Two approaches to realize the VCSEL devices based on GaAs substrates are investigated. The first approach utilizes InGaAs quantum wells with dilute nitride to extend the bandgap toward long wavelenegth. The second approach utilizes InAs/InGaAs quantum dots based on Stranski and Krastanov growth mode with confinement and strain combined to adjust the bandgap to 1.3 μm wavelength. High quality epitaxial layers with low threshold have been achieved with MBE and MOCVD. VCSEL performances that have been achieved are: Multimode operation at 1.303 μm with slope efficiency of 0.15 W/A (0.2 W/A), and maximum power of 1 mW (4 mW) for room temperature CW (pulse) operation have been achieved with MBE-grown In GaAaN active regions. Room temperature, CW single mode operation with SMSR > 40 dB at 1.303 μm has also been achieved with a slope efficiency of 0.17 W/A and maximum power of 0.75 mW also with MBE-grown InGaAaN active regions. In addition, MOCVD grown has also achieved a performance at 1.29 μm with slope efficiency, 0.066 W/A, and maximum power, 0.55 mW. VCSELs with 9 layers of quantum dots and all-semiconductor DBRs also achieved lasing at 1.3 μm.
MBE growth of high quality diluted Nitride materials have been investigated. Photoluminescence intensity of high nitrogen content InGaAsN/GaAs SQW can be improved significantly by decreasing the growth temperature due to suppressd phase separation of InGaAsN alloy. The longest room temperature PL peak wavelength obtained in this study is 1.59 μm by increasing the nitrogen composition up to 5.3%. High performance ridge-waveguide InGaAsN/GaAs single quantum well lasers at wavelength 1.3 μm have been demonstrated. Threshold current density of 0.57 KA/cm2 was achieved for the lasers with a 3-μm ridge width and a 2-mm cavity length. Slope efficiencies of 0.67 W/A was obtained with 1 mm cavity length. The cw kink-free output power of wavelength 1.3 μm single lateral mode laser is more than 200 mW, and the maximum total wallplug efficiency of 29% was obtained. Furthermore, monolithic MBE-grown vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) on GaAs substrate with an active region based on InGaAsN/GaAs double quantum wells emitting at 1304 nm with record threshold current density below 2 KA/cm2 also have been demonstrated. The CW output power exceeds 1 mW with an initial slope efficiency of 0.15 W/A. Such low threshold current density indicates the high quality of InGaAsN/GaAs QW active region.
The molecular beam epitaxy of self-assembled quantum dots (QDs) has reached a level such that the principal advantages of QD lasers can now be fully realized. We overview the most important recent results achieved to date including excellent device performance of 1.3 μm broad area and ridge waveguide lasers (Jth<150A/cm2, Ith=1.4 mA, differential efficiency above 70%, CW 300 mW single lateral mode operation), suppression of non-linearity of QD lasers, which results to improved beam quality, reduced wavelength chirp and sensitivity to optical feedback. Effect of suppression of side wall recombination in QD lasers is also described. These effects give a possibility to further improve and simplify processing and fabrication of laser modules targeting their cost reduction. Recent realization of 2 mW single mode CW operation of QD VCSEL with all-semiconductor DBR is also presented. Long-wavelength QD lasers are promising candidate for mode-locking lasers for optical computer application. Very recently 1.7-ps-wide pulses at repetition rate of 20 GHz were obtained on mode-locked QD lasers with clear indication of possible shortening of pulse width upon processing optimization. First step of unification of laser technology for telecom range with QD-lasers grown on GaAs has been done. Lasing at 1.5 μm is achieved with threshold current density of 0.8 kA/cm2 and pulsed output power 7W.
We report our results on InGaNAs/GaAs vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) for fiber-optic applications in the 1.3 μm range. The epitaxial structures were grown on (100) GaAs substrates by MBE or MOCVD. The nitrogen composition of the InGaNAs/GaAs quantum-well (QW) active region is 0 to 0.02. Long-wavelength (up to 1.3 μm) room-temperature continuous-wave (RT CW) lasing operation was achieved for MBE and MOCVD-grown VCELs. For MOCVD-grown devices with n- and p-doped distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs), a maximum optical output power of 0.74 mW was measured for In0.36Ga0.64N0.006As0.994/GaAs VCSELs. The MBE-grown devices were made with intracavity structure. Top-emitting multi-mode 1.3 μm In0.35Ga0.65N0.02As0.98/GaAs VCSELs with 1mW output power have been achieved under RT CW operation. Emission characteristics of InGaNAs/GaAs VCSELs were measured and analyzed.
KEYWORDS: Light emitting diodes, LED lighting, Solid state lighting, Light sources and illumination, Gallium nitride, Packaging, Lamps, Optoelectronics, Metalorganic chemical vapor deposition, LED displays
This paper reviews the current status of the solid state lighting technology development at the Opto-Electronics & Systems Labs. (OES), Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and recent industrial activities in the related areas in Taiwan.
Quantum dot (QD) is one of the most perspective candidates to be used as an active region of temperature-insensitive 1.3-micron GaAs based lasers for optical networks. However, the limited optical gain achievable in QD ground state hindered their practical use. In this work we have demonstrated that using of high number of QDs stacks grown under proper conditions by MBE is an effective way to considerably increase the optical gain of QD lasers. Ridge waveguide laser diodes with width of 2.7 μm and 4.5 μm based on various numbers of QD layers (N=2, 5, 10) were fabricated and studied in this work. Ultra-low threshold current of 1.43 mA was achieved for 2-stack QD. Regime of simultaneous lasing at ground- and excited-states was discovered. This effect was accounted for the finite time of carriers capture to the ground-state in QD. Multi-stack QD structures enabled to maintain continuous work ground-state lasing up to the current density of 10 kA = 100xJth. Enhanced optical gain allowed us to unite very high differential efficiency (>75%) with low threshold current (<100 A/cm2) and characteristic temperature (T0>100K). For example, laser diode of 1-mm cavity length has shown single mode output power of 100mW at operating current of 195 mA and at high operation power demonstrated insensibility to the changes of temperature. The combination of parameters achieved is quite competitive to all technologies currently used for 1.3-micron lasers including traditional InP-based lasers and makes QD gain medium very promising for VCSEL and telecom laser applications.
Development of submonolayer deposition technique can offer significant flexibility in creation of strained heterostructures of different types and material systems. It was found that under certain growth conditions the deposition of InAs insertions of less than 1 monolayer (ML) thickness in GaAs matrix forms so-called sub-monolayer quantum dots (SML QDs). The energy spectrum of these QDs can be varied over a wide range by tuning the InAs coverage and the thickness of GaAs spacers. Stranski-Krastanow (In,Ga)As QDs (SK QDs), which have been investigated in more details, have proved theoretically predicted lower threshold current density of 26 A/cm2 in compare with QW lasers. However, strong size variation of SK QDs in combination with the relatively low sheet density leads to low peak gain achievable in the ground state. This problem is the reason of typically low efficiency of SK QD-based lasers. Due to higher gain, SML QDs have proved their potential for high power laser application. In this presentation we report on further progress in the technology of SML QD lasers demonstrating high output power (6W) from 100-μm-wide laser diode emitting at 0.94 μm. High power QW-based lasers of the state-of-the-art performance are also presented for comparison.
Optical properties of GaAsN/GaAs heterostructures with different N contents grown by molecular-beam epitaxy were investigated. We show that under the certain grows reigmes the optical properties of the GaAsN layers are determined by recombination via localized states which is due to composition fluctuation. An increase in the N concentration leads to increase in composition fluctuation and, correspondingly, to increase in energy of localized states. Thermal annealing reduces nonuniformity distribution of nitrogen atoms. In short-period GaAsN/GaAs superlattice the effects of phase separation can be enhanced.
A series of narrow emission lines (halfwidth 0.5 - 2 meV) corresponding to quantum-dot-like compositional fluctuations have been observed in low temperature near-field photoluminescence spectra of GaAsN and InGaAsN alloys. The estimation of the size, density, and nitrogen excess of individual compositional fluctuations (clusters) using scanning near-field magneto-spectroscopy reveals phase-separation effects in the distribution of nitrogen. We found a strong effect of In on the exciton g-factor in InGaAsN alloys.
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