The promise of silicon integrated circuits with their electronic or photonic functionality enhanced via heterogeneous integration has motivated significant work in understanding and overcoming the barriers to realizing such an IC. Additional hurdles must be overcome when integrating devices that are highly sensitive to temperature variation such as semiconductor lasers. Challenges in the heterogeneous integration process will be reviewed, and approaches for heterogeneous integration that have the potential to enable silicon ICs with enhanced functionality will be discussed in the context of integrated photonic systems.
The transistor-injected quantum cascade laser (TI-QCL) is a novel design for a mid-wave infrared (MWIR) laser that seeks to overcome some of the primary limitations of standard quantum cascade lasers (QCLs). By growing the active cascade region within the base-collector junction of an npn heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT), independent control of the injection current and active region bias is achievable through the emitter current and base-collector reverse bias respectively. The active region bias is important to properly align the lasing states and to control the lasing wavelength. Physical design limitations of the TI-QCL and their effects on the fabrication process of samples is presented. In order to characterize device performance and validate fabrication improvements, InP-based device samples designed for λ= 7.3 µm emission are fabricated. Preliminary characterization results are shown in the form of diode measurements to validate the HBT electrical operation of the TI-QCL which is necessary to realize the optical benefits of the device.
The Advanced Semiconductor Device and Integration Group is proud to share a recent publication by Patrick Su, Fu-Chen (Alex) Hsiao, Tommy O’Brien and Professor Dallesasse on demonstrating a novel method of controlling impurity-induce disordering apertures via Mask Strain that can be applied to wafer-scale manufacturing of high-power single-mode VCSELs.
IEEE Transactions in Semiconductor Manufacturing Article Here!
The Advanced Semiconductor Device and Integration Group is proud to share a recent publication by Kanuo Chen, Fu-Chen (Alex) Hsiao, Brittany Joy, and Professor Dallesasse on demonstrating the ability to control radiative base recombination in a quantum-cascade light emitting transistor that shows performance benefits of a transistor-injected QCL over conventional QCL devices.
Applied Physics B Article Link
The Advanced Semiconductor Device and Integration Group is proud to share a recent publication by Tommy O’Brien, Ben Kesler, Sam Almulla and Professor Dallesasse exploring the modal behavior of oxide-confined vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) with varying emission apertures defined by impurity-induced disordering (IID) via closed ampoule zinc diffusion.
Click Here for Full Article in IEEE Photonic Technology Letters
This work explores the modal behavior of oxide-confined vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) with varying emission apertures defined by impurity-induced disordering (IID) via closed ampoule zinc diffusion. A 1-D plane wave propagation method is used to calculate the mirror loss as a function of IID strength and depth. The devices are fabricated with masked areas ranging from approximately 70-110% of the oxide aperture defining an unmodified emission aperture designed to overlap mainly with the fundamental mode. An analysis of the transverse mode lasing characteristics and mode-dependent thermal characteristics demonstrates a decrease in thermal performance associated with the increasing overlap between the IID ring and supported optical modes of the VCSEL cavity. A single-mode output power of 1.6 mW with over 30 dBm SMSR is achieved from a 3.0 μm device with an IID-defined output aperture of approximately 1.3 μm. The optimal IID emission aperture to oxide aperture ratio for maximizing the single-fundamental-mode output power is experimentally measured.
SINGLE-TRANSVERSE-MODE VCSELS VIA PATTERNED DIELECTRIC ANTI-PHASE FILTERS
A novel method to achieve single-fundamental-mode lasing and higher order mode suppresion using a multi-layer, patterned, dielectric anti-phase filter is employed on the top of oxide-confined vertical-cavity surface-emtting lasers (VCSELs).
Click here for Full Article in IEEE Photonics Technology Letters
