Mesa Heater Layer Layout for Optical Semiconductor Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Optical semiconductor devices with heater layers face reliability issues due to local excessive temperature rise and potential damage from thermal expansion or contraction, particularly at branch portions where the heater layer formation is challenging and prone to oxidation.
Innovation Solution
The optical semiconductor device features a novel configuration with a heater layer extending along mesas, including a top wall and side walls, which increases the cross-sectional area and reduces electric resistance, thereby enhancing heating efficiency and reliability by avoiding overhanging portions that could be oxidized and cause damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a heater layer is provided on the mesa, then heating function is achieved, but local excessive temperature rise and oxidation damage occur
Solution Approach 1:
The heater layer configuration transitions from a conventional planar structure to a three-dimensional structure with top walls and side walls. This dimensional change allows the heater to extend vertically along the mesa sides, increasing the effective heating area while distributing thermal load more evenly, thereby preventing local excessive temperature rise and reducing oxidation damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The heater layer is formed as a composite structure combining top wall portions and side wall portions that integrate with the mesa structure. This composite configuration allows the heater to utilize both the top surface and side surfaces of the mesa, achieving uniform heat distribution and improving reliability by avoiding the harmful effects of localized overheating and oxidation.
2Power
If heater layer cross-sectional area is increased, then electric resistance decreases and heating efficiency improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heater layer is segmented into distinct top wall portions and side wall portions that can be independently formed and controlled. This segmentation allows for optimized heating performance in different regions while simplifying the manufacturing process, as each segment can be formed using standard semiconductor fabrication techniques without requiring complex integrated structures.
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 configuration effectively suppresses local excessive temperature rise and improves the reliability of the optical semiconductor device by reducing the risk of heater layer oxidation and damage from thermal expansion, while maintaining consistent heating performance across the device.
Implementation Method 1
a heater layer including a top wall positioned on a side opposite to the base with respect to the top surface, the heater layer extending along the mesa
Implementation Method 2
improves the reliability of the optical semiconductor device by reducing the risk of heater layer oxidation and damage from thermal expansion
Data Source
AI summary
An optical semiconductor device includes: a base including a surface intersecting with a first direction; a mesa protruding from the surface in the first direction, including a top surface and two side surfaces, and extending along the surface in a direction intersecting the first direction; and a heater layer including a top wall positioned on a side opposite to the base with respect to the top surface, the heater layer extending along the mesa, the mesa including a first mesa extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and a plurality of second mesas branching from the first mesa and extending so as to be away from each other in a third direction toward the second direction from the first mesa, the third direction intersecting both of the first direction and the second direction.