High quality GaAs/InGaAs/AlGaAs vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers grown at a constant temperature by molecular beam epitaxy

Abstract

Low threshold current GaAs/InGaAs vertical cavity surface emitting lasers could be successfully grown by molecular beam epitaxy at a fixed substrate temperature of 560/spl deg/C which is compromised for InGaAs and AlGaAs materials, The thickness of each pair of layers in the device structures could be easily controlled using an infrared pyrometer system. Lasers with a three quantum well active region grown under such conditions show a threshold current density of 310 A cm/sup -2/ and a maximum output power of 0.8 mW from a 15/spl times/15 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ device at room temperature continuous wave operation.