Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Other

Suning Xie

Wilson Hasan Widjaja

Gregory DeBrabander

Seongsin Kim

Robert W Herrick

An-Nien Cheng

Matthew C Slater

A method for detecting a passivation pinhole includes forming an oxide vertical cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) having an oxidation cavity, forming a passivation layer over a surface of the oxidation cavity, exposing the oxide VCSEL to an etchant vapor, and inspecting the oxide VCSEL for a defect caused by the etchant vapor.

Detecting pinholes in vertical cavity surface-emitting laser passivation

Systems and methods of passivating planar index-guided oxide vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) are described. These systems and methods address the unique susceptibility of these devices to damage that otherwise might be caused by moisture intrusion into the etch holes that are used to form the index-guiding confinement regions. In one aspect, a VCSEL includes a vertical stack structure having a substantially planar top surface. The vertical stack structure includes a top mirror, a bottom mirror, and a cavity region disposed between the top mirror and the bottom mirror and including an active light generation region. At least one of the top mirror and the bottom mirror has a layer with a peripheral region that is oxidized into an electrical insulator as a result of exposure to an oxidizing agent. The vertical stack structure defines two or more etched holes each extending from the substantially planar top surface to the oxidized peripheral region. Each of the etched holes is moisture passivated by an overlying moisture penetration barrier.

Moisture passivated planar index-guided VCSEL

A method for forming an oxide VCSEL (vertical cavity surface-emitting laser) includes forming a VCSEL structure, forming an oxidation cavity partially through the VCSEL structure, oxidizing a layer in the VCSEL structure, forming a first passivation layer over a surface of the oxidation cavity, and forming a second passivation layer over the first passivation layer. An oxide VCSEL structure includes a bottom mirror region, an active region atop the bottom mirror region, a top mirror region atop the active region, an oxidation cavity partially through the top mirror region, a first passivation layer covering a surface of the oxidation cavity, and a second passivation layer covering the first passivation layer. In both the method and the structure, the first passivation layer can be made of silicon nitride (SiN) while the second passivation layer can be made of silicon oxynitride (SiON).

Passivation scheme for oxide vertical cavity surface-emitting laser

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Suning Xie