Reliable High-Power Operation of InGaAlP Visible Light Laser Diodes with Strained Active Layer

Abstract

Reliable high-power operation of transverse-mode stabilized InGaAlP laser diodes has been achieved with a selectively buried ridge waveguide (SBR) structure and a very thin (150 Å) In0.62Ga0.38P active layer. A strained In0.62Ga0.38P layer was employed in order to improve the temperature characteristics during high-power operation. An over 100 mW maximum output power was obtained. Operation current density was found to have a large effect on the device reliability. Lasers with a long cavity operate in a low current density, resulting in an increase in device lifetime. In the 600 µm long SBR lasers, stable continuous wave (CW) operation exceeding 1000 hours has been achieved with a 30 mW output at 50°C.