Patent ID: 6778582
Filing Date: 2004-08-17
Classification: H01S

Abstract:
A vertical cavity surface emitting laser device, comprising:a first reflector; a semiconductor substrate having a first surface facing towards said first reflector and a second surface facing away from said first reflector; an intermediate reflector positioned on said first surface of said semiconductor substrate and cooperating with said first reflector to thereby define an active resonant cavity; an undoped gain medium positioned in said active resonant cavity between said intermediate reflector and said first reflector; a second reflector adjacent said second surface of said substrate and operating with said intermediate reflector to thereby define a passive resonant cavity containing said substrate; a first electrical contact adjacent said first reflector; and a second electrical contact positioned directly on said second surface of the substrate inside the passive resonant cavity, said second contact defining an optical energy emission aperture of the laser device, said first and second contacts being adapted to transmit electrical energy through said substrate and said intermediate reflector into said gain medium to cause optical energy emission in said active cavity; wherein said semiconductor substrate and said intermediate reflector are doped with at least one dopant of the n-type and said first reflector is doped with at least one dopant of the p-type, and wherein said passive resonant cavity provides additional optical feedback to the gain region inside the active resonant cavity, and the reflectivity of the intermediate mirror is such that laser oscillation will not occur in the active resonant cavity without said additional optical feedback.