; and a second electrode electrically connected to said crystalline body.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
A laser as recited in claim 10, wherein said at least two layers of said upper reflector include at least one dielectric layer.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4309670A
Cited
US4949350A
Cited
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| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1994-07-22 | 1995-01-21 | 1995-07-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1998-07-22 | 1999-01-21 | 1999-07-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
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