The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 11, 2001
Filed:
Jan. 28, 1998
Paul Marshall Charles, Bramford, GB;
Hewlett-Packard Company, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
A method of fabricating a semiconductor optical device is provided comprising the steps of depositing planar layers of semiconductor material to form a semiconductor wafer having an optically active region, etching through the optically active region to form a plurality of facets, and simultaneously coating at least one facet and an upper surface of the semiconductor wafer with a coating layer having a thickness and composition such that, during operation of the semiconductor device, the coating layer acts both as a facet coating and as a wafer surface coating. Where the coating layer comprises a dielectric, the layer acts both as an anti-reflection facet coating and as a passivating layer. Where the coating layer comprises a metal, the layer acts both as a high-reflectivity facet coating and as an electrical contacting layer. In a first embodiment the semiconductor device comprises a laser and in a second embodiment comprises a photodetector.