US5674779A
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Method for fabricating a ridge-shaped laser in a channel
Assignee: Philips North America LLC
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Filing: 1995-08-16
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Granted: 1997-10-07
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Expires: 2015-08-16
Abstract
Abstract A method for manufacturing a ridge in a channel laser diode in II-VI materials by etching grooves to form an active mesa flanked by support mesas. The method involves using certain etchants for certain compositions of the II-VI layers so that the grooves can be formed by wet chemical etching using only a single photolithographic process.
Inventors
- 👤 Rudolf P. Tijburg
- 👤 Kevin W. Haberern
- 👤 Sharon J. Flamholtz
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 17:54
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01S; H01S5/00; H01S5/30; H01S5/32; H01S5/327; H10; H10P; H10P50/00; H10P50/20; H10P52/00; H10P95/00; H10P95/70; H01S5/20; H01S5/2054; H01S5/2081; H01S5/209; H01S5/22
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
134 words
A method for fabricating a semiconductor laser device of the ridge in a channel type from a semiconductor structure, said semiconductor structure comprising a semiconductor crystal substrate and a plurality of layers formed by epitaxial deposition on the substrate, said layers including an active layer and, above the active layer, a wave guiding layer, a cladding layer, and a contact layer, said layers comprising II-VI materials, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing over the layers a patterned resist layer with openings where one or more grooves are to be etched, this providing step using a photolithographic process, and (b) forming an active mesa flanked by support mesas by etching the grooves through the layers toward the active layer while the resist layer remains in place and without using a second photolithographic process.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
134 words
A method for fabricating a semiconductor laser device of the ridge in a channel type from a semiconductor structure, said semiconductor structure comprising a semiconductor crystal substrate and a plurality of layers formed by epitaxial deposition on the substrate, said layers including an active layer and, above the active layer, a wave guiding layer, a cladding layer, and a contact layer, said layers comprising II-VI materials, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing over the layers a patterned resist layer with openings where one or more grooves are to be etched, this providing step using a photolithographic process, and (b) forming an active mesa flanked by support mesas by etching the grooves through the layers toward the active layer while the resist layer remains in place and without using a second photolithographic process.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the grooves are formed by wet chemical etching alone.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the layers include a cap layer comprising CdTe, ZnTe, or BeTe.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the layers include a graded layer comprising ZnTe-ZnSe.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the layers include a contact layer comprising CdSe or ZnSe.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 2, wherein the wet chemical etching includes etching with a 5-component solution of ethylene glycol, an alcohol or CCl 4 , HCl or HBr, and Br 2 in water.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the ethylene glycol, an alcohol or CCl 4 , HCl or HBr, and Br 2 in water are in relative proportions in volume parts of about 2:1:1:0.01:1.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the providing step comprises orienting said openings relative to a selected crystal direction of the layers so as to form mesas having a selected cross-sectional shape.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
125 words
A method of fabricating a semiconductor laser device of the ridge in a channel type, said laser device having a semiconductor crystal substrate and one or more layers formed by epitaxial deposition on the substrate, the layers including a graded layer comprising II-VI materials, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing over the surface of the layers a patterned photoresist layer; and (b) etching the graded layer using a first etching composition which is masked by said patterned photoresist layer, said etching composition comprising an aqueous solution of (i) bromine, (ii) an acid, (iii) a first compound chosen from the group consisting of glycerine, an alcohol and carbon tetrachloride, and (iv) a second compound chosen from the group consisting of ethylene glycol and glycerol.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
125 words
A method of fabricating a semiconductor laser device of the ridge in a channel type, said laser device having a semiconductor crystal substrate and one or more layers formed by epitaxial deposition on the substrate, the layers including a graded layer comprising II-VI materials, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing over the surface of the layers a patterned photoresist layer; and (b) etching the graded layer using a first etching composition which is masked by said patterned photoresist layer, said etching composition comprising an aqueous solution of (i) bromine, (ii) an acid, (iii) a first compound chosen from the group consisting of glycerine, an alcohol and carbon tetrachloride, and (iv) a second compound chosen from the group consisting of ethylene glycol and glycerol.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 9, wherein the water, bromine, acid, first compound and second compound are in relative volumetric proportions of approximately 1:0.01:1:1:2.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 9, wherein the first etching composition comprises bromine in an amount of about 0.375% of the solution.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 9, further comprising having a graded layer comprising a compound chosen from the group consisting of ZnTe-ZnSe and ZnBeSe.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 9, further comprising having a layer comprising a contact layer and using the first etching composition to etch said contact layer.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 13, further comprising providing a contact layer comprising a compound chosen from the group consisting of CdSe and ZnSe.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 13, further comprising having a layer comprising a cladding layer and using the first etching composition to etch, at least partially, said cladding layer.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 15, further comprising, following etching using the first etching composition, etching the cladding layer using an acid.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 16, further comprising having a layer comprising a cap layer and etching said cap layer using a second etching composition, said second etching composition comprising an aqueous solution of an acid and K 2 Cr 2 O 7 .
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 17, wherein the solution comprises approximately 1,375 ml of water, 5 gr of K 2 Cr 2 O 7 and 25 ml of an acid chosen from the group consisting of HNO 3 and H 2 SO 4 .
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 17, wherein the cap layer comprises a compound chosen from the group consisting of BeTe, CdTe and ZnTe.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 9, further comprising having a layer comprising a cladding layer and, following etching using the first etching composition, etching the cladding layer using an acid.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 20, wherein the acid used in etching the cladding layer comprises a compound chosen from the group consisting of HCl and HBr.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 20, further comprising having a layer comprising a wave guiding layer and said etching of said cladding layer is performed until said wave guiding layer is reached.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 20, further comprising, prior to etching the cladding layer using an acid, treating the surface of the layers using H 2 SO 4 :H 3 PO 4 .
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 20, further comprising having a cladding layer comprising a compound chosen from the group consisting of ZnMnSSe and ZnMgSeS.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 9, wherein said providing step further comprises orienting patterns of the patterned resist layer relative to the substrate so that the etching step forms a mesa having positively sloped sides.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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