Fabrication methods for InGaAsP/GaAs visible laser structure with AlGaAs burying layers grown by liquid-phase epitaxy

Abstract

Liquid-phase-epitaxial (LPE) growth of AlGaAs layers has been used in fabricating InGaAsP buried heterostructure visible lasers on GaAs substrate. InGaAsP/InGaAsP double heterostructure wafers were grown on the p-type GaAs substrates by means of the melt-back method prior to the LPE growth for eliminating phosphorus contamination. An SiO2 film mask was deposited on the epitaxial wafer surface by the rf sputtering, and photoetched with stripes of 7–10 μm width in the 〈110〉 direction. After etching to the first p-InGaAsP cladding layer with a 3% Br-methanol solution, the second LPE growth of n-AlGaAs and p-GaAs layers was carried out. The InGaAsP active region is entirely surrounded by the InGaAsP cladding layers and the AlGaAs burying layer, therefore, it becomes possible to provide both lateral and vertical carrier and optical confinements. I-L characteristics were measured at room temperature under pulsed operation, but the lasing action was not obtained. The peak wavelength of the electroluminescence was 785 nm. The transverse mode behavior was analyzed by means of the effective refractive index approximation. And it seemed that this buried heterostructure is suitable for the transverse mode control of InGaAsP visible laser diodes.