STRESS DISTRIBUTIONS AND DEFECT NUCLEATION IN BURIED HETEROSTRUCTURE LASER-DIODES

Shear stress distributions, arising at the corners of the active regio n of buried heterostructure laser diodes, are calculated for a given m ismatch and various dimensions of the buried stripe and also for a sin gle and a multiple quantum well structure. The locations of high stres ses are compared to the nucleation sites of shear stress induced defec ts, as observed by transmission electron microscopy in real lasers. Th e implications of the defects are illustrated and discussed for the ca se of an overstress tested diode as well as possibilities to prevent t he defect formation.