Method of fabricating an atomic element doped semiconductor injection laser using ion implantation and epitaxial growth on the implanted surface

A semiconductor laser diode includes a first buffer layer, a second buffer layer and an active layer sandwiched between the two buffer layers. The active layer contains dopant ions where the dopant ions are such that energy transfer between the unimplanted material in the active layer and the dopant ions implanted causes lasing action substantially at a single frequency characteristic of the dopant ions. The two buffer layers confine light emitted by the active layer. The second buffer layer is grown epitaxially on the active layer. In the preferred embodiment, the structure is made by first growing a thin second buffer layer epitaxially on the active layer. The dopant ions are then implanted into the active layer through the thin second buffer layer. The structure is heated to a high temperature to anneal the structure and to activate the dopants. The second buffer layer is then further grown to make it thicker so as to be more effective in confining the light emission in the active layer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates in general to semiconductor lasers and in 
particular, to a semiconductor injection laser whose active region is 
doped by ions such as rare earth ions to produce a single frequency 
semiconductor laser. 
Single frequency lasers are of great practical importance in coherent 
optical telecommunication and other applications such as instruments. A 
number of techniques have been proposed for achieving single frequency 
lasers. One basic approach is to couple a laser which emits light within a 
bandwidth of frequencies with a filter in a feedback path in order to 
enhance light emission at a discrete resonant optical frequency. However, 
the fabrication of these distributed feedback lasers is complicated 
resulting in low yield. 
One of the most elegant and simple techniques to achieve a single frequency 
laser is to dope a semiconductor junction with erbium ions. In this 
technique, erbium ions are introduced into the semiconductor through ion 
implantation, molecular beam epitaxy or liquid phase epitaxy. The erbium 
ions are excited when the host semiconductor is either optically or 
electrically excited/injected with electrons and holes. The exact nature 
of energy transfer between the erbium and the electrons/holes is unknown. 
However, when the erbium ions are excited by optically or electrically 
exciting/injecting the host semiconductor by electrons and holes, the 
erbium emits light at its atomic transition of approximately 1.54 microns. 
This atomic linewidth is potentially extremely narrow. Electroluminescence 
and photoluminescence of rare earth elements in compound semiconductor 
media such as indium phosphide and gallium arsenide are discussed by 
various publications by a number of authors. See, for example, the 
following: 
1. H. Ennen et al., "Rare Earth Activated Luminescence in InP, GaP and 
GaAs" J. Crystal Growth, 64 (1983) 165-168. 
2. A. G. Dmitriev et al., "Electroluminescence of Ytterbium-doped Indium 
Phosphide," Soviet Phys. Semicond., 17(10) 1983, 1201. 
3. W. T. Tsang et al., "Observation of Enhanced Single Longitudinal Mode 
Operation in 1.5 um GaInAsP Erbium-doped Semiconductor Injection Lasers," 
Appl. Phys. Letters, 49 (25), 1986, 1686-1688. 
4. J. P. Van Der Ziel et al., "Single Longitudinal Mode Operation of 
Er-Doped 1.5 um InGaAsP Lasers," Appl. Phys. Letters, 50 (19) 1987, 
1313-1315. 
In the above-referenced article, Tsang and Logan matched the atomic 
transition of erbium with a semiconductor transition, with the atomic 
erbium transition energy slightly greater than the semiconductor (GaInAsP) 
transition. They reported single mode operation of the erbium-doped 
GaInAsP diode laser. 
The technique used for incorporation of the rare earth ions into the 
semiconductor material is critical in developing a successful device. 
While liquid phase epitaxy and molecular beam epitaxy may be used, ion 
implantation offers better ion spatial distribution and doping control 
compared to liquid phase epitaxy or molecular beam epitaxy for the 
incorporation of these heavy ions. In both liquid phase epitaxy and 
molecular beam epitaxy, the erbium ions tend to cluster at heterojunction 
interfaces and cause inhomogeneities in the epitaxial layers (see 
reference 4 above). 
In ion implantation, epitaxial layers are first grown and the rare earth 
ions then introduced through implantation. Therefore, the implanted ions 
will have minimal disturbance on the epitaxial quality. The ions are then 
activated by high temperature annealing. Since the rare earth elements are 
heavy, typically they are implanted only to shallow depths in the 
epitaxial layers. Hence they will remain close to the surface of the 
epitaxial layers. When excited, they will emit light at the linewidth of 
1.54 microns. However, since they remain close to the surface of the 
epitaxial layers, it is difficult to confine the light emitted. It is 
therefore desirable to provide a semiconductor structure and system of 
manufacture in which such difficulties are overcome. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention is based on the observation that the surface of the 
epitaxially grown layers after the heavy rare earth ions have been 
implanted is not damaged significantly so that further epitaxial layers 
may be grown thereon to confine the light emitted by the rare earth ions. 
The method of this invention for fabricating a semiconductor laser 
comprises providing a body of semiconductor material having a first buffer 
layer and an active layer on said first buffer layer and implanting dopant 
ions into said active layer of the body. The dopant is such that energy 
transfer between the unimplanted material in the active layer and the 
dopant ions implanted causes lasing action substantially at a single 
frequency characteristic of the dopant ions. The method further comprises 
annealing the body to activate the dopant ions and growing epitaxially a 
second buffer layer on said active layer, wherein the two buffer layers 
confine light emitted by said active layer. The buffer layers also act to 
confine the electrically injected carriers, as in conventional 
semiconductor diode lasers, to increase the quantum efficiency. 
The semiconductor laser structure of this invention comprises a first 
buffer layer and an active layer on the first buffer layer (double 
heterostructure). The active layer contains dopant ions where the dopant 
ions are such that energy transfer between the unimplanted material in the 
active layer and the dopant ions causes lasing action substantially at a 
single frequency characteristic of said dopant ions. The structure further 
comprises a second buffer layer epitaxially grown on the active layer 
after the active layer has been doped. The two buffer layers confine light 
emitted by the active layer and also confine the current to increase 
quantum efficiency.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor structure to illustrate 
the invention. As shown in FIG. 1, a semiconductor structure 10 is 
provided which comprises a substrate layer 12, a first buffer layer 14, an 
active layer 16, and a thin second buffer layer 18. Structure 10 may be 
formed by starting with a substrate 12. The first buffer layer 14, the 
active layer 16, and the second buffer layer 18 are then grown 
sequentially onto substrate 12 epitaxially. While in the preferred 
embodiment, substrate 12 is used as the starting material, it will be 
understood that the buffer layer 14 may be used as the starting material 
instead with no substrate 12. As shown in FIG. 1, substrate 12 is made of 
n+InP and the first buffer layer 14 is composed of n-InP; active layer 14 
is composed of GaInAsP and layer 18 is p-InP. 
Layers 14 and 18 have smaller indices of refraction compared to active 
layer 16 in order to confine light emitted in layer 16 to the active 
layer. While the substrate, active and buffer layers are illustrated with 
the above-described composition, it will be understood that these layers 
may be made of other semiconductor materials instead. Thus these layers 
may be made from a group III-V semiconductor material which may be GaAs, 
InGaAs, InGaAsP, AlGaInAs, AlGaAs, AlGaInP or GaInP. Various combinations 
of these materials may be used for the different layers in structure 10 
provided that the bandgap of layer 16 matches approximately the dopant 
ions as described below and that the indices of refraction of the buffer 
layers 14, 18 are smaller than that of active layer 16 to confine the 
propagation of the light emitted from layer 16. Still other types of 
semiconductor materials may be used for the layers 12-18. All such 
configurations are within the scope of the invention. 
Structure 10 of FIG. 1 is one structure one may start with for constructing 
the desired single frequency semiconductor laser diode. Other structures 
include, for example, the V-groove type configuration. A surface emitting 
laser may also be constructed using the system described below. The next 
step is illustrated in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, erbium (Er) ions are 
caused to impinge the thin buffer layer 18 of structure 10. The thickness 
of layer 18 and the energy of impinging erbium ions are chosen so that the 
resulting erbium doping is maximum within the active layer 16. As 
discussed above, erbium ions have heavy mass so that they do not penetrate 
deep into structure 10. Since layer 18 is chosen to be thin, even the 
heavy erbium ions can readily penetrate to reach the active layer 16 so 
that the concentration of erbium is maximized within layer 16. 
In order for the resulting structure to be more effective in confining the 
propagation of light within the active layer 16, it is desirable for the 
second buffer layer 18 to be thick. If layer 18 before the implantation of 
erbium ions is thick, the erbium dopants will not be able to reach the 
active layer 16. By choosing a second buffer layer 18 which is thin, it is 
then possible for the erbium ions to be implanted in the active layer. 
This invention is based on the observation that the second buffer layer 18 
may be made thicker after the erbium ions have been implanted. However, 
before the second buffer layer can be thickened, the erbium ions implanted 
are first activated by heating structure 10 to an elevated temperature for 
annealing. Such annealing process is known to those skilled in the art. 
In order for a thicker second buffer layer to be formed on top of structure 
10, it is necessary to further epitaxially grow layer 18 so that it has 
the desired thickness in order to confine the propagation of light within 
layer 16. Ion implantation in many processes frequently causes damage to 
the surface of a structure to the extent that epitaxial growth can no 
longer occur without annealing. In some cases, the surface damage due to 
ion implantation is not significant, so that good epitaxial layers may be 
grown prior to annealing. Hence it may be possible to anneal after the 
second buffer layer 18 is thickened. With composition of structure 10 as 
described above, however, for certain dose and energy the implantation of 
erbium ions does not cause damage to the surface of layer 18 to the extent 
that epitaxial growth cannot occur. Hence layer 18 can be thickened to 
become layer 18' through an epitaxial growth process. A further contact 
layer composed of GaInAsP may be grown on top of the finished second 
buffer layer 18' as shown in FIG. 3. 
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the semiconductor structure of FIG. 3 
after further processing to add ohmic contact layers. As shown in FIG. 4, 
the contact layer 22 and a portion of the second buffer layer 18' are 
etched and a P-ohmic contact layer 24 is deposited on top thereof to form 
a simple ridge structure. A N-ohmic contact layer 26 is deposited 
underneath the substrate 12. While in the preferred embodiment, the 
contact layer 22 is grown epitaxially, it will be understood that contacts 
other than that grown epitaxially may also be used and are within the 
scope of the invention, such as metal ohmic contact layers deposited by 
evaporation. 
Structure 20 of FIG. 4 may be electrically or optically excited/injected 
with the creation of electrons and holes. The energy transfer between the 
electrons/holes and the erbium ions present in active layer 16 causes the 
erbium to emit at its atomic transition of 1.54 microns. While the exact 
nature of the energy transfer is unknown, the single frequency emission 
has been observed and is potentially extremely narrow. 
Dopants other than erbium may also be used, such as another rare earth 
dopant, such as neodymium or ytterbium. The dopant may even be a non-rare 
earth element where single frequency emission at other frequencies is 
desired. All such combinations are within the scope of the invention. 
While it is preferable to employ a structure 10 having a thin second buffer 
layer 18 in addition to the first buffer layer 14 and the active layer 16, 
it will be understood that the second thin buffer layer is not required 
for the invention. Thus even if layer 18 is eliminated from the structure 
10, the implantation of erbium ions, the growth of the second buffer layer 
18' and of contact layers may be formed in exactly the same manner as 
described above. 
While the invention has been described by reference to specific 
illustrations above, it will be understood that various modifications and 
changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention 
which is to be limited only by the appended claims.