LOW-THRESHOLD STRAINED MULTIQUANTUM-WELL LASERS FABRICATED BY SELECTIVE METALORGANIC VAPOR-PHASE EPITAXY WITHOUT A SEMICONDUCTOR ETCHING PROCESS

Strained InGaAsP multi-quantum well (MQW) buried hetero- (BH) laser di odes (LDs) on a p-InP substrate were fabricated by selective metalorga nic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE). in the laser fabrication process, bot h the strained MQW active layer and current blocking structure were di rectly formed by selective MOVPE without a semiconductor etching proce ss. This novel laser fabrication process produces extremely uniform de vice characteristics that are essential to the deployment of optical s ubscriber systems. Furthermore, important device design parameters (e. g. the active stripe shape or the leakage current path configuration) are precisely controlled by only the epitaxial growth steps. This high ly controllable laser fabrication method results in a very low-thresho ld current with excellent uniformity (I-th = 1.78 +/- 0.19 mA) for 20 consecutive LDs (L = 200 mu m with 70%-90% coatings).