High-speed dielectric-planarized 850nm surface-emitting lasers with metal-plated heat sinks

850-nm vertical-cavity laser diodes with copper-plated heat sinks were fabricated and tested. Vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers with 10μm aperture diameter and 4μm of electroplated copper demonstrated a maximum −3dB modulation bandwidth of more than 16GHz and a resonance frequency of more than 11GHz at bias current of only 5.4mA, which correspond to a bias current density of only 7.5kA/cm². Thus, reported devices exhibited a high −3dB modulation bandwidth squared over bias current density ratio of more than 35GHz²/kA/cm². The displayed 7.5 kA/cm² bias current density is less than the 10 kA/cm² current density standard for reliability by 25%. Devices also demonstrate a reduced thermal resistance of 1.01 °C/mW, a threshold current of 1.1mA, a series resistance of only 60Ω, and a maximum output power density of about 1.2mW/cm².