Second-order DFB lasers fabricated by deep UV contact lithography and GSMBE

DFB ridge waveguide lasers at 1.55 mu m with uniform second-order gratings defined by deep UV lithography have been realised for the first time. The lasers have been fabricated using gas source molecular beam epitaxial (GSMBE) heterostructures grown in a two-step process. The characteristics of the DFB lasers (28 mA minimum threshold current, single-mode behaviour at output power in excess of 5 mW for more than 80% of the lasers and very low dispersion (+or-0.6 nm) of the lasing wavelength) demonstrate that deep UV lithography can be successfully used for the fabrication of DFB lasers.