Carrier injection type optical switch using oxygen ion implantation as carrier confinement

Based on the band-filling effect, a novel intersectional waveguide semiconductor optical switch was fabricated and operated by carrier injection. Other than the conventional n-i-n structure and Zn-diffusion technology, a p-i-n structure was grown and O+ was implanted into the p-type layer to achieve restriction of injected carriers. This technology, which is published for the first time as we know, gets rid of the lateral expansion in the process of Zn-diffusion. It can be used to obtain narrow carrier injection region and perpendicular reflecting plane, and to exploit the injected carriers efficiently. At the working wavelength (lambda) equals 1.3 micrometers , the extinction ratio is as high as 15 dB with injected current 50 mA.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.