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US5776794A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method for fabricating semiconductor laser

Assignee: University of Oklahoma
•
Filing: 1997-05-07
•
Granted: 1998-07-07
•
Expires: 2017-05-07
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Abstract

Abstract A semiconductor laser device, and method for making such, having higher operating temperatures than previously available. A semiconductor epitaxial layer is bonding to a cleaving assembly which allows the epitaxial layer to be manipulated without use of traditional substrate forms. The resulting semiconductor laser is bonded to a metal portion which serves as a heat sink for dissipating heat from the active lasing region. The resulting semiconductor lasers can be cooled by thermoelectric cooling modules, thus eliminating the necessity of using more bulky cryogenic systems.

Inventors

  • 👤 Patrick J. McCann

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-06 00:43
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01S; H01S5/00; H01S5/02; H01S5/024; H01S5/02407; H01S5/02415; H01S5/0201; H01S5/0202; H01S5/0206; H01S5/0207; H01S5/0217; H01S5/022; H01S5/0235; H01S5/02355; H01S5/02365; H01S5/02476; H01S5/02484; H01S5/40; H01S5/4025; H01S5/4031; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T225/00; Y10T225/30; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/12; Y10T428/12347; Y10T428/12493; Y10T428/12528; Y10T428/12639

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 34
Claim 1
Independent Claim 120 words
A method of producing a semiconductor laser device, comprising: providing a semiconductor epitaxial layer disposed upon a substrate; providing a cleaving means having at least one cleaving portion; bonding the semiconductor epitaxial layer to the cleaving means wherein at least a portion of the semiconductor epitaxial layer is bonded to the cleaving portion of the cleaving means and an adjacent portion of the semiconductor epitaxial layer is bonded to a portion of the cleaving means adjacent the cleaving portion; removing the substrate from the semiconductor epitaxial layer; and separating the cleaving portion from the cleaving means wherein the portion of the semiconductor epitaxial layer bonded to said cleaving portion is cleaved from the adjacent portion of the semiconductor epitaxial layer.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 120 words
A method of producing a semiconductor laser device, comprising: providing a semiconductor epitaxial layer disposed upon a substrate; providing a cleaving means having at least one cleaving portion; bonding the semiconductor epitaxial layer to the cleaving means wherein at least a portion of the semiconductor epitaxial layer is bonded to the cleaving portion of the cleaving means and an adjacent portion of the semiconductor epitaxial layer is bonded to a portion of the cleaving means adjacent the cleaving portion; removing the substrate from the semiconductor epitaxial layer; and separating the cleaving portion from the cleaving means wherein the portion of the semiconductor epitaxial layer bonded to said cleaving portion is cleaved from the adjacent portion of the semiconductor epitaxial layer.
Claim 3
Independent Claim 156 words
A method of producing a semiconductor laser device, comprising: providing a semiconductor assembly comprising a substrate and an epitaxial layer disposed on the substrate; providing a cleaving means comprising a plurality of detachably connected cleaving portions, each cleaving portion having an end surface, which end surfaces cooperate to form a cleaving means bonding surface; bonding the epitaxial layer of the semiconductor assembly to the cleaving means bonding surface wherein the end surface of each cleaving portion has a portion of the epitaxial layer bonded thereto; removing the substrate from the semiconductor assembly; and detaching a cleaving portion from the cleaving means wherein the portion of the epitaxial layer which is bonded to said cleaving portion is cleaved from the portion of the epitaxial layer bonded to an adjacent cleaving portion wherein is formed a semiconductor laser device comprising a heat conductive portion derived from the cleaving portion and a semiconductor portion derived from the epitaxial layer.
Claim 4
Independent Claim 156 words
A method of producing a semiconductor laser device, comprising: providing a semiconductor assembly comprising a substrate and an epitaxial layer disposed on the substrate; providing a cleaving means comprising a plurality of detachably connected cleaving portions, each cleaving portion having an end surface, which end surfaces cooperate to form a cleaving means bonding surface; bonding the epitaxial layer of the semiconductor assembly to the cleaving means bonding surface wherein the end surface of each cleaving portion has a portion of the epitaxial layer bonded thereto; removing the substrate from the semiconductor assembly; and detaching a cleaving portion from the cleaving means wherein the portion of the epitaxial layer which is bonded to said cleaving portion is cleaved from the portion of the epitaxial layer bonded to an adjacent cleaving portion wherein is formed a semiconductor laser device comprising a heat conductive portion derived from the cleaving portion and a semiconductor portion derived from the epitaxial layer.
Claim 5
Independent Claim 198 words
A method of producing a semiconductor laser device, comprising: providing a semiconductor assembly having a substrate and an epitaxial layer disposed thereon, the epitaxial layer having an upper surface with a semiconductor bonding layer disposed thereon; providing a cleaving means comprising a plurality of detachably connected cleaving portions, each cleaving portion having an end surface, which end surfaces cooperate to form a cleaving means bonding surface, the cleaving means bonding surface having a cleaving means bonding layer disposed thereon; forming a cleaving means-semiconductor assembly by bonding the semiconductor bonding layer of the semiconductor assembly to the cleaving means bonding layer forming a bonding layer between the cleaving means bonding surface and the upper surface of the epitaxial layer; removing the substrate from the cleaving means-semiconductor assembly; and detaching a cleaving portion from the cleaving means-semiconductor assembly wherein the portion of the epitaxial layer bonded to the end surface of the cleaving portion is cleaved from the portion of the epitaxial layer bonded to an adjacent cleaving portion and wherein is formed a semiconductor laser device comprising a heat conductive portion derived from the cleaving portion and a semiconductor portion derived from the epitaxial layer of the semiconductor assembly.
Claim 6
Independent Claim 198 words
A method of producing a semiconductor laser device, comprising: providing a semiconductor assembly having a substrate and an epitaxial layer disposed thereon, the epitaxial layer having an upper surface with a semiconductor bonding layer disposed thereon; providing a cleaving means comprising a plurality of detachably connected cleaving portions, each cleaving portion having an end surface, which end surfaces cooperate to form a cleaving means bonding surface, the cleaving means bonding surface having a cleaving means bonding layer disposed thereon; forming a cleaving means-semiconductor assembly by bonding the semiconductor bonding layer of the semiconductor assembly to the cleaving means bonding layer forming a bonding layer between the cleaving means bonding surface and the upper surface of the epitaxial layer; removing the substrate from the cleaving means-semiconductor assembly; and detaching a cleaving portion from the cleaving means-semiconductor assembly wherein the portion of the epitaxial layer bonded to the end surface of the cleaving portion is cleaved from the portion of the epitaxial layer bonded to an adjacent cleaving portion and wherein is formed a semiconductor laser device comprising a heat conductive portion derived from the cleaving portion and a semiconductor portion derived from the epitaxial layer of the semiconductor assembly.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 34 words
The method of claim 3 comprising the additional step of cutting the semiconductor laser device into a plurality of laser bars wherein each laser bar comprises a heat conductive portion and a semiconductor portion.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 33 words
The method of claim 3 wherein the step of providing a semiconductor assembly is preceded by the additional step of applying the semiconductor bonding layer to the upper surface of the epitaxial layer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 37 words
The method of claim 3 wherein the step of providing a cleaving means is preceded by the additional step of applying a bonding layer to the cleaving means bonding surface to form the cleaving means bonding layer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 23 words
The method of claim 3 wherein in the step of providing a cleaving means, the cleaving portions are further defined as metal plates.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 23 words
The method of claim 3 wherein in the step of providing a cleaving means, the cleaving portions are further defined as diamond plates.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 32 words
The method of claim 4 comprising the additional step of applying an isolating layer to a portion of the heat conductive portion of the laser bar for electrically isolating the laser bar.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 56 words
The method of claim 9 comprising the additional step of disposing the electrically isolated laser bar upon a metal cold finger, wherein the isolating layer is interfaced with a mounting surface of the metal cold finger and the semiconductor portion of the laser bar is disposed adjacent a laser facing surface of the metal cold finger.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 24 words
The method of claim 3 wherein in the step of providing a semiconductor assembly, the epitaxial layer is further defined as a IV-VI semiconductor.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 24 words
The method of claim 3 wherein in the step of providing a semiconductor assembly, the epitaxial layer is further defined as a III-V semiconductor.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 24 words
The method of claim 3 wherein in the step of providing a semiconductor assembly, the epitaxial layer is further defined as a II-VI semiconductor.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 31 words
The method of claim 3 wherein in the step of providing a semiconductor assembly, the semiconductor assembly further comprises a release layer positioned between the epitaxial layer and the substrate layer.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 38 words
The method of claim 4 wherein in the step of cutting the semiconductor laser device, the laser bar is further defined as having a semiconductor portion tunable within a range of from about 3 to about 30 micrometers.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 26 words
The method of claim 3 wherein in the step of providing a semiconductor assembly, the epitaxial layer further comprises at least one single mode waveguide region.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 28 words
The method of claim 9 comprising the additional step of disposing a second metal cold finger upon a portion of the laser bar for further enhancing heat dissipation.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 35 words
The method of claim 3 wherein in the step of providing a cleaving means, the cleaving portion is further defined as having a thickness in a range of from about 100 to about 1000 micrometers.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 29 words
The method of claim 3 wherein the step of removing the substrate further comprises using an etching solution comprising about one part hydrochloric acid to about three parts water.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 25 words
The method of claim 1 wherein in the step of providing the semiconductor epitaxial layer, the epitaxial layer is further defined as a IV-VI semiconductor.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 25 words
The method of claim 1 wherein in the step of providing the semiconductor epitaxial layer, the epitaxial layer is further defined as a III-V semiconductor.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 25 words
The method of claim 1 wherein in the step of providing the semiconductor epitaxial layer, the epitaxial layer is further defined as a II-VI semiconductor.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 34 words
The method of claim 20 wherein in the step of providing a semiconductor epitaxial layer, the epitaxial layer comprises an active layer having a composition comprising an alloy of lead, tin selenium and tellurium.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 34 words
The method of claim 20 wherein in the step of providing a semiconductor epitaxial layer, the epitaxial layer comprises an active layer having a composition comprising an alloy of lead europium, selenium and tellurium.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 25 words
The method of claim 2 wherein in the step of providing the semiconductor epitaxial layer, the epitaxial layer is further defined as a IV-VI semiconductor.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim 25 words
The method of claim 2 wherein in the step of providing the semiconductor epitaxial layer, the epitaxial layer is further defined as a III-V semiconductor.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim 25 words
The method of claim 2 wherein in the step of providing the semiconductor epitaxial layer, the epitaxial layer is further defined as a II-VI semiconductor.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim 33 words
The method of claim 25 wherein in the step of providing a semiconductor assembly the epitaxial layer comprises an active layer having a composition comprising an alloy of lead, tin, selenium and tellurium.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim 33 words
The method of claim 25 wherein in the step of providing a semiconductor assembly the epitaxial layer comprises an active layer having a composition comprising an alloy of lead, europium, selenium and tellurium.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim 33 words
The method of claim 11 wherein in the step of providing a semiconductor assembly the epitaxial layer comprises an active layer having a composition comprising an alloy of lead, tin selenium and tellurium.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim 25 words
The method of claim 11 wherein the epitaxial layer comprises an active layer having a composition comprising an alloy of lead, europium, selenium and tellurium.

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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) 2001-07-06 2002-01-05 2002-07-07 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2005-07-06 2006-01-05 2006-07-07 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2009-07-06 2010-01-05 2010-07-07 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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