Design of InGaN-GaN-AlGaN vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers using electrical-thermal-optical simulation

Abstract

A three-dimensional electrical-thermal-optical numerical simulator is developed and applied to model group-III-nitride-based intracavity-contacted vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers with InGaN multiquantum-well active region. The optical model based on the effective frequency method is combined with an electrical-thermal simulator using the control volume method. Isothermal (pulsed regime imitation) and continuous-wave modes of operation are calculated over a range of voltages, covering subthreshold spontaneous emission and lasing emission. Effects of current crowding at the active region periphery are examined, and in particular, an impact on mode profiles of spatial hole burning superimposed on nonuniform gain distribution is studied. In order to reduce the current crowding and provide more uniform gain distribution within the active region, a semitransparent p-side contact design is proposed.