Buried heterostructure lasers based on InGaAsP/InP

Buried heterostructure lasers are formed by the regrowth of InP current blocking junctions around mesas etched in planar structures. Using metal organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) at atmospheric pressure, growth patterns were observed by inserting lattice matched 1.5 nm InGaAs or doping striations in the regrown layers. The conditions for planar regrowth are described using wet-etched mesas. With mesas formed by reactive ion etching, planar regrowth is easily achievable when Cl is added to the gas ambient using the pyrolysis of trichloroethane (TCA). When RIE mesas are cleaned and slightly etched (< 0.1 micrometers ), the laser properties are indistinguishable from those formed by wet etching, a result that has important implications for the processing of large area wafers (2 inch diameter) uniformly into lasers with controlled dimensional properties.