Patent ID: 7599403

Claim:
A superluminescent diode (SLD) comprising: an InP substrate having a LD (laser diode) region and a SOA (semiconductor optical amplifier) region for amplifying light emitted from the LD region; an optical waveguide having a BRS (buried ridge stripe) structure having an active layer of resonant stripe pattern formed on the InP substrate and extending from the SOA region to the LD region wherein the active layer comprising a plurality of alternating unstrained barrier layers and strained quantum well layers; a first electrode formed on the active layer in the SOA region; a second electrode formed on the active layer in the LD region and electrically isolated from the first electrode; and a current blocking region interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode to electrically isolate the first electrode and the second electrode from each other wherein the current blocking region is formed of an ion-implanted InP clad layer that is formed on the active layer.