Abstract: An optically controlled vertical-cavity, surface-emitting laser comprising a heterojunction, bipolar photo-transistor epitaxially grown on a substrate and a vertical-cavity, surface-emitting laser epitaxially grown on the photo-transistor. Two electrodes set up a single current path through the laser and photo-transistor. A controlling optical beam selectively illuminates the photo-transistor to turn it on, open the current path through the laser, and causing the laser to emit light. Dependent upon the electrical biasing conditions, the combination device can be used as an optical amplifier or can be made to optically latch. Further, it can be biased to operate as an AND or OR gate.

Abstract: A method of etching and regrowing III-V compounds in a sharply defined vertical feature. Molecular beam epitaxy is used to grow a laterally undefined vertical-cavity, surface-emitting diode laser structure from semiconducting III-V materials. The structure includes interference mirrors defining the end of a Fabry-Perot cavity and a quantum-well layer in the middle of the cavity. A tungsten mask is then defined over the areas of the intended two-dimensional array of lasers. A chemically assisted ion beam etches through to the bottom of the laser structure to from an array of high aspect-ratio pillars. A thermal chlorine gas etch removes a portion of the sidewalls of the pillars without attacking the tungsten, thereby removing ion-beam damage at the sides of the vertical-cavities and creating a lip of the tungsten mask overhanging the pillar sidewall. Organo-metallic chemical vapor deposition is used to regrow III-V material around the pillars. This growth process can quickly planarize the pillars.

Abstract: A planar array of vertical-cavity, surface-emitting diode lasers, and its method of making. The device comprises an active region having a quantum well region disposed between two Bragg reflector mirrors separated by a wavelength of the emitting laser. A large area of this structure is grown on a substrate and then laterally defined by implanting conductivity-reducing ions into the upper mirror in areas around the lasers. Thereby, the laterally defined laser array remains planar. Such an array can be made matrix-addressable by growing the structure on a conducting layer overlying an insulating substrate. After growth of the vertical structure, an etch or further implantation divides the conducting layer into strips forming bottom column electrodes. Top row electrodes are deposited in the perpendicular direction over the laterally defined top mirrors.