Patent ID: RE45084

Claim:
A method for creating a photonic device comprising the steps of : a) selecting a base structure; b) forming an optical structure on the base structure; c) forming a coherent photonic emitter device on the optical structure; d) depositing at least one metal contact on the coherent photonic emitter device; e) creating at least one facet having a first surface on the coherent photonic emitter structure device , the optical structure , and the base structure, wherein the facet and an output trench are created simultaneously by etching at least one trench and facet into the base structure; f) depositing a first sacrificial spacer layer along the horizontal and vertical trench surfaces and a user-definable portion of the optical structure; g) depositing an intermediate layer on the sacrificial spacer layer; h) returning to steps (f) and (g) repeating said depositing a first sacrificial layer and said depositing an intermediate layer if additional sacrificial spacer layers are desired , otherwise proceeding to step (i) ; i) depositing a mask layer over the sacrificial spacer layers and the intermediate layers deposited in steps (f), (g) and (h) ; j) defining openings in the mask layer beside the facets adjacent to each end of a trench; k) etching holes in the sacrificial spacer and the intermediate layers beneath the openings in the mask layer; and l) removing a user-definable portion of each sacrificial spacer layer.