Semiconductor light source and preparation method

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention discloses a semiconductor light source and a method for manufacturing the same. The method comprises the following steps: forming an epitaxial layer on a first surface of a substrate, comprising an active region and a passive region sequentially divided along a light transmission direction; fabricating a single waveguide in the active region; and fabricating multiple waveguides in the passive region, wherein the output end of the single waveguide is connected to the input end of the multiple waveguides. This method arranges an epitaxial layer in the light transmission direction and divides it into an active region and a passive region. A single waveguide structure is then arranged in the active region, a multiple waveguide structure is arranged in the passive region, and the output end of the single waveguide structure is connected to the input end of the multiple waveguide structure. This allows the light beam to gradually transform from a single waveguide structure to a multiple waveguide structure, thereby obtaining an expanded near-field mode spot and enabling the edge-emitting chip to output light with a small divergence angle, thereby achieving higher light coupling efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present invention relate to the field of optoelectronics, and in particular to a semiconductor light source and a preparation method thereof. Background Art

[0002] With the advancement of optical communication technology, higher requirements are being placed on the semiconductor light sources used in these devices. Waveguide edge-emitting chips, particularly those used in semiconductor light sources, are often used for high-speed and long-distance transmission due to their excellent single-mode characteristics. In practical applications, these edge-emitting chips must be packaged and the light beam coupled into an optical fiber for guided transmission.

[0003] Currently, most edge-emitting chips use edge coupling to enter optical fibers. The efficiency of edge coupling is determined by the chip's divergence angle. To achieve higher coupling efficiency, it is necessary to expand the near-field mode spot, thereby reducing the chip's divergence angle. Common solutions include widening or narrowing the output waveguide, and introducing an output window structure.

[0004] However, the two solutions of widening and narrowing the output waveguide have limited actual adjustment range in specific applications; the solution of introducing the output window structure requires etching the quantum well structure on the light-emitting side and then growing passive indium phosphide material. This structure easily leads to high-order mode lasing, the length needs to be precisely controlled, and the implementation process is complicated. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The main purpose of the embodiments of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor light source and a manufacturing method thereof, aiming to achieve output of an edge-emitting chip with a small divergence angle, thereby obtaining a higher light coupling efficiency.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, an embodiment of the present invention provides a semiconductor light source, comprising: a substrate and an epitaxial layer arranged on a first surface of the substrate, the epitaxial layer comprising an active region and a passive region divided sequentially along a light transmission direction, wherein: the active region is provided with a single waveguide; the passive region is provided with multiple waveguides; the output end of the single waveguide is connected to the incident end of the multiple waveguides.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, an embodiment of the present invention further proposes a method for preparing a semiconductor light source, which comprises the following steps: forming an epitaxial layer including an active area and a passive area divided in sequence along the light transmission direction on the first surface of the substrate; making a single waveguide in the active area; and making multiple waveguides in the passive area, wherein the output end of the single waveguide is connected to the incident end of the multiple waveguides.

[0008] The semiconductor light source and preparation method proposed in the embodiments of the present invention provide an epitaxial layer on the semiconductor light source along the light transmission direction, divide the epitaxial layer into an active area and a passive area along the light transmission direction, and provide a single waveguide structure in the active area and a multi-waveguide structure in the passive area. The output end of the single waveguide structure is connected to the incident end of the multi-waveguide structure, and the light beam is transmitted from the single waveguide structure to the multi-waveguide structure output, thereby obtaining an enlarged near-field mode spot, thereby achieving a small divergence angle output and obtaining a higher light coupling efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of an existing electro-absorption modulated laser;

[0010] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of an existing directly modulated semiconductor laser;

[0011] Figure 3 This is a schematic structural diagram of a semiconductor light source according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0012] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a semiconductor light source according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0013] Figure 5A is a transverse cross-sectional view of a semiconductor light source according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0014] Figure 5B is a transverse cross-sectional view of a semiconductor light source according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 6A 1 is a schematic diagram of a near-field mode spot of a semiconductor light source according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 6B This is a schematic diagram of the near-field mode spot of a semiconductor light source according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 7A is a far-field schematic diagram of a semiconductor light source according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 7B is a far-field schematic diagram of a semiconductor light source according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of divergence angle curves of a semiconductor light source according to an embodiment of the present invention and a conventional chip;

[0020] Figure 9 is a flow chart of a method for preparing a semiconductor light source according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figures 10A to 10H 1 is a process diagram of a method for preparing a semiconductor light source according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figures 11A to 11G It is a process schematic diagram of a method for preparing a semiconductor light source according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Reference numerals:

[0024] Substrate 100, single waveguide 300, laser 500, electrical isolation portion 600, modulator 700, active region 210, passive region 220, dual waveguide 310, triple waveguide 320, first quantum well layer 510, grating layer 520, first waveguide layer 530, second waveguide layer 610, second quantum well layer 710, third waveguide layer 720, fourth waveguide layer 230, fifth waveguide layer 240, hard mask 211, dielectric layer 212, first insulating layer 213, second P-electrode 215, first P-electrode 216, anti-reflection film 217, high-reflection film 218, N-electrode 219, second insulating layer 231. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0026] In the following description, suffixes such as "module," "component," or "unit" used to represent elements are used only to facilitate the description of the present invention and have no specific meaning. Therefore, "module," "component," or "unit" may be used interchangeably.

[0027] It should be understood that in the description of the embodiments of the present invention, "multiple" (or multiple) means more than two, "greater than," "less than," and "exceed" are understood to exclude the number itself, and "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the number itself. The use of terms such as "first" and "second" is solely for the purpose of distinguishing technical features and should not be construed to indicate or imply relative importance, or to implicitly specify the number or order of the technical features indicated.

[0028] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined, terms such as setting, installing, and connecting should be understood in a broad sense, and technicians in the relevant technical field can reasonably determine the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific content of the technical solution.

[0029] Those skilled in the art should appreciate that the connections described in the embodiments of the present invention include direct connections and indirect connections via intermediate components.

[0030] In addition, the technical features involved in the various embodiments of the present invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other. The embodiments of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] For ease of understanding, the semiconductor light source structure of the related art is first introduced. Figure 1 The figure is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of an existing electro-absorption modulated laser. Figure 1 The electro-absorption modulated laser shown includes a laser 500, an electrical isolation portion 600, and a modulator 700. The laser 500 and the modulator 700 are respectively provided with single waveguide structures 300a and 300b to guide and transmit the light beam. Figure 2 The figure is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of an existing directly modulated semiconductor laser. Figure 2 The directly modulated semiconductor laser shown is a vertical cavity surface semiconductor laser 500, which is provided with a single waveguide structure 300c for guiding and transmitting a light beam. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the semiconductor light source generally only includes an active region 210 , and the guided transmission of the light beam is achieved through the single waveguide structure of the active region 210 .

[0032] Figure 3 FIG. 1 shows a semiconductor light source provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 As shown, the semiconductor light source includes a substrate 100 and an epitaxial layer arranged on the first surface of the substrate 100. The epitaxial layer includes an active area 210 and a passive area 220 divided in sequence along the light transmission direction, wherein the active area 210 is a powered area that can achieve gain amplification or light beam modulation, and the passive area 220 is a non-powered area. In an embodiment of the present invention, the active area 210 is provided with a single waveguide, and the passive area 220 is provided with multiple waveguides, and the output end of the single waveguide is connected to the incident end of the multiple waveguides. The semiconductor light source is divided into an active area 210 and a passive area 220 along the light transmission direction, and the light beam is output from the single waveguide guided mode of the active area 210 to the multiple waveguides of the passive area 220, so that the near-field mode spot of the light beam can be expanded, thereby achieving a small divergence angle output and obtaining a higher light coupling efficiency.

[0033] It should be understood that the single waveguide of the embodiment of the present invention can be connected to the multi-waveguide through a mode converter, so as to achieve a transition connection between the single waveguide and the multi-waveguide through the mode converter.

[0034] Exemplarily, the mode converter may include a rectangular waveguide, a wedge-shaped waveguide, and a curved waveguide. In a specific implementation, the line width of the rectangular waveguide and the wedge-shaped waveguide may be set to 1µm to 3µm, and the length may be set to 1µm to 50µm; the length of the curved waveguide may be set to 3µm to 50µm. Of course, the mode converter may also include only one or two of the rectangular waveguide, the wedge-shaped waveguide, and the curved waveguide; or, any of the rectangular waveguide, the wedge-shaped waveguide, and the curved waveguide may be replaced with a waveguide of a similar shape. The embodiments of the present invention do not impose excessive restrictions on the specific implementation of the mode converter.

[0035] The substrate 100 of the embodiment of the present invention may be a structure made of an n-type indium phosphide material, and the thickness of the indium phosphide substrate 100 may be 350 μm.

[0036] The thickness of the epitaxial layer in the embodiment of the present invention may be 5 cm to 11 cm.

[0037] The active region 210 of the epitaxial layer of the embodiment of the present invention includes a laser 500. For example, Figure 3 As shown, the laser 500 includes a first quantum well layer 510 , a grating layer 520 and a first waveguide layer 530 sequentially arranged along the epitaxial growth direction, and the single waveguide includes a first single waveguide arranged in the first waveguide layer 530 .

[0038] like Figure 3 As shown, the active region 210 of the epitaxial layer of the embodiment of the present invention may further include: an electrical isolation portion 600 and a modulator 700. The laser 500, the electrical isolation portion 600, and the modulator 700 are arranged in sequence along the direction of light transmission. These three constitute an electro-absorption modulated laser. In a specific implementation, the light emitted by the laser 500 is modulated by the electro-absorption modulator 700 waveguide and then output. The electrical isolation portion 600 is used to separate the laser 500 and the modulator 700. The quantum well structures of the laser 500 and the modulator 700 are different. For example, the number of quantum well pairs of the laser 500 is 8, and the number of quantum well pairs of the modulator 700 is 11.

[0039] For example, Figure 3 The illustrated electrical isolation portion 600 may include a second waveguide layer 610, where the second waveguide layer 610 is located in the active region 210. Optionally, a second insulating layer 231 may be further provided on the second waveguide layer 610.

[0040] For example, Figure 3 The modulator 700 shown may include a second quantum well layer 710 and a third waveguide layer 720 sequentially arranged along the epitaxial growth direction. In a specific implementation, the laser 500, the electrical isolation unit 600, and the modulator 700 are sequentially arranged in the epitaxial layer along the light transmission direction. The light beam passes through the laser 500 and the waveguide layer of the electrical isolation unit 600 and is transmitted to the third waveguide layer 720.

[0041] It is understandable that a lower confinement layer may be provided between the substrate 100 and the first quantum well layer 510 and the second quantum well layer 710 , and a dielectric layer 212 may be provided on the first waveguide layer 530 and the third waveguide layer 720 , respectively.

[0042] For example, Figure 3 The single waveguide shown further includes a second single waveguide provided in the second waveguide layer 610 and a third single waveguide provided in the third waveguide layer 720. The light beam is guided and transmitted through the first single waveguide, the second single waveguide and the third single waveguide.

[0043] like Figure 3 As shown, the passive region 220 of the epitaxial layer of the embodiment of the present invention includes a fourth waveguide layer 230, and multiple waveguides are arranged in the fourth waveguide layer 230. In a specific implementation, the line width of the multiple waveguide structure can be set to 0.2µm to 1µm, and the distance between the waveguides can be set to 0.1µm to 1µm.

[0044] For example, the first quantum well layer 510 and the second quantum well layer 710 of the embodiment of the present invention can be made of indium gallium arsenide phosphide or indium gallium arsenide aluminum material, the strain can be set to 1.2% to 1.5%, and the quantum well logarithm can be set to 8 to 12.

[0045] For example, Figure 3 As shown, a first P-electrode 216 is formed on the first waveguide layer 530, where the first P-electrode is the P-electrode of the laser 500; a second P-electrode 215 is formed on the third waveguide layer 720, where the second P-electrode 215 is the P-electrode of the modulator 700; an N-electrode 219 is provided on the second surface of the substrate 100; an anti-reflection film 217 is coated on the light-emitting side of the semiconductor light source, and a high-reflection film 218 is coated on the backlight side.

[0046] The solution provided by the embodiments of the present invention divides the epitaxial layer of the semiconductor light source into an active region 210 and a passive region 220 along the light transmission direction. A single waveguide structure is provided in the active region 210, and a multi-waveguide structure is provided in the passive region 220. The output end of the single waveguide structure is connected to the input end of the multi-waveguide structure to transmit the light beam from the single waveguide structure to the multi-waveguide structure output. This achieves an expanded near-field mode spot, thereby achieving a small divergence angle output and higher light coupling efficiency. Furthermore, by providing multi-waveguide structures of different sizes and spacing, higher coupling efficiency into the optical fiber can be achieved.

[0047] like Figure 4 As shown, Figure 4 A semiconductor light source provided by another embodiment of the present invention is shown, which includes a substrate 100 and an epitaxial layer arranged on the first surface of the substrate 100. The epitaxial layer includes an active region 210 and a passive region 220 divided in sequence along the light transmission direction, wherein the active region 210 is provided with a single waveguide; the passive region 220 is provided with multiple waveguides; and the output end of the single waveguide is connected to the incident end of the multiple waveguides. The semiconductor light source is divided into an active region 210 and a passive region 220 along the light transmission direction, wherein the active region 210 is a powered region that can gain amplify or modulate the light beam, and the passive region 220 is an unpowered region. The light beam is output from the single waveguide guided mode of the active region 210 to the multiple waveguides of the passive region 220. After passing through the multiple waveguides, the light beam obtains an expanded near-field mode spot and can be output with a small divergence angle, thereby obtaining a higher light coupling efficiency.

[0048] It should be understood that the single waveguide of the embodiment of the present invention can be connected to the multi-waveguide through a mode converter, so as to achieve a transition connection between the single waveguide and the multi-waveguide through the mode converter.

[0049] Exemplarily, the mode converter may include a rectangular waveguide, a wedge-shaped waveguide, and a curved waveguide. In a specific implementation, the line width of the rectangular waveguide and the wedge-shaped waveguide may be set to 1µm to 3µm, and the length may be set to 1µm to 50µm; the length of the curved waveguide may be set to 3µm to 50µm. Of course, the mode converter may include only one or two of the rectangular waveguide, the wedge-shaped waveguide, and the curved waveguide; alternatively, any of the rectangular waveguide, the wedge-shaped waveguide, and the curved waveguide may be replaced with a waveguide of a similar shape. The embodiments of the present invention do not impose excessive restrictions on the specific configuration of the mode converter.

[0050] Exemplarily, the epitaxial layer of the semiconductor light source includes a laser 500. Figure 4 As shown, the laser 500 may specifically include: a first quantum well layer 510, a grating layer 520 and a first waveguide layer 530 arranged in sequence along the epitaxial growth direction, the first quantum well layer 510, the grating layer 520 and the first waveguide layer 530 are located in the active area 210, and the single waveguide includes a first single waveguide arranged in the first waveguide layer 530.

[0051] like Figure 4 As shown, in a possible implementation, the epitaxial layer may further include a fifth waveguide layer 240, which is disposed on a side of the first quantum well layer 510 close to the substrate 100, thereby obtaining a vertical dual-waveguide structure laser 500. For example, Figure 4 The fifth waveguide layer 240 shown extends from the active region 210 to the passive region 220, with multiple waveguides disposed in the portion of the fifth waveguide layer 240 located in the passive region 220. In a specific implementation, the linewidth of the multi-waveguide structure can be set to 0.2µm to 1µm, and the distance between waveguides can be set to 0.1µm to 1µm. A first insulating layer 213 can also be disposed above the portion of the fifth waveguide layer 240 located in the passive region 220.

[0052] Optionally, the single waveguide further includes a fourth single waveguide provided in the fifth waveguide layer 240 , that is, the single waveguide is provided in the portion of the fifth waveguide layer 240 located in the active region 210 .

[0053] Figure 4 In a specific implementation of the illustrated embodiment, a light beam is generated in the first quantum well layer 510 , guided through the first waveguide layer 530 and enters the multi-waveguide of the fifth waveguide layer 240 located in the passive region 220 .

[0054] Figure 5A is a transverse cross-sectional view of a semiconductor light source according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5AAs shown, the multi-waveguides in the passive region according to the embodiment of the present invention may be three waveguides 320 , and the single waveguide 300 in the active region 210 transitions to the three waveguides 320 in the passive region 220 via a mode converter. Figure 5B FIG. 1 is a transverse cross-sectional view of another semiconductor light source according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5B As shown, the multi-waveguide in the embodiment of the present invention may be a dual waveguide 310. Of course, the multi-waveguide structure in the embodiment of the present invention may also use a multi-waveguide with a larger number of waveguides, and this embodiment does not impose too many restrictions on the specific form of the multi-waveguide.

[0055] Figure 6A A schematic diagram of a near-field mode spot of a semiconductor light source having a passive region with three waveguides provided in one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7A A far-field schematic diagram of a semiconductor light source having a passive region with three waveguides provided in one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the divergence angle curve of the semiconductor light source according to an embodiment of the present invention and the existing chip. Figure 6A 、 Figure 7A and Figure 8 As shown, after the light beam is emitted from the three waveguides in the passive region, an expanded near-field mode spot is obtained, which can achieve a small divergence angle output, thereby improving the light coupling efficiency.

[0056] Figure 6B A schematic diagram of a near-field mode spot of a semiconductor light source having a passive region with dual waveguides provided in one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7B A far-field schematic diagram of a semiconductor light source having a passive region with dual waveguides provided in one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the divergence angle curve of the semiconductor light source according to an embodiment of the present invention and the existing chip. Figure 6B 、 Figure 7B and Figure 8 As shown, after the light beam is emitted from the dual waveguides in the passive region, an expanded near-field mode spot is obtained, which can achieve a small divergence angle output, thereby improving the light coupling efficiency.

[0057] This embodiment also provides a method for preparing a semiconductor light source, such as Figure 9 As shown, the method includes the following steps:

[0058] In step S100 , an epitaxial layer is formed on a first surface of a substrate 100 , including an active area 210 and a passive area 220 sequentially divided along a light transmission direction.

[0059] In this embodiment of the present invention, an epitaxial layer is formed on the surface of the semiconductor light source substrate 100. This epitaxial layer includes an active region 210 and a passive region 220, which are sequentially divided along the light transmission direction. The active region 210 is the chip's multi-quantum well region and is a powered region with high intrinsic absorption of the waveguide, used to achieve gain amplification and / or modulation of the optical signal. The passive region 220 is a bulk material and is an unpowered region with low intrinsic absorption of the waveguide.

[0060] Illustratively, in step S100, an epitaxial layer including an active area 210 and a passive area 220 divided sequentially along the light transmission direction is formed on the first surface of the substrate 100. This can be specifically achieved in the following manner: epitaxially growing an active layer on the first surface of the substrate 100 to obtain the active area 210 of the epitaxial layer; removing a portion of the active layer, and epitaxially growing a passive layer on the surface exposed after removing the active layer to obtain the passive area 220 of the epitaxial layer.

[0061] Step S200 , fabricating a single waveguide in the active region 210 ;

[0062] In step S300 , multiple waveguides are manufactured in the passive region 220 , and the output end of a single waveguide is connected to the input end of the multiple waveguides.

[0063] It should be understood that the multi-waveguide is a triple waveguide or a double waveguide, and the output end of the single waveguide is connected to the input end of the multi-waveguide. A mode converter can be provided between the single waveguide and the multi-waveguide to transition the single waveguide to the multi-waveguide.

[0064] For example, waveguide fabrication can be performed using contact lithography, vacuum lithography, projection lithography, or electron beam lithography, although this embodiment does not limit these methods. For example, epitaxial growth of semiconductor light sources can be performed using metal organic vapor deposition, selected area epitaxy, or molecular beam epitaxy, although this embodiment does not limit these methods.

[0065] It should be understood that the method, through steps S100, S200, and S300, divides the epitaxial layer disposed along the light transmission direction of the semiconductor light source into an active region 210 and a passive region 220. A single waveguide structure is then disposed in the active region 210, and a multi-waveguide structure is disposed in the passive region 220. The output end of the single waveguide structure is connected to the input end of the multi-waveguide structure. This allows the light beam to gradually transition from the single waveguide structure to the multi-waveguide structure, thereby obtaining an expanded near-field mode spot, thereby achieving a small divergence angle output and a higher optical coupling efficiency. Furthermore, the coupling efficiency of the light beam into the optical fiber can be adjusted by varying the size and spacing of the multi-waveguide structure.

[0066] The following is a detailed description of a method for preparing a semiconductor light source according to an embodiment of the present invention with reference to specific examples.

[0067] The method for preparing a semiconductor light source according to an embodiment of the present invention is used to prepare Figure 3 When the semiconductor light source is shown, it can be specifically realized by the following steps.

[0068] like Figure 10A As shown, a first quantum well layer 510, a grating layer 520, and a first waveguide layer 530 are epitaxially grown in sequence on the first surface of a substrate 100 to obtain a laser 500; and a second quantum well layer 710 and a third waveguide layer 720 are epitaxially grown in sequence on the first surface of the substrate 100 to obtain a modulator 700. In this way, an active layer is epitaxially grown on the first surface of the substrate 100 to obtain the active region 210 of the epitaxial layer, where the active layer includes the laser 500 and the modulator 700.

[0069] like Figure 10B As shown, a portion between the laser 500 and the modulator 700 is removed to expose the first surface of the substrate 100 to form an electrical isolation portion 600 between the laser 500 and the modulator 700. The electrical isolation portion 600 is used to isolate the electrodes of the laser 500 and the modulator 700.

[0070] like Figure 10B As shown, a portion of the second quantum well layer 710 and the third waveguide layer 720 is removed to expose the first surface of the substrate 100 to define the inactive region 220 .

[0071] In a specific implementation, a hard mask 211 can be provided on the laser 500 and the modulator 700. The hard mask 211 can be made of silicon dioxide or silicon nitride and has a pattern of the electrical isolation portion 600 and the passive region 220. Etching is then performed according to the pattern on the hard mask 211 to form the electrical isolation portion 600 and the passive region 220. The etching method can be a combination of dry and wet etching, with dry etching performed down to the corrosion barrier layer below the quantum well (i.e., the first surface of the substrate 100). The etched end surface is then rinsed with an etching solution, the bottom surface is aligned, and ion damage at the interface is removed.

[0072] like Figure 10C As shown, a fourth waveguide layer 230 is epitaxially grown on the first surface of the substrate 100 to obtain the passive region 220 of the epitaxial layer. In this way, a portion of the active layer is removed, and a passive layer is epitaxially grown on the surface exposed after the removal of the active layer to obtain the passive region 220 of the epitaxial layer.

[0073] like Figure 10CAs shown, a second waveguide layer 610 is epitaxially grown on the first surface of the substrate 100 to form the electrical isolation portion 600. The second waveguide layer 610 is an active layer, and the electrical isolation portion 600, the laser 500, and the modulator 700 together constitute the active region 210. At this point, the epitaxial layer comprising the active region 210 and the passive region 220, which are sequentially divided along the light transmission direction, is formed on the first surface of the substrate 100.

[0074] It should be understood that the fourth waveguide layer 230 and the second waveguide layer 610 may be made of a low-composition, low-refractive-index insulating indium gallium arsenide phosphide (InGaAsP) material.

[0075] like Figure 10D As shown, the hard mask 211 on the laser 500 and the modulator 700 is removed.

[0076] like Figure 10E As shown, a first single waveguide is fabricated in the first waveguide layer 530; a second single waveguide is fabricated in the second waveguide layer 610; a third single waveguide is fabricated in the third waveguide layer 720; and multiple waveguides are fabricated in the fourth waveguide layer 230. The waveguides in the active region 210 and the passive region 220 can be fabricated in a single step, eliminating the issue of waveguide axis deviation. Consequently, the light output axis remains stable, modal stability is enhanced, and packaging costs and efficiency are reduced. Specifically, projection lithography or electron beam lithography can be employed. In this manner, a single waveguide 300 is fabricated in the laser 500, modulator 700, and electrical isolation portion 600, while multiple waveguides are fabricated in the passive region 220. The multiple waveguides can be either triple waveguides 320 or dual waveguides 310. Furthermore, a mode converter can be provided between the single waveguide 300 and the multiple waveguides to achieve a transition from the single waveguide 300 to the multiple waveguides.

[0077] like Figure 10F As shown, a dielectric layer 212 is set on the laser 500 and the modulator 700. The dielectric layer 212 here can be silicon dioxide or silicon nitride material, including a P-electrode hollow pattern, which can be used as an electrode manufacturing template and a protective layer for the electrode contact surface of the laser 500 and the modulator 700.

[0078] like Figure 10G As shown, a second insulating layer 231 is grown on the second waveguide layer 610 in the electrical isolation region, and a first insulating layer 213 is grown on the fourth waveguide layer 230 in the passive region. Here, the second insulating layer 231 and the first insulating layer 213 serve as cladding layers of the second waveguide layer 610 and the fourth waveguide layer 230 , respectively, and may specifically be an insulating indium phosphide (InP) material having a refractive index consistent with that of the substrate 100 .

[0079] like Figure 10HAs shown, a first P-electrode 216 and a second P-electrode 215 are formed in the area corresponding to the hollow pattern of the dielectric layer 212, and an N-electrode 219 is formed on the second surface of the substrate 100. It can be understood that the first P-electrode 216 is located on the laser 500, and the second P-electrode 215 is located on the modulator 700, and the two P-electrodes are isolated by the electrical isolation portion 600. The P-electrode and the N-electrode 219 can be manufactured by magnetron sputtering or evaporation sputtering. In addition, after the first P-electrode 216 and the second P-electrode 215 are manufactured, the substrate 100 can be thinned and polished to 80µm to 120µm, and then the N-electrode 219 is provided on the second surface of the substrate 100.

[0080] like Figure 10H As shown, this example also has an anti-reflection film 217 on the light-emitting side and a high-reflection film 218 on the backlight side. The anti-reflection film 217 can have a reflectivity of less than 0.1%, and the high-reflection film 218 can have a reflectivity of 85% to 95%.

[0081] This example uses Figures 10A to 10H The preparation process shown in the figure obtains a semiconductor light source including a high-power laser 500, an electrical isolation part 600 and an electro-absorption modulator 700. The light-emitting side of the semiconductor light source is provided with a passive multi-waveguide to obtain an expanded near-field mode spot, thereby achieving a small divergence angle output and obtaining a higher optical coupling efficiency.

[0082] The method for preparing a semiconductor light source according to an embodiment of the present invention is used to prepare Figure 4 When the semiconductor light source is shown, it can be specifically realized by the following steps.

[0083] like Figure 11A As shown, the fifth waveguide layer 240, the first quantum well layer 510, the grating layer 520, and the first waveguide layer 530 are epitaxially grown on the first surface of the substrate 100 to form the active region 210 of the epitaxial layer. The fifth waveguide layer 240 can be made of a low-composition, low-refractive-index insulating indium gallium arsenide phosphide (InGaAsP) material. In this manner, the active layer is epitaxially grown on the first surface of the substrate 100 to form the active region 210 of the epitaxial layer.

[0084] like Figure 11BAs shown, a hard mask 211 is disposed on the first waveguide layer 530. Hard mask 211 can be made of silicon dioxide or silicon nitride and has a pattern for the passive region 220. Etching is then performed according to the pattern on hard mask 211 to obtain the area where the epitaxial layer passive region 220 will be formed. A combination of dry and wet etching methods can be used. Dry etching is performed down to the corrosion barrier layer beneath the quantum wells (i.e., the surface of the fifth waveguide layer 240). The first quantum well layer 510, grating layer 520, and a portion of the first waveguide layer 530 are removed, exposing the fifth waveguide layer 240 and forming the epitaxial layer passive region 220. In this manner, a portion of the active layer is removed, and a passive layer is epitaxially grown on the surface exposed after the active layer removal, forming the epitaxial layer passive region 220. The etched end faces are then rinsed with an etching solution, the bottom surface is aligned, and ion damage to the interface is removed.

[0085] like Figure 11C As shown, the hard mask 211 is removed.

[0086] like Figure 11D As shown, a first single waveguide 300 is fabricated in the first waveguide layer 530; after removing the first quantum well layer 510, the grating layer 520, and a portion of the first waveguide layer 530, a multi-waveguide is fabricated in the exposed portion of the fifth waveguide layer 240; the waveguides of the active region 210 and the passive region 220 can be fabricated in one step, without the problem of waveguide axis deviation, so the light output axis will not be deflected, the modal stability is increased, and it helps to reduce packaging costs and efficiency. Specifically, projection exposure or electron beam exposure can be used. The multi-waveguide here can be a triple waveguide or a dual waveguide. In addition, a mode converter can be provided between the active region 210 and the passive region 220 to achieve a transition connection from a single waveguide to a multi-waveguide.

[0087] like Figure 11E As shown, a dielectric layer 212 is provided on the first waveguide layer 530. The dielectric layer 212 here can be made of silicon dioxide or silicon nitride material, and includes a P-electrode hollow pattern, which can be used as an electrode manufacturing template and a protective layer for the electrode contact surface of the laser 500.

[0088] like Figure 11F As shown, a first insulating layer 213 is formed on the exposed area of ​​the fifth waveguide layer 240 . The first insulating layer 213 may be made of an insulating indium phosphide (InP) material having a refractive index consistent with that of the substrate 100 .

[0089] like Figure 11GAs shown, a first P-electrode 216 is formed on the dielectric layer 212, and an N-electrode 219 is provided on the second surface of the substrate 100. In a specific implementation, after the first P-electrode 216 is formed, the substrate 100 can be thinned and polished to 80µm to 120µm, and then the N-electrode 219 is provided on the second surface of the substrate 100.

[0090] like Figure 11G As shown, an anti-reflection film 217 is coated on the light-emitting side, and a high-reflection film 218 is coated on the backlight side. The anti-reflection film 217 may have a reflectivity of less than 0.1%, and the high-reflection film 218 may have a reflectivity of 85% to 95%.

[0091] This example uses Figures 11A to 11G The preparation process shown in the figure obtains a semiconductor light source including a vertical dual-waveguide structure laser 500. The light-emitting side of the semiconductor light source is provided with a passive multi-waveguide to obtain an expanded near-field mode spot, thereby achieving a small divergence angle output and obtaining a higher optical coupling efficiency.

[0092] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own focus. For parts that are not described or recorded in detail in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant description of other embodiments.

[0093] It is further understood that although operations are described in a particular order in the drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure, this should not be construed as requiring that these operations be performed in the particular order shown or in a serial order, or that all of the operations shown be performed to obtain the desired result. In certain circumstances, parallel processing may be advantageous.

[0094] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and essence of the present invention shall fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A semiconductor light source, characterized in that: The invention comprises a substrate and an epitaxial layer provided on a first surface of the substrate, wherein the epitaxial layer comprises an active region and a passive region sequentially divided along a light transmission direction, wherein: The active region is provided with a single waveguide, the epitaxial layer includes a laser, the laser includes a first quantum well layer, a grating layer, and a first waveguide layer sequentially arranged along the epitaxial growth direction, the first quantum well layer, the grating layer, and the first waveguide layer are located in the active region, the single waveguide includes a first single waveguide arranged in the first waveguide layer, and the single waveguide is characterized by being a waveguide that is uniquely arranged along the light transmission direction and on the same horizontal plane perpendicular to the light emitting surface of the laser; The passive region is provided with multiple waveguides, the passive region includes a waveguide layer having the multiple waveguides, and the multiple waveguides include multiple waveguides arranged on the same horizontal plane perpendicular to the light emitting surface of the laser and along the light transmission direction; The output end of the single waveguide is connected to the input end of the multiple waveguides.

2. The semiconductor light source according to claim 1, characterized in that The single waveguide is connected to the multiple waveguides through a mode converter.

3. The semiconductor light source according to claim 2, characterized in that The mode converter includes any one of a rectangular waveguide, a wedge-shaped waveguide, and a curved waveguide, or a combination of multiple thereof.

4. The semiconductor light source according to claim 3, characterized in that The epitaxial layer further includes an electrical isolation portion and a modulator, and the laser, the electrical isolation portion and the modulator are sequentially arranged along the light transmission direction; The electrical isolation portion includes a second waveguide layer, wherein the second waveguide layer is located in the active region; The modulator comprises a second quantum well layer and a third waveguide layer sequentially arranged along an epitaxial growth direction, wherein the second quantum well layer and the third waveguide layer are located in the active region; The single waveguide further includes a second single waveguide disposed in the second waveguide layer and a third single waveguide disposed in the third waveguide layer.

5. The semiconductor light source according to claim 1, characterized in that The epitaxial layer includes a fourth waveguide layer, the fourth waveguide layer is located in the passive region, and the multi-waveguide is arranged in the fourth waveguide layer.

6. A semiconductor light source, characterized in that: The invention comprises a substrate and an epitaxial layer provided on a first surface of the substrate, wherein the epitaxial layer comprises an active region and a passive region sequentially divided along a light transmission direction, wherein: The active region is provided with a single waveguide, the epitaxial layer includes a laser, the laser includes a fifth waveguide layer, a first quantum well layer, a grating layer, and a first waveguide layer sequentially arranged along the epitaxial growth direction, the fifth waveguide layer, the first quantum well layer, the grating layer, and the first waveguide layer are located in the active region, the single waveguide includes a first single waveguide arranged in the first waveguide layer, and the single waveguide is a waveguide that is the only one arranged along the light transmission direction on the same horizontal plane perpendicular to the light emitting surface of the laser; The passive region is provided with multiple waveguides, the fifth waveguide layer extends from the active region to the passive region, and the multiple waveguides are provided in the portion of the fifth waveguide layer located in the passive region; the multiple waveguides represent multiple waveguides provided on the same horizontal plane perpendicular to the light emitting surface of the laser and along the light transmission direction; The output end of the single waveguide is connected to the input end of the multiple waveguides.

7. A method for preparing a semiconductor light source, characterized in that: include: An epitaxial layer including an active region and a passive region sequentially divided along a light transmission direction is formed on a first surface of a substrate; wherein the epitaxial layer includes a laser located in the active region, and the laser includes a first quantum well layer, a grating layer, and a first waveguide layer epitaxially grown in sequence on the first surface of the substrate; A single waveguide is fabricated in the active region, wherein the single waveguide is a waveguide that is uniquely arranged on the same horizontal plane perpendicular to the light-emitting surface of the laser and along the light transmission direction, and the single waveguide includes a first single waveguide arranged in the first waveguide layer; A waveguide layer having multiple waveguides is fabricated in the passive region. The multiple waveguides represent multiple waveguides arranged on the same horizontal plane perpendicular to the light emitting surface of the laser and along the light transmission direction. The output end of the single waveguide is connected to the input end of the multiple waveguides.

8. The preparation method according to claim 7, characterized in that The step of forming an epitaxial layer including an active area and a passive area sequentially divided along a light transmission direction on the first surface of the substrate comprises: epitaxially growing an active layer on the first surface of the substrate to obtain an active region of the epitaxial layer; A portion of the active layer is removed, and a passive layer is epitaxially grown on the surface exposed after the active layer is removed, thereby obtaining a passive region of the epitaxial layer.

9. The preparation method according to claim 8, characterized in that The active region of the epitaxial layer further includes an electrical isolation portion and a modulator; the active layer is epitaxially grown on the first surface of the substrate to obtain the active region of the epitaxial layer, including: Epitaxially growing a second quantum well layer and a third waveguide layer in sequence on the first surface of the substrate to obtain the modulator; removing a portion between the laser and the modulator to expose the first surface of the substrate, and epitaxially growing a second waveguide layer on the first surface of the substrate to obtain the electrical isolation portion; The fabrication of a single waveguide in the active region further comprises: fabricating a second single waveguide in the second waveguide layer; A third single waveguide is manufactured in the third waveguide layer.

10. The preparation method according to claim 9, characterized in that The step of removing a portion of the active layer and epitaxially growing a passive layer on the surface exposed after the active layer is removed to obtain the passive region of the epitaxial layer comprises: removing a portion of the second quantum well layer and the third waveguide layer to expose the first surface of the substrate; epitaxially growing a fourth waveguide layer on the first surface of the substrate to obtain a passive region of the epitaxial layer; The method of manufacturing a waveguide layer having multiple waveguides in the passive region comprises: Multiple waveguides are fabricated in the fourth waveguide layer.

11. A method for preparing a semiconductor light source, characterized in that: include: An epitaxial layer including an active region and an inactive region sequentially divided along a light transmission direction is formed on a first surface of the substrate; wherein the epitaxial layer includes a laser located in the active region, and the laser includes a fifth waveguide layer, a first quantum well layer, a grating layer, and a first waveguide layer epitaxially grown in sequence on the first surface of the substrate; A single waveguide is fabricated in the active region, wherein the single waveguide is a waveguide that is uniquely arranged on the same horizontal plane perpendicular to the light-emitting surface of the laser and along the light transmission direction, and the single waveguide includes a first single waveguide arranged in the first waveguide layer; A waveguide layer having multiple waveguides is fabricated in the passive region. The multiple waveguides represent multiple waveguides arranged on the same horizontal plane perpendicular to the light emitting surface of the laser and along the light transmission direction. The output end of the single waveguide is connected to the input end of the multiple waveguides.

12. The preparation method according to claim 11, characterized in that The passive region of the epitaxial layer is prepared by the following steps: removing the first quantum well layer, the grating layer, and a portion of the first waveguide layer to expose the fifth waveguide layer, thereby obtaining a passive region of the epitaxial layer; The method of manufacturing a waveguide layer having multiple waveguides in the passive region comprises: After the first quantum well layer, the grating layer, and a portion of the first waveguide layer are removed, the exposed portion of the fifth waveguide layer is used to form the multi-waveguide.

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