<p>Long-wavelength (1.3-μm) vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) are of great interest as low-cost, high performance light sources for fiber-optic metro and access networks. During recent years the main development effort in this field has been directed towards all epitaxial GaAs-based structures by employing novel active materials. Different active region candidates for GaAs-based 1.3-μm VCSELs such as GaInNAs/GaAs QWs, GaAsSb QWs or InAs/InGaAs QDs have been investigated. However, the difficult growth and materials properties of these systems have so far hampered any real deployment of the technology. More recently, a new variety of VCSELs have been developed at KTH as based on highly strained InGaAs QWs and negative gain cavity detuning to reach the 1.3-μm wavelength window. The great benefit of this approach is that it is fully compatible with standard materials and processing methods.</p><p>The aim of this thesis is to investigate long-wavelength (1.3-μm) VCSELs using ~1.2-μm In0.4GaAs/GaAs Multiple Quantum Wells (MQWs). A series of QW structures, DBR structures and laser structures, including VCSELs and Broad Area lasers (BALs) were grown by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) and characterized by various techniques: Photoluminescence (PL), high-resolution x-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), high accuracy reflectance measurements as well as static and dynamic device characterization. The work can be divided into three parts. The first part is dedicated to the optimization and characterization of InGaAs/GaAs QWs growth for long wavelength and strong luminescence. A strong sensitivity to the detailed growth conditions, such as V/III ratio and substrate misorientation is noted. Dislocations in highly strained InGaAs QW structure and Sb as surfactant assisted in InGaAs QW growth are also discussed here. The second part is related to the AlGaAs/GaAs DBR structures. It is shown that the InGaAs VCSELs with doped bottom DBRs have significantly lower slope efficiency, output power and higher threshold current. By a direct study of buried AlGaAs/GaAs interfaces, this is suggested to be due to doping-enhanced Al-Ga hetero-interdiffusion. In the third part, singlemode, high-performance 1.3-μm VCSELs based on highly strained InGaAs QWs are demonstrated. Temperature stable singlemode performance, including mW-range output power and 10 Gbps data transmission, is obtained by an inverted surface relief technique.</p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA/oai:DiVA.org:kth-4648 |
| Date | January 2008 |
| Creators | Zhang, Zhenzhong |
| Publisher | KTH, Microelectronics and Applied Physics, MAP, Kista : Mikroelektronik och tillämpad fysik |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Licentiate thesis, comprehensive summary, text |
| Relation | Trita-ICT/MAP, ; 2008:4 |
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