Evaluation of reactive ion etching processes for fabrication of integratedGaAs/AlGaAs optoelectronic devices

Reactive ion etching (RIE) was used for the fabrication of GaAs/AlGaAs opto electronic devices (laser diodes and photodetectors) for optical interconne ct applications. Smooth, vertical sidewalls with a smooth surface at the fi eld were obtained after optimizing RIE conditions in BCl3-formed plasma. Ac curate in-situ monitoring of the etching process was realized by laser inte rferometry end-point detection. This led to good process control and reprod ucibility of the demanding fabrication of the optoelectronic devices. The R IE etching process did not affect the electrical properties of the device b y increasing the surface recombination currents. Lasers with etched mirrors exhibited a threshold current density of 970 A cm(-2), which is one of the best values ever reported. The feasibility of a simple technology for the fabrication of optoelectronic circuits, based on a BCl3 RIE process for las er mirror etching, has been demonstrated. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. Al l rights reserved.