VCSEL Current Aperture Structure for Stable Single-Mode Emission
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vertical cavity surface emitting devices, such as surface emitting lasers, face challenges in maintaining stable light emission patterns, particularly in high-temperature environments, and require complex configurations that are costly to manufacture.
Innovation Solution
A vertical cavity surface emitting device with a substrate, a first multilayer film reflecting mirror, a light-emitting layer, and a p-type semiconductor layer with a low resistance region and a high resistance region. The high resistance region is depressed toward the light-emitting layer and has inactivated p-type impurities, creating a resonator between the reflecting mirrors for stable light emission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a resonator is configured to generate light in a desired transverse mode, then light emission stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a high resistance region with different electrical properties within the semiconductor layer. This localized region with inactivated impurities provides specific electrical characteristics that contribute to transverse mode control and light emission stability without requiring complex overall device architecture
Solution Approach 2:
The semiconductor layer is segmented into distinct low resistance and high resistance regions. This segmentation allows different areas to perform different functions, with the high resistance region specifically contributing to resonator formation and mode control, achieving stability without uniform complexity throughout the device
2Reliability
If additional insulating layers are added to improve device performance, then reliability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the electrical isolation function traditionally performed by insulating layers with the semiconductor layer itself. The high resistance region created through impurity inactivation provides both electrical isolation and structural integration, eliminating the need for separate insulating layers while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the insulating layer from the device structure by using the high resistance semiconductor region to perform the isolation function. This removal simplifies the manufacturing process while maintaining the necessary electrical isolation for device reliability
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
The device achieves stable light emission in a single transverse mode with high output power, maintaining quality even under varying environmental conditions, and simplifies the manufacturing process by eliminating the need for additional insulating layers.
Implementation Method 1
the high resistance region has an electrical resistance higher than an electrical resistance of the low resistance region
Implementation Method 2
A resonator is constituted between the second multilayer film reflecting mirror and the first multilayer film reflecting mirror
Data Source
AI summary
A vertical cavity surface emitting device includes a substrate, a first multilayer film reflecting mirror on the substrate, a first semiconductor layer on the first multilayer film reflecting mirror, a light-emitting layer on the first semiconductor layer, and a second semiconductor layer on the light-emitting layer. An upper surface of the second semiconductor layer includes a low resistance region functioning as a current injected region and a high resistance region functioning as a non-current injection region. The high resistance region surrounds the low resistance region and has an electrical resistance higher than an electrical resistance of the low resistance region. A light-transmitting electrode layer covers both the low resistance region and the high resistance region, and a second multilayer film reflecting mirror is on the light-transmitting electrode layer.