SUPPRESSION OF SIDE-ETCHING IN C2H6 H-2/O-2 REACTIVE ION ETCHING FOR THE FABRICATION OF AN INGAASP/INP P-SUBSTRATE BURIED-HETEROSTRUCTURE LASER-DIODE/

A reactive ion etching (RIE) technique using a C2H6,H-2, and O-2 mixtu re was applied to the fabrication of InGaAsP/InP (P-substrate partiall y inverted buried heterostructure laser diodes, which have been commer cially produced for their superior characteristics. The addition of O- 2 suppressed side etching and made it possible to fabricate ridge mesa structures for the laser diodes with a height of 4 mu m and a width o f 1 mu m with superior controllability. The effects O-2 addition were investigated by Auger electron spectroscopy and a mechanism suppressin g side etching was examined. The characteristics including lifetime of the laser diodes fabricated by the RIE technique were as excellent as those of laser diodes fabricated by wet etching.