MOMBE: superior epitaxial growth for InP-based monolithically integrated photonic circuits

Basic developmental steps are outlined for the application of metal organic molecular beam epitaxy as an epitaxial fabrication process for InP-based i ntegrated photonic circuits. Besides high-quality performance of the indivi dual devices, implementation of Fe-doped semi-insulating layers and selecti ve area deposition of GaInAsP for the whole composition range are of concer n. Low-loss semi-insulating waveguides were fabricated for optically interc onnecting and electrically isolating different devices at deposition condit ions that have proven adequate for selective area growth and, simultaneousl y, for effective suppression of Fe-movement. Fabricated laser/waveguide but t-joints, a basic building block for any integrated photonic circuit, demon strate the potential of metal organic molecular beam epitaxy to form practi cally ideal lateral growth interfaces without compromising on device perfor mance. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.