Injection Patents (Class 372/44.01)
  • Patent number: 7764721
    Abstract: A method and structure for adjusting the wavelength output of a semiconductor device is described. In the method, the hydrogen concentration in an active region of the semiconductor device is adjusted either during fabrication or after the device has been fabricated. The adjustment provides a simple technique for fine tuning many device types including regular lasers and VCSEL structures. The adjustment also allows for mass production of lasers of many different frequencies on a single wafer substrate, a system particularly desirable for wavelength division multiplexing systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: Christopher L. Chua, Michael A. Kneissl, Noble M. Johnson, Peter Kiesel
  • Patent number: 7760782
    Abstract: The invention aims at realizing a 1300-nm-band direct modulation laser, having a single lateral mode, in which a chip light power of several milliwatts and a low current operation are simultaneously realized. Also, the invention aims at realizing a laser light source excellent in economy as well by realizing output characteristics of a vertical cavity surface light emitting laser. A distributed Bragg reflector laser is constructed in the form of a semiconductor laser having a multilayer structure formed on a predetermined semiconductor substrate. The multilayer structure includes an active region for emitting a laser beam, and a distributed Bragg reflector layer. A length of the active region falls within the range of 10 to 100 ?m, and a laser light beam is generated in accordance with ON/OFF of current injection to the active region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Opnext Japan, Inc.
    Inventor: Masahiro Aoki
  • Patent number: 7756179
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser apparatus can improve electric conversion efficiency to a satisfactory extent. The apparatus includes an n-type cladding layer, an n-type cladding layer side guide layer, an active layer, a p-type cladding layer side guide layer, and a p-type cladding layer, wherein electrons and holes are injected into the active layer, transverse to the active layer, through the n-type cladding layer side guide layer and the p-type cladding layer side guide layer. The p-type cladding layer side guide layer is thinner than the n-type cladding layer side guide layer to position the active layer closer to the p-type cladding layer, and, at the same time, the refractive index of the p-type cladding layer side guide layer is higher than the refractive index of the n-type cladding layer side guide layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Kimio Shigihara
  • Publication number: 20100172381
    Abstract: An apparatus for generating short optical pulses is provided having a storage medium capable of storing optical energy, a first module for delivering pumping optical pulses or continuous beam into the storage medium to energize the storage medium, and a second module for delivering one or more trigger optical pulses to the optical storage medium. Each of the trigger optical pulses has a rising edge which causes a cascade release of the energy stored in the storage medium in an output optical pulse having a greater power and narrower in width or duration (at full width at half maximum) than the trigger optical pulse that caused the output pulse. A control module in the apparatus controls the operation of the pump module and trigger module so as to provide the desired characteristics of output optical pulses from the apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2010
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Inventor: Ralph Stephen Jameson
  • Patent number: 7751454
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser device including: semiconductor layers including an n-type semiconductor layer, an active layer and a p-type semiconductor layer, the semiconductor layers having a stripe-shaped waveguide region formed therein; end face protective film formed on the end face of the semiconductor layer that is substantially perpendicular to the waveguide region; wherein a p-side protruding portion is formed in the vicinity of the end portion of a p-electrode or n-electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Nichia Corporation
    Inventor: Akinori Yoneda
  • Patent number: 7751455
    Abstract: A novel indium gallium nitride laser diode is described. The laser uses indium in either the waveguide layers and/or the cladding layers. It has been found that InGaN waveguide or cladding layers enhance optical confinement with very small losses. Furthermore, the use of InGaN waveguide or cladding layers can improve the structural integrity of active region epilayers because of reduced lattice mismatch between waveguide layers and the active region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventor: Michael A. Kneissl
  • Publication number: 20100158059
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser apparatus of the present invention includes: a semiconductor laser chip 1 having an electrode 11 formed on a surface of the semiconductor laser chip 1; a heat sink 3 for the semiconductor laser chip 1; a submount 2 disposed between the semiconductor laser chip 1 and the heat sink 3 and bonded to the semiconductor laser chip 1 and the heat sink 3; and recessed marks 13 formed on the surface of the semiconductor laser chip 1 by partially removing the electrode 11, wherein the semiconductor laser chip 1 is longer in the resonator direction than in a direction orthogonal to the resonator direction, and the recessed marks 13 are disposed within a predetermined distance from each of the front and rear end faces of the semiconductor laser chip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2009
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Noriyuki Yoshikawa
  • Publication number: 20100150193
    Abstract: Multi-quantum well laser structures are provided comprising active and/or passive MQW regions. Each of the MQW regions comprises a plurality of quantum wells and intervening barrier layers. Adjacent MQW regions are separated by a spacer layer that is thicker than the intervening barrier layers. The bandgap of the quantum wells is lower than the bandgap of the intervening barrier layers and the spacer layer. The active region may comprise active and passive MQWs and be configured for electrically-pumped stimulated emission of photons or it may comprises active MQW regions configured for optically-pumped stimulated emission of photons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2008
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Inventors: Rajaram Bhat, Jerome Napierala, Dmitry Sizov, Chung-En Zah
  • Publication number: 20100117104
    Abstract: In an integrated semiconductor optical device, a first cladding layer is made of a first conductivity type semiconductor. A first active layer for forming a first semiconductor optical device is provided on the first cladding layer in a first area of a principal surface of a substrate. A second active layer for forming a second semiconductor optical device is provided on the first cladding layer in a second area of the principal surface. A second cladding layer made of a second conductivity type semiconductor is provided on the second active layer. A third cladding layer made of a first conductivity type semiconductor is provided on the first active layer. A tunnel junction region is provided between the first active layer and the third cladding layer. The first active layer is coupled to the second active layer by butt joint. The second and third cladding layers form a p-n junction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2009
    Publication date: May 13, 2010
    Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Michio MURATA
  • Patent number: 7706422
    Abstract: A semiconductor optical element has an active layer including quantum dots. The density of quantum dots in the resonator direction in a portion of the active layer in which the density of photons is relatively high is increased relative to the density of quantum dots in a portion of the active layer in which the density of photons is relatively low.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuhisa Takagi
  • Patent number: 7701994
    Abstract: An adhesion layer of a hexagonal crystal is laid on a facet an optical resonator of a nitride semiconductor laser bar having a nitride-based III-V group compound semiconductor layer, and a facet coat is laid on the adhesion layer. In this way, a structure in which the facet coat is laid on the adhesion layer is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahumi Kondou, Takeshi Kamikawa, Yoshinobu Kawaguchi
  • Publication number: 20100091811
    Abstract: A method and structure for producing lasers having good optical wavefront characteristics, such as are needed for optical storage includes providing a laser wherein an output beam emerging from the laser front facet is essentially unobstructed by the edges of the semiconductor chip in order to prevent detrimental beam distortions. The semiconductor laser structure is epitaxially grown on a substrate with at least a lower cladding layer, an active layer, an upper cladding layer, and a contact layer. Dry etching through a lithographically defined mask produces a laser mesa of length lc and width bm. Another sequence of lithography and etching is used to form a ridge structure with width w on top of the mesa. The etching step also forming mirrors, or facets, on the ends of the laser waveguide structures. The length ls and width bs of the chip can be selected as convenient values equal to or longer than the waveguide length lc and mesa width bm, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Inventors: Alex A. Behfar, Wilfried Lenth
  • Publication number: 20100091808
    Abstract: Provides a semiconductor laser device, as well as a manufacturing method therefor, capable of solving a problem of yield decreases in a structure for mounting a nitride semiconductor laser element onto a mount member. The nitride semiconductor laser device has a submount 2, and a nitride semiconductor laser element 1 which is mounted on a surface of the submount 2 with a solder 4 so that a nitride semiconductor is exposed from a side face thereof. The solder 4 is positioned between the submount 2 and the nitride semiconductor laser element 1 and has a width W3 smaller than a lateral width W4 of the nitride semiconductor laser element 1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2009
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Takahira
  • Patent number: 7684453
    Abstract: A surface light emitting semiconductor laser element, comprises a substrate, a lower reflector including a semiconductor multi-layer disposed on the substrate, an active layer disposed on the lower reflector, an upper reflector including a semiconductor multi-layer disposed on the active layer, a compound semiconductor layer having a first opening for exposing the upper reflector and extending over the upper reflector, and a metal film having a second opening for exposing the upper reflector disposed inside of the first opening and extending over the compound semiconductor layer, wherein the metal film and the compound semiconductor layer constitute a complex refractive index distribution structure where a complex refractive index is changed from the center of the second opening towards the outside. A method of emitting laser light in a single-peak transverse mode is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Watanabe, Hironobu Narui, Yuichi Kuromizu, Yoshinori Yamauchi, Yoshiyuki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7679098
    Abstract: Edge-emitting light source and method for fabricating an edge-emitting light source. The edge-emitting light source includes a photonic crystal having at least one waveguide region. An edge-emitting semiconductor structure having a light emitting active layer is incorporated within the at least one waveguide region. Light emitted by the edge-emitting semiconductor structure and within the bandgap of the photonic crystal is confined within the waveguide region and guided out of the photonic crystal through the waveguide region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Avago Technologies ECBU IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Scott W. Corzine
  • Patent number: 7672347
    Abstract: A semiconductor light emitting device includes: a substrate; a laminate structure including a first semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second semiconductor layer; and a current confinement part for limiting a current injection region of the active layer in the second semiconductor layer, or between the active layer and the second semiconductor layer, on the substrate, wherein the current confinement part includes a current confinement layer having a conductive region corresponding to the current injection region of the active layer and a nonconductive region corresponding to a region other than the current injection region of the active layer, and an intermediate layer provided between the current confinement layer and the second semiconductor layer or the active layer in order to prevent a mixed crystal from being formed between the current confinement layer and the second semiconductor layer or the active layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Yuichi Kuromizu
  • Publication number: 20100027570
    Abstract: Fiber lasers and methods for constructing and using fiber lasers for micro-/nano-machining with output beams including stacked pulses and combinations of continuous wave, pseudo-continuous wave and pulse sequence components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: HITACHI VIA MECHANICS, LTD.
    Inventors: Todd E. LIZOTTE, Orest OHAR
  • Patent number: 7653105
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser using a nitride type Group III-V compound semiconductor includes: an n-side clad layer; an n-side optical waveguide layer over the n-side clad layer; an active layer over the n-side optical waveguide layer; a p-side optical waveguide layer over the active layer; an electron barrier layer over the p-side optical waveguide layer; and a p-side clad layer over the electron barrier layer. A ridge stripe is formed at an upper part of the p-side optical waveguide layer, the electron barrier layer and the p-side clad layer, and the distance between the electron barrier layer and a bottom surface in areas on both sides of the ridge stripe is not less than 10 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Masaru Kuramoto
  • Publication number: 20090290610
    Abstract: A method for laterally dividing a semiconductor wafer (1) comprises the method steps of: providing a growth substrate (2); epitaxially growing a semiconductor layer sequence (3), which comprises a functional semiconductor layer (5), onto the growth substrate (2); applying a mask layer (10) to partial regions of the semiconductor layer sequence (3) in order to produce masked regions (11) and unmasked regions (12); implanting ions through the unmasked regions (12) in order to produce implantation regions (13) in the semiconductor wafer (1); and dividing the semiconductor wafer (1) along the implantation regions (13), wherein the growth substrate (2) or at least one part of the growth substrate (2) is separated from the semiconductor wafer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2006
    Publication date: November 26, 2009
    Inventors: Christoph Eichler, Volker Härle
  • Publication number: 20090283746
    Abstract: A semiconductor light emitting device has an n-type layer, a p-type layer, and a light-emitting active layer arranged between the p-type layer and the n-type layer, the active layer having alternating regions of doped and undoped materials. A double heterojunction light emitting device has a bulk active layer having doped portions alternating with undoped portions. A method of manufacturing a light emitting device includes forming a first layer arranged on a substrate, growing an active layer, selectively adding impurities at predetermined times during the growing of the active layer, and forming a second layer arranged on the active layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2008
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Applicant: PALO ALTO RESEARCH CENTER INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Christopher L. Chua, Zhihong Yang
  • Patent number: 7620089
    Abstract: A surface-emitting type semiconductor laser includes: a lower mirror; an active layer formed above the lower mirror; and an upper mirror formed above the active layer, wherein the upper mirror includes a first region in which a plurality of holes are formed and a second region inside the first region in which no hole is formed, the second region is in a circular shape as viewed in a plan view, the circular shape has a radius with which an energy increasing rate in the active layer becomes positive with a lower-order mode and (becomes) negative with a higher-order mode, and the holes have a depth with which the energy increasing rate becomes positive with the lower-order mode, and becomes negative with the higher-order mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masamitsu Mochizuki
  • Patent number: 7615804
    Abstract: A nitride semiconductor device including a light emitting device comprises a n-type region of one or more nitride semiconductor layers having n-type conductivity, a p-type region of one or more nitride semiconductor layers having p-type conductivity and an active layer between the n-type region and the p-type region. In such devices, there is provided with a super lattice layer comprising first layers and second layers which are nitride semiconductors having a different composition respectively. The super lattice structure makes working current and voltage of the device lowered, resulting in realization of more efficient devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: Nichia Chemical Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichi Nagahama, Masayuki Senoh, Shuji Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20090268773
    Abstract: A surface emitting laser element that includes a cylindrical mesa post in which a plurality of semiconductor layers including an active layer is grown and that emits a laser light in a direction perpendicular to a substrate surface, the surface emitting laser element including a dielectric multilayer film on a top surface of the mesa post in at least a portion over a current injection area of the active layer; and a dielectric portion that includes layers fewer than layers of the dielectric multilayer film and that is arranged on a portion excluding the portion over the current injection area on the top surface of the mesa post and on at least part of a side surface of the mesa post.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2008
    Publication date: October 29, 2009
    Applicant: THE FURUKAWA ELECTRIC CO.,LTD.,
    Inventors: Norihiro IWAI, Takeo Kageyama, Kinuka Tanabe
  • Patent number: 7609738
    Abstract: Quantum-cascade lasers are provided with an active section in which relaxation of carriers from a lower laser level is provided by three or more phonon-assisted transitions to levels within the active section whose energies are below the energy of the lower laser level. The gain region of the laser consists of alternating active and injector sections, with an injection barrier inserted between each injector section and the adjacent active section, and an exit barrier inserted between each active section and the adjacent injector section. The active section comprises a sufficient number of quantum wells separated by quantum barriers to produce the desired energy-level structure consisting of an upper laser level, a lower laser level, and at least three levels that have lower energies than the lower laser level, with the separation of adjacent energy levels below and including the lower laser level that are at least equal to the energy of the quantum well material's longitudinal optical phonon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Maxion Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard P. Leavitt, John L. Bradshaw
  • Patent number: 7609737
    Abstract: A nitride semiconductor laser device comprises a nitride semiconductor substrate (101); a nitride semiconductor lamination structure that has an n-type semiconductor layer (102), an active layer (104) and a p-type semiconductor layer (103) laminated on or above the nitride semiconductor substrate (101), and has a stripe-shaped waveguide region for laser light; and end surface protective films (110) on the both end surfaces substantially perpendicular to the waveguide region. In the nitride semiconductor laser device, the nitride semiconductor substrate (101) has a luminescent radiation region (112) that absorbs light emitted from the active layer (104) and emits luminescent radiation with a wavelength longer than the wavelength of the emitted light, and the end surface protective films (110) have a high reflectivity for the wavelength of the luminescent radiation from the luminescent radiation region (112).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Nichia Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Matsumura, Masanao Ochiai
  • Publication number: 20090250719
    Abstract: A nitride semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate composed of gallium nitride, and a stack which is provided on the semiconductor substrate and includes at least one nitride semiconductor layer containing aluminum, wherein substrate thickness T of the semiconductor substrate and a sum S of products of proportions of aluminum and thicknesses of all of the nitride semiconductor. layer containing aluminum among the stack satisfy a relationship of: T/860<=S<=T/530.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Publication date: October 8, 2009
    Applicant: ROHM CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takao FUJIMORI
  • Patent number: 7590156
    Abstract: Systems, configurations and methods of using an ultrafast, self-starting, mode-locked laser are provided. The systems, devices and methods of using stable, self-starting mode-locked lasers, can be compact, use fewer optical elements and have energies sufficient for most micro-processing and micro-structuring applications. The large spectral bandwidth of ultra-short (femtosecond) laser pulses can be used in laser sensing applications, micro-machining, time-resolved experiments, where short-lived transient species can be observed in biological or chemical reactions. Terahertz radiation can be generated using ultrashort pulses and used for imaging applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: University of Central Florida Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Richardson, Arnaud Zoubir
  • Publication number: 20090223565
    Abstract: Provided is a self-oscillation communication module in which an optical device, a solar battery, and a radio frequency (RF) device are monolithic-integrated. When an active layer of the optical device contains In(Ga)As quantum dots, the optical device can emit light ranging from 800 to 1600 nm and transmit signals at a high speed of 20 Gbps or higher. Since a light absorption layer of the solar battery is formed of InGa(Al)P which has a higher bandgap than silicon and high visible light absorptivity, the solar battery can generate a large current even with a very small light reception area. Therefore, the self-oscillation communication module can always operate using the solar battery without an external power source even in polar regions and deserts and can perform optical communication or high-frequency wireless communication with a wide frequency range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2005
    Publication date: September 10, 2009
    Applicant: Electronics and Techcommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Dae-Kon Oh, Jin-Hong Lee, Jin-Soo Kim, Sung-Ui Hong, Byung-Seok Choi
  • Patent number: 7586967
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser manufactured by selective MOVPE growth, in which the lattice relaxation of recombination layers grown on large width portions is suppressed, the leak current is suppressed, and the reliability is high. When a semiconductor layer is manufactured by selective MOVPE growth, a DH mesastripe (6) is epitaxially grown on a small width portion (14) which is a spacing of a silicon oxide mask (13). The average strain of the DH mesa stripe (6) is shifted to the compression strain side to an extent that lattice relaxation is not caused. As a result, the tensile strains of recombination layers (16) grown on large width portions (15) are mitigated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Ryuji Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 7586966
    Abstract: The semiconductor laser diode formed with a window at a cleavage facet and a fabricating method thereof are disclosed, wherein a ridge adjacent to a cleavage facet of the semiconductor laser diode and part of the p-clad layer underneath the ridge are etched to form a window, such that a current is not applied to along the cleavage facet to thereby prevent the cleavage facet from being degraded and to enhance reliability of the diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Chi Sun Kim, Ji Na Jeon
  • Patent number: 7583719
    Abstract: A distributed feedback semiconductor laser may have (1) a controlled complex-coupling coefficient which is not affected by grating etching depth variation, and (2) facet power asymmetry with no facet reflection which eliminates a random effect of facet grating phase. The device comprises a multiple-quantum-well active region, and a complex-coupled grating formed by periodically etching grooves through a part of the active region. The semiconductor materials for a barrier layer where the groove etching is to be stopped, a regrown layer in the etched groove, and a laser cladding layer, are chosen all the same, so as to form an active grating entirely buried in the same material, providing a complex-coupling coefficient which is defined independently of the etching depth. Facet power symmetry may also be provided by composing the laser cavity of two sections (“front” and “back” sections) having different (“front” and “back”) Bragg wavelengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: Applied Optoelectronics, Inc,
    Inventor: Toshihiko Makino
  • Publication number: 20090213888
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser device includes a semiconductor laser, a dangling bond terminating film a cleaved surface of the semiconductor laser and composed of a lithium film or a beryllium film, and a coating film on the dangling bond terminating film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2009
    Publication date: August 27, 2009
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tetsuya Yagi
  • Publication number: 20090207872
    Abstract: The present invention provides a nitride semiconductor light emitting device having an n-type ohmic electrode with an Au face excellent in ohmic contacts and in mounting properties, and a method of manufacturing the same. The device uses an n-type ohmic electrode having a laminate structure that is composed of: a first layer containing Al as a main ingredient and having a thickness not greater than 10 nm or not less than 3 nm; a second layer containing one or more metals selected from Mo and Nb, so as to suppress the upward diffusion of Al; a third layer containing one or more metals selected from Ti and Pt, to suppress the downward diffusion of Al; and a fourth layer being made of Au, from the side in contact with an n-type nitride substrate in order of mention, and after the laminate structure is formed, the n-type ohmic electrode is annealed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2008
    Publication date: August 20, 2009
    Inventors: Aki Takei, Akihisa Terano
  • Patent number: 7573926
    Abstract: A multiwavelength quantum dot laser element is provided. A perpendicular stack of quantum dot active regions with different light emitting wavelengths is employed, and thickness, material composition, and quantum dot size of each of the quantum dot active regions are modulated, so as to form various laser oscillation conditions. When a current applied to the quantum dot laser element is larger than the start-oscillation current condition, lasers with different wavelengths are simultaneously obtained in each of the quantum dot active regions, thereby achieving the application of the multiwavelength quantum dot laser element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Kuo-Jui Lin, Kun-Fong Lin, Chih-Ming Lai
  • Patent number: 7573931
    Abstract: A vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser incorporating a supported air gap distributed Bragg reflector is disclosed. The supported air gap DBR includes a regrowth layer of material that provides mechanical support for the original material layers. The supported air gap DBR is fabricated by first growing alternating pairs of a first material and a sacrificial material over a suitable substrate. The layer pairs of the first material and sacrificial material are covered by a suitable dielectric material. The dielectric material is then selectively removed exposing regions of the first material and sacrificial material where selective regrowth of additional material is desired. The selective regrowth of the additional material provides mechanical support for the semiconductor material that remains after a selective etch removal of the sacrificial material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Michael Renne Ty Tan, Chao Kun Lin, Scott W. Corzine, Jintian Zhu, Michael H. Leary
  • Publication number: 20090196317
    Abstract: It is enabled to provide that a light emitting device have an electron blocking layer (106) positioned between tunnel junctions (107, 108) and an active layer (104). The electron blocking layer (106) has an energy of conduction band edge higher than that of the active layer (605), and is composed of a material containing substantially no aluminum. It suppresses leakage of electrons from an n-type layer through a p-layer to an n-type layer It is also enabled to provide that a light emitting device is capable of preventing the electron blocking layer (106) from being oxidized in the process of manufacturing by using a layer containing no aluminum for the electron blocking layer (106).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2007
    Publication date: August 6, 2009
    Applicant: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naofumi Suzuki, Kimiyoshi Fukatsu
  • Patent number: 7567602
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser device includes a first lead having a plate-like mounting portion on which a semiconductor laser chip is mounted and a lead portion extending from the mounting portion, a second lead extending along the lead portion of the first lead, and a retention portion made of an insulative material that integrally retains the first lead and the second lead. The mounting portion of the first lead has a back surface exposed from the retention portion, and the first lead further has a tie bar portion projecting from the mounting portion along the back surface of the mounting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Makoto Tsuji
  • Patent number: 7564884
    Abstract: A laminated composite includes: a 1st-conductive-type cladding layer laid on a substrate; an active layer laid on the 1st-conductive-type cladding layer; and a ridge-stripe 2nd-conductive-type cladding layer laid on the active layer. A pair of films is disposed at the end faces of the laminated composite so as to oppose each other along the lamination direction. The paired films are formed to have different spectral reflectances from each other. The resonator structure is formed with the laminated composite and the paired films. When, in the length direction of the resonator, a side with one of the paired films which has a smaller spectral reflectance is the forward side and a side with the other film having a larger spectral reflectance is the backward side, the laminated composite is structured so that the optical confinement factor becomes smaller on the forward side than on the backward side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Keiji Ito, Isao Kidoguchi, Hiroyoshi Yajima
  • Publication number: 20090180507
    Abstract: Provided are a nitride semiconductor laser chip with a reliability improved by relieving stress due to strain within the nitride semiconductor laser chip, a manufacturing method thereof, and a nitride semiconductor laser device. The nitride semiconductor laser chip comprises: a substrate; and a laminated structure provided on a main surface of the substrate and including a nitride semiconductor layer. In the laminated structure, at least one crack parallel to a resonator end face is formed. By forming a crack within a laser chip, stress due to strain is relieved; therefore, it is possible to obtain a laser chip having a high reliability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2009
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yasuhiko MATSUSHITA
  • Publication number: 20090180506
    Abstract: A Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) capable of providing high output of fundamental transverse mode while preventing oscillation of high-order transverse mode is provided. The VCSEL includes a semiconductor layer including an active layer and a current confinement layer, and a transverse mode adjustment section formed on the semiconductor layer. The current confinement layer has a current injection region and a current confinement region. The transverse mode adjustment section has a high reflectance area and a low reflectance area. The high reflectance area is formed in a region including a first opposed region opposing to a center point of the current injection region. A center point of the high reflectance area is arranged in a region different from the first opposed region. The low reflectance area is formed in a region where the high reflectance area is not formed, in an opposed region opposing to the current injection region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2008
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Maeda, Masaki Shiozaki, Takahiro Arakida
  • Patent number: 7561607
    Abstract: A quantum dot laser operates on a quantum dot ground-state optical transition. The laser has a broadband (preferably?15 nm) spectrum of emission and a high output power (preferably?100 mW). Special measures control the maximum useful pump level, the total number of quantum dots in the laser active region, the carrier relaxation to the quantum dot ground states, and the carrier excitation from the quantum dot ground states. In one embodiment, a spectrally-selective loss is introduced into the laser resonator in order to suppress lasing on a quantum dot excited-state optical transition, thereby increasing the bandwidth of the emission spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: Innolume GmbH
    Inventors: Alexey Kovsh, Alexey Zhukov, Daniil Livshits, Igor Krestnikov
  • Publication number: 20090175305
    Abstract: A nitride semiconductor laser device is formed by growing a group III nitride semiconductor multilayer structure on a substrate containing no Al. The group III nitride semiconductor multilayer structure forms a structure including an n-type semiconductor layer, a p-type semiconductor layer, and a light emitting layer held between the n-type semiconductor layer and the p-type semiconductor layer. The n-type semiconductor layer includes an n-type cladding layer containing Al and an n-type guide layer having a smaller band gap than the n-type cladding layer. The p-type semiconductor layer includes a p-type cladding layer containing Al and a p-type guide layer having a smaller band gap than the p-type cladding layer. A removal region is formed by partially removing the layers containing Al in the group III nitride semiconductor multilayer structure from the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2008
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Applicant: ROHM CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shinichi Kohda
  • Publication number: 20090175304
    Abstract: A two-dimensional photonic crystal surface emitting laser light source according to the present invention includes a two-dimensional photonic crystal made of a plate-shaped body material provided with a periodic arrangement of identically-shaped holes 242A and an active layer provided on one side of the two-dimensional photonic crystal. The hole 242A is not located on a first half-line 251 extending from the gravity center G1 of the hole in a direction within the plane of the two-dimensional photonic crystal, while the hole 242A is located at least on a portion of a second half-line 252 extending from the gravity center G1 in the direction opposite to the first half-line 251. Injecting electric charges into the active layer generates light, which creates an electric field that encircles the gravity center G1 within the two-dimensional photonic crystal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Applicants: KYOTO UNIVERSITY, ROHM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Susumu Noda, Yoshitaka Kurosaka, Eiji Miyai, Dai Ohnishi, Wataru Kunishi
  • Patent number: 7558305
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser and light emitting device is defined. The device comprises an electron injector and an active region adjacent to the electron injector. The active region includes at least one deep quantum well with barrier layers adjacent to either side of the quantum well or wells such that electrons injected from the electron injector into a high energy level of the quantum well relax to a lower energy level with the emission of a photon and are transmitted out to a region beyond the last barrier layer of the active region. The electron injector includes quantum well layers. The bottom of each deep quantum well or wells in the active region is lower in energy than the bottoms of the quantum well layers in the electron injector. The device may further comprise at least two stages wherein each stage contains an electron injector and an active region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Dan Botez, Ali R. Mirabedini, Dapeng P. Xu, Luke J. Mawst
  • Publication number: 20090161712
    Abstract: A cap 25 having a piece of glass 26 formed at a laser irradiating position and covering a laser irradiating direction and an upper face of a package 24, is mounted onto the package 24 having lateral faces of a frame body 30 formed in three directions other than the laser irradiating direction, so as to reduce the distance between a semiconductor element 22 and the piece of glass and to reduce a radius 32 of the piece of glass 26. The profile of the semiconductor device can be therefore lowered while maintaining the characteristics of a semiconductor laser. In addition, by mounting the semiconductor device, the profile of an optical pickup device can also be lowered.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2008
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Isao Hayami, Masaya Tateyanagi
  • Patent number: 7551658
    Abstract: Provided is a buried ridge waveguide laser diode that has improved temperature characteristics and can reduce optical loss by a leakage current. The buried ridge waveguide laser diode includes: a ridge region that extends vertically with a constant width and is composed of a selective etching layer and a first compound layer formed of a first conductive type material on a portion of the clad layer; and a p-n-p current blocking layer that has a thickness identical to the depth of the ridge region on the clad layer outside the ridge region and includes a second compound layer formed of a second conductive type material opposite to the first conductive type material. At this time, the current blocking layer includes the first compound layer extending on the second compound layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Su Hwan Oh, Ki soo Kim, Oh Kee Kwon, Yong soon Baek
  • Publication number: 20090147813
    Abstract: A method for producing a light-emitting device, includes: performing, on a first substrate made of III-V group compound semiconductor, crystal growth of a laminated body including an etching easy layer contiguous to the first substrate and a light-emitting layer made of nitride semiconductor; bonding a second substrate and the laminated body; and detaching the second substrate provided with the light-emitting layer from the first substrate by, one of removing the etching easy layer by using a solution etching method, and removing the first substrate and the etching easy layer by using mechanical polishing method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2008
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventor: Ryo Saeki
  • Publication number: 20090147812
    Abstract: The heterostructures are used for creation of semiconductor injection emission sources: injection lasers, semiconductor amplifying elements, semiconductor optical amplifiers that are used in fiber optic communication and data transmission systems, in optical superhigh-speed computing and switching systems, in development of medical equipment, laser industrial equipment, frequency-doubled lasers, and for pumping solid-state and fiber lasers and amplifiers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2005
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Applicant: General Nano Optics Limited
    Inventor: Vasily Ivanovich Shveykin
  • Publication number: 20090147816
    Abstract: In a multi-beam semiconductor laser device, relative difference in shear strain applied to each of light-emitting portions of a laser chip mounted on a submount is suppressed, thereby reducing relative difference in polarization angle. A semiconductor laser element array mounted on a submount has a structure in which a semiconductor layer having two ridge portions is stacked on a substrate, and Au plating layers are formed on the surfaces of p type electrodes formed on the ridge portions. In each of the ridge portions, a central position of the Au plating layer in a width direction is intentionally displaced with respect to a central position of the underlying light-emitting portion in a width direction, so that shear strain is applied to each of the light-emitting portions at a stage before the semiconductor laser element array is mounted on the submount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2008
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Inventors: Yoshihiko IGA, Yutaka Inouke, Hiroshi Moriya, Yasuhisa Semba, Susumu Sorimachi
  • Patent number: 7542498
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser device that can be operated at high power and that has a structure which can suppress kink, reduce loss and stabilize the direction of polarization simultaneously, and in which an optical pattern decreases monotonously as receding from an active layer and the crystal composition can be easily controlled. A plurality of layers of high refractive index different in the composition from that of the cladding layer are introduced being dispersed over a range wider than the spot size for directing light closer to the lower cladding layer of the semiconductor laser and stabilizing the direction of polarization. The electric field intensity is decreased monotonously as receding from the active layer for the optical pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: OpNext Japan, Inc.
    Inventors: Etsuko Nomoto, Tsukuru Ohtoshi