Semiconductor Laser Resonator Etching Before Substrate Singulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of edge-emitting semiconductor lasers, particularly those emitting in blue or ultraviolet spectral regions, faces challenges in achieving high-quality resonator surfaces reliably and cost-effectively due to the variability and high costs associated with the scribing and breaking method.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a two-stage etching process where recesses are formed by dry chemical etching and subsequently wet-chemically etched to create resonator surfaces, allowing for substrate singulation after resonator surfaces have been formed, thereby decoupling singulation from the quality of the resonator surfaces and reducing costs and variability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If scribing and breaking method is used to fabricate resonator surfaces, then production cost is reduced, but manufacturing precision and reliability of resonator surfaces deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The resonator surfaces are formed by etching recesses in the semiconductor layer sequence before the substrate is singulated. This preliminary formation of resonator surfaces ensures high manufacturing precision while allowing cost-effective singulation methods to be used later, thus resolving the contradiction between production cost and resonator surface quality.
2Device complexity
If scribing and breaking method is used to fabricate resonator surfaces, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability of resonator surfaces deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The resonator surfaces are etched into the semiconductor layer sequence before substrate singulation, ensuring high reliability of resonator surfaces. This preliminary action allows the use of simple and cost-effective singulation methods later, thus resolving the contradiction between device complexity and resonator surface reliability.
3Productivity
If resonator surfaces are formed during substrate singulation, then process steps are reduced, but manufacturing precision of resonator surfaces deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The resonator surfaces are formed by etching recesses in the semiconductor layer sequence before substrate singulation. This separation of resonator surface formation from the singulation process ensures high manufacturing precision while maintaining production efficiency through streamlined process integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The production process is segmented into distinct steps: first forming resonator surfaces by etching recesses in the semiconductor layer sequence, then subsequently singulating the substrate. This segmentation allows each process to be optimized independently, ensuring high resonator surface quality while maintaining production efficiency.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method enables the production of high-quality resonator surfaces with reduced variations and lower costs compared to traditional scribing and breaking methods, ensuring efficient and reliable semiconductor laser production.
Implementation Method 1
The recesses are produced, for example, by a dry chemical etching process, such as a plasma etching process.
Implementation Method 2
the side surfaces of the recesses for forming resonator surfaces are wet-chemically etched
Data Source
AI summary
A method for producing a plurality of semiconductor lasers is specified, including the steps of: a) providing a substrate having a semiconductor layer sequence and having a plurality of component regions, each component region having at least one resonator region and being delimited perpendicular to the resonator region by singulation lines in the transverse direction and being delimited parallel to the resonator region by singulation lines in the longitudinal direction; b) forming recesses which overlap with the singulation lines in the transverse direction, using a dry-chemical etching method; c) wet-chemical etching of the side faces of the recesses for the purpose of forming resonator surfaces; and d) singulating the substrate along the singulation lines in the transverse direction and in the longitudinal direction. Additionally, a semiconductor laser is specified.