Very low threshold current density (Al)GaInAs/Al(Ga)InAs laser structures grown by atmospheric pressure MOVPE

Abstract

The growth of (Al)GaInAs/Al(Ga)InAs structures of high quality for laser devices using metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy (MOVPE) at atmospheric pressure is described. SeH/sub 2/ and DEZn have been used as the dopant precursors. Se is an appropriate dopant for the n-type confinement layers of lasers, showing a distinctly higher electrical activation in AlInAs than Si. Zn is superior to Mg as a dopant for the p-type confinement layers of lasers as its apparent diffusion coefficient is about one order of magnitude lower than that of Mg in AlInAs. Broad-area double-heterostructure (DH) lasers (device length=800 mu m) operating at 1.66 mu m and 1.55 mu m are shown to have I/sub th/ values as low as 2.3 kA cm/sup 2/ and 1.5 kA/cm/sup 2/, respectively. With broad-area separate-confinement-heterostructure multiple-quantum-well (SCH-MQW) lasers (device length=800 mu m) emitting at 1.524 mu m, threshold current densities as low is 0.92 kA/cm/sup 2/ can be achieved.<>