Patent ID: 6618409
Filing Date: 2003-09-09
Classification: H01L,H01S

Abstract:
An edge-emitting semiconductor optical device comprising:a compound semiconductor substrate having a waveguide structure formed on said substrate for generating light at an operating wavelength; a pair of air-cleaved facets cleaved in ambient air from the compound semiconductor substrate and formed on opposed faces of said waveguide structure; native oxide layers formed on said air-cleaved facets from oxidation of said facets with said ambient air; hydrogen having a low energy less than 24 eV. applied in a vacuumed system to remove said native oxide layers from said air-cleaved facets and to hydrogenate said air-cleaved facets to form hydrogenated facets; silicon applied in said vacuumed system wherein said silicon is hydrogenated with said hydrogen to form hydrogenated silicon, such that the molecular hydrogen is directly bonded to the silicon atoms for providing transparency at said operating wavelength; passivation layers formed on said hydrogenated facets from deposition of the hydrogenated silicon on said hydrogenate facets, which passivation layers are essentially unoxidized, comprising respective layers comprising hydrogenated amorphous silicon; and a reflective coating formed directly over at least one of said passivation layers.