GROWTH OF INALGAAS MULTILAYER STRUCTURES FOR HIGH-POWER AND SUBMILLIAMP VERTICAL-CAVITY LASERS

We have used solid source molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) with As-4 to gr ow multilayer structures for vertical cavity surface emitting laser di odes (VCSEL) on n-GaAs substrates. Processed wafers with strained InGa As active layers show a record low threshold current of 650 mu A for 8 mu m devices at an emission wavelength of 970 nm. In larger devices o f 95 mu m diameter we obtain 20 mW maximal cw output power applying pr oper heat sinking. Using strained InAlGaAs quantum wells with 25% In a nd 35% Al we observe a threshold current density of 1.1 kAcm(-2) at an emission wavelength of 747 nm for broad area in-plane lasers.