The technology and applications of selective oxidation of AlGaAs

Abstract

Wet oxidation of AlGaAs alloys, pioneered at the University of Illinois a decade ago, recently has been used to fabricate high performance vertical-cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs). The superior properties of oxide-confined VCSELs has stimulated interest in understanding the fundamentals of wet oxidation. We briefly review the technology of selective oxidation of III-V alloys, including the oxide microstructure and oxidation processing as well as describe its application to selectively oxidized VCSELs.