A fully two-dimensional, self-consistent, steady-state analysis based
on the finite element method is performed for the investigation of bot
h the electrical and optical behavior of semiconductor lasers, Poisson
's equation and the current continuity equations for electrons and hol
es as well as the wave equation and the rate equation for photons are
numerically solved with the same finite element mesh, Computed results
on channeled-substrate-planar laser diodes are compared to those eval
uated by the finite difference method, Excellent agreement is found an
d necessary corrections at the laser structure boundaries in the finit
e difference method analysis are pointed out.