Novel passivation process for the mirror facets of Al-free active-region high-power semiconductor diode lasers

Author

Ressel, Peter ; Erbert, Götz ; Zeimer, Ute ; Häusler, Karl ; Beister, Gert ; Sumpf, Bernd ; Klehr, Andreas ; Tränkle, Günther

Author_Institution

Ferdinand-Braun-Inst. fur Hochstfrequenztechnik, Berlin, Germany

Volume

17

Issue

5

fYear

2005

fDate

5/1/2005 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

962

Lastpage

964

Abstract

A novel process for the passivation of mirror facets of Al-free active-region high-power semiconductor diode lasers is presented. Designed for technological simplicity and minimum damage generated within the facet region, it combines laser bar cleaving in air with a two-step process consisting of 1) removal of thermodynamically unstable species and 2) facet sealing with a passivation layer. Impurity removal is achieved by irradiation with beams of atomic hydrogen, while zinc selenide is used as the passivating medium. The effectiveness of the process is demonstrated by operation of 808-nm GaAsP-active ridge-waveguide diode lasers at record optical powers of 500 mW for several thousand hours limited only by bulk degradation.

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; atomic beams; gallium arsenide; gallium compounds; hydrogen; laser cavity resonators; laser mirrors; laser reliability; passivation; radiation effects; semiconductor device reliability; semiconductor lasers; waveguide lasers; zinc compounds; 500 mW; 808 nm; Al-free active region; GaAsP; GaAsP-active lasers; H₂; ZnSe; active-region lasers; atomic hydrogen; beam irradiation; bulk degradation; facet sealing; high-power lasers; impurity removal; laser bar cleaving; mirror facets; passivation process; ridge-waveguide lasers; semiconductor diode laser reliability; semiconductor diode lasers; thermodynamically unstable species removal; zinc selenide; Atomic beams; Atomic layer deposition; Hydrogen; Laser beams; Mirrors; Optical design; Passivation; Semiconductor diodes; Semiconductor impurities; Semiconductor lasers; Atomic beams; life estimation; optical films; passivation; semiconductor lasers;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1041-1135

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/LPT.2005.846750

Filename

1424067