METALLIZATION TO ASYMMETRIC CLADDING SEPARATE-CONFINEMENT HETEROSTRUCTURE LASERS

Annealed and nonannealed p-contact metallization for asymmetric claddi ng separate confinement heterostructure lasers with a thin p-cladding layer is reported. Ti-Au and annealed Ti-Pt-Au p-type contacts are dem onstrated to improve the adhesion over a pure gold contact and allow a nnealing of the metallization to thin p-cladding laser structures at t he expense of an increase in the optical loss. The increased optical l oss is due to the decreased conductivity of titanium and platinum as c ompared to gold. As little as 10 Angstrom of titanium is adequate for an adhesion layer and only increases the optical loss by 1.6 cm(-1) ov er a pure gold metallization which has an optical loss of 10.0 cm(-1). A metallization of 15 Angstrom Ti-15 Angstrom Pt-1500 Angstrom Au is adequate for an anneal at 410 degrees C for 10 s and increases the opt ical loss by 7.0 cm(-1). (C) 1995 American Institute of Physics.