Low degradation rate in strained InGaAs/AlGaAs single quantum well lasers

A 10000 h, 30 degrees C constant-current lifetest performed on five strained In/sub 0.2/Ga/sub 0.8/As/AlGaAs single-quantum-well lasers, with lambda approximately 930 nm, is discussed. The devices are 90- mu m*400- mu m oxide-stripe lasers with facet coatings, grown by atmospheric pressure organometallic vapor-phase epitaxy. For each diode, the current was maintained at a constant value of approximately 300 mA, corresponding to approximately 100 mW of output power. After 10/sup 4/ h, thresholds increased from an average of 84 mA to 108 mA, while quantum efficiencies were essentially unchanged. In relation to a typical 100-mW constant-power lifetest, this is equivalent to a degradation rate of less than 1%/kh.<>