Patent ID: 7359113

Claim:
A semiconductor optical amplifier comprising: a substrate; a gain section, disposed on said substrate, for providing gain to an optical signal; a current injection electrode for receiving current and providing said current to said gain section, wherein a current density associated with said current varies across a length of said gain section, wherein said current density varies across said length of said gain section as a result of a variable resistance associated with a layer beneath a metallization layer of said current injection electrode and wherein said current injection electrode includes said metallization layer and a dielectric layer, said dielectric layer having a plurality of openings formed therein wherein said plurality of openings are disposed in a pattern which creates said variable resistance to said current along said length of said gain section, wherein said plurality of openings are circular, each of said plurality of openings having the same diameter, wherein a spacing between each of said plurality of openings increases from an output side of said semiconductor optical amplifier to an input side of said semiconductor optical amplifier.