Fabrication process of laser structures with lateral confinement at very low threshold current

Abstract: It is described a process for producing multilayer structures suitable for the emission of coherent luminous radiation (Laser) by means of electric power, including a substrate (Su), a first epitaxial layer (CL1), an active layer (ATT) having a composition suitable for emitting luminous radiation having a wished wavelength, an optical and electric confinement layer, a further optical and electric confinement layer and an electric contact layer (Cont). The invention includes also the devices obtained by means of related process.

Description: The present invention relates to a process for producing a multilayer device which emits coherent luminous radiation (laser radiation) upon the application of electric power. The device typically includes a substrate, a first epitaxial layer, an active layer which emits luminous radiation of a desired wavelength, a second epitaxial layer, an optical and electric confinement layer, and an electric contact layer. As is well known, solid-state layer structures emit luminous radiation from zones having lateral dimensions on the order of few micrometers. Various methods have been developed for confining the passage of electric energy to the luminous emission region in an effort to obtain the maximum electric-optical conversation efficiency. EP-A-0 358 569, which is a prior-art document in accordance with Art. 54(3) and (4) as far as Germany and the United Kingdom are concerned, describes a method that employs steps A) to E) set forth in claim 1. A laser structure which results from such a method is further known from "Neues aus der Technik", Würzburg, No. 1, 20 February 1987, page 6, "Eisenimplantierter DCPBH-Laser". It is an object of the present invention to provide a laser structure with very low threshold current, high-power luminous emission and high modulation speed by further reducing the area of electric current flow outside the laser-active region. The invention accomplishes this object by the process defined in claim 1. A preferred embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to the drawings, Figures A) to G) of which illustrate the sequence of steps employed for processing a laser structure. A) First epitaxial growth The fabrication of the device begins by growing the following layers in series onto a suitable semiconductor substrate (Su), such as Indium phosphide (InP) or Gallium arsenide (GaAs) of n-type or p-type, by Liquid Phase Epitaxy (LPE) or Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD), Chemical Beam-Epitaxy (CBE) techniques or the like: a layer CL1 of InP or GaAs of n-type or p-type having a thickness suitable for creating a layer of physical and optical isolation between the substrate Su and the active layer ATT; an active layer ATT of an alloy such as InGaAsP not intentionally doped, having the same reticular parameter as the layer CL1, and having a composition and thickness suitable for the stimulated emission of photons of a desired wavelength with a low injection current; a layer CL2 of doped InGaAsP having the same lattice constant as the layer ATT, with a doping, composition and thickness suitable for increasing the optical confinement of radiation generated in the layer ATT; and a sacrificial "protection" layer made of Indium phosphide or Gallium arsenide (PR) having a thickness of 0.05-0.1 micrometers, suitable for preventing contamination of layer CL2. B) Definition of strip for creating the active layer bi) Using photolithographic techniques, the photoresist strip that limits the active layer of the laser is created; bii) the process of transcription onto the semiconductor occurs by erosion made by ion bombardment; the layers PR, CL2, ATT are removed from the areas not protected by photoresist. C) Ion implantation of types suitable for the electric insulation The structure resulting from the ionic erosion is subjected to: ci) An ion implantation of elements, preferably Co or Fe, which, when introduced into the layer CL1 and activated by a suitable thermal treatment, form deep energetic levels in the forbidden band of the implanted semiconductor, thus inhibiting electric conduction of the implanted semiconductor or reducing it by many orders of magnitude. The ion penetration is prevented completely in the areas protected by photoresist (the same as used as a mask in the step b)), the photoresist having a thickness suitable for guaranteeing the complete absorption of incident ions. Therefore, the implanted areas are self-aligned. cii) The lateral epitaxial parts ATT and CL2, subjected to ion bombardment with the resultant reduction of conversion efficiency from electrical to optical energy, are removed by wet selective etching. ciii) The photoresist that limits the strip is removed by suitable solvents. In the following step, the layer PR is selectively removed, exposing the surface of layer CL2 and removing a minimum part of the layer CL1 subject to the implantation. D) Recrystallization and activation of implanted areas Using a suitable thermal treatment, the implanted areas are brought back to their original crystal structure and the atoms introduced into the structure assume replacement positions in crystal lattice, thus introducing deep energetic levels in the forbidden band, establishing electron capture centers in the crystal whose concentration is reduced by many orders of magnitude. This recrystallization process can be conducted as a "separate" treatment before making the second epitaxial growth or can be an integral part of the second epitaxial growth described below: E) Second epitaxial growth A layer (CL3) of InP or GaAs of n-type or p-type, suitable for optical and electrical confinement, is deposited on top of the structure obtained from process steps a)-c). Finally, a layer (CONT) of InGaAsP is deposited for facilitating the formation of ohmic contacts, described in step g). F) Proton damage The structure is selectively bombarded with protons (only the areas distant some micrometers from the strip of active bombarded area (PROT)) to generate areas of some micrometers depth, where the crystal structure is perturbed and the electric conduction is inhibited. The purpose of this step is to reduce the parasitic capacity of the device, the capacity decreasing with increasing depth of the perturbed structure. G) Ohmic contacts The device is completed with the formation, by vacuum vaporization and thermal treatment, of ohmic contacts (OHM), that allow the laser to be connected externally. The laser structure obtained in this manner has a low parasitic capacity and very low threshold current caused by the real absence of parasitic junctions. The obtained structure has the following notable advantages: The current confining structure on the same plane of the pn junction of the laser diode and the self-alignment of the structure increases the concentration of injection current in the active region. The reduction of parasitic capacitance also allows an increase of dynamic performance that is again increased by the following proton implantation, Finally, it must be emphasized that this structure is made entirely with well known epitaxial growth techniques. Among other advantages, the produced devices work with very low threshold currents; the same devices can operate at high luminous emission powers; the devices can work at high modulation speeds; the process allows one to obtain high production yields and, due to the uniformity and homogeneity of the layered structure, a device is obtained which has superior electrical and optical characteristics.

Claims: A process of producing a laser structure, comprising the steps of A) epitaxially growing on a substrate (Su) a first layer (CL1), a laser-active layer (ATT), and a second layer (CL2), B) removing lateral portions of said laser-active layer (ATT) and second layer (CL2) by photolithography and etching to produce a laser-active strip, C) submitting the resulting structure to ion implantation of elements suitable to generate high-resistivity zones in said first layer (CL1) outside said laser-active strip, D) activating the implanted elements by thermal treatment, E) epitaxially growing on the resulting structure a third layer (CL3) and an electric contact layer (CONT), F) subjecting areas of the resulting structure spaced some micrometers from said laser-active strip to proton bombardment, and G) completing the resulting structure with ohmic contacts (OHM) on said substrate (Su) and contact layer (CONT). The process of claim 1, wherein said substrate (Su), said first layer (CL1) and said third layer (CL3) are made of InP or GaAs, and said laser-active layer (ATT), said second layer (CL2) and said contact layer (CONT) are made of an alloy based on P, As, Ga and In. The process of claim 1 or 2, wherein Fe or Co is used as the element in step C). The process of any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein a protection layer (PR) of InP or GaAs is formed on said second layer (CL2) prior to step B) and removed after step C).

Inventors: PELLEGRINO SERGIO, VIDIMARI FABIO, PELLEGRINO, SERGIO, VIDIMARI, FABIO
Applicants: ALCATEL ITALIA, ALCATEL ITALIA SOCIETA PER AZIONI
Application year: 1990
Main classification: H01L33
IPC codes: H01S5, H01L33