Abstract: In photonic integrated circuits (PICs) having at least one active semiconductor device, such as, a buried heterostructure semiconductor laser, LED, modulator, photodiode, heterojunction bipolar transistor, field effect transistor or other active device, a plurality of semiconductor layers are formed on a substrate with one of the layers being an active region. A current channel is formed through this active region defined by current blocking layers formed on adjacent sides of a designated active region channel where the blocking layers substantially confine the current through the channel. The blocking layers are characterized by being an aluminum-containing Group III-V compound, i.e., an Al-III-V layer, intentionally doped with oxygen from an oxide source. Also, wet oxide process or a deposited oxide source may be used to laterally form a native oxide of the Al-III-V layer.