Patent ID: 7486709

Claim:
A semiconductor laser comprising a semiconductor substrate, an active region, a ridge waveguide, a driving electrode structure, and a micro-heating element structure, wherein: said driving electrode structure is positioned over said semiconductor substrate and over said ridge waveguide; said active region is defined within said semiconductor substrate and is configured for stimulated emission of photons under an electrical bias generated by said driving electrode structure; said ridge waveguide is positioned over said semiconductor substrate to optically guide said stimulated emission of photons along a longitudinal dimension of said semiconductor laser; said micro-heating element structure is positioned over said semiconductor substrate and comprises a pair of thin film heating element strips extending from one terminal end portion of sad strip to another along said longitudinal dimension of said semiconductor laser on opposite sides of said ridge waveguide and on opposite sides of portions of said driving electrode structure; said thin film heating element strips and at least a portion of said driving electrode structure occupy respective portions of a common fabrication layer on common sides of said ridge waveguide; and said driving electrode structure further comprises electrically conductive traces in said common fabrication layer, said electrically conductive traces extending from portions of said driving electrode structure interposed between said thin film heating element strips around said terminal end portions of said thin film heating element strips.