Tunnel junctions for long-wavelength VCSELs

1. A tunnel junction device with minimal hydrogen passivation of acceptors, comprising:

a p-type tunnel junction layer of a first semiconductor material doped with carbon, wherein the first semiconductor material includes aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb); and

an n-type tunnel junction layer of a second semiconductor material, wherein the second semiconductor material includes indium (In), gallium (Ga), arsenic (As) and one of aluminum (Al) and phosphorous (P); and

a tunnel junction between the tunnel junction layers.

2. The device of claim 1 , in which: the semiconductor material of the p-type tunnel junction layer consists essentially of aluminum gallium arsenide antimonide Al y Ga (1-y) As (1-x) Sb x , in which 0.752≧x≧0.22, and y≧0.

3. The device of claim 1 , structured to generate light having a wavelength between 1000 nm and 1650 nm.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the tunnel junction layers has a thickness≧30 nm.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein each of the tunnel junction layers has a thickness≧30 nm.

6. The device of claim 1 , in which: the semiconductor material of the n-type tunnel junction layer consists essentially of Indium Gallium Aluminum Arsenide In x Ga y Al (1-x-y) As, in which 0.83≧x≧0.24 and y≧0.

7. The device of claim 6 , in which: the semiconductor material of the p-type tunnel junction layer consists essentially of aluminum gallium arsenide antimonide Al y Ga (1-y) As (1-x) Sb x , in which 0.752≧x≧0.22, and y≧0.

8. The device of claim 1 , in which: the semiconductor material of the n-type tunnel junction layer consists essentially of Indium Gallium Arsenide Phosphide In y Ga (1-y) As (1-x) P x , in which 1≧x≧0 and 1≧y≧0.24.

9. The device of claim 8 , in which: the semiconductor material of the p-type tunnel junction layer consists essentially of aluminum gallium arsenide antimonide Al y Ga (1-y) As (1-x) Sb x , in which 0.752≧x≧0.22, and y≧0.

10. A light-emitting device, comprising:

an InP substrate for starting epitaxial growth, the substrate having an upper side, and a lower side opposite the upper side, and being characterized by a substrate bandgap and a substrate lattice constant;

an active region grown over the upper side of the InP substrate, the active region having an effective bandgap configured to generate light at a lasing wavelength in response to injected charge; and

a tunnel junction structure with minimal hydrogen passivation of acceptors, the tunnel junction structure located to inject charge into the active region and including

a p-type tunnel junction layer of a first semiconductor material doped with carbon, wherein the first semiconductor material includes aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb), the p-type tunnel junction layer having an effective bandgap greater than the energy of the lasing wavelength at room temperature by at least 80 milli electron Volts; and

an n-type tunnel junction layer of a second semiconductor material, wherein the second semiconductor material includes indium (In), gallium (Ga), arsenic (As) and one of aluminum (Al) and phosphorous (P); and

a tunnel junction between the tunnel junction layers.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the first semiconductor material includes aluminum (Al) in the p-type tunnel junction layer for decoupling the lattice strain from the bandgap by maintaining the lattice constant of the p-type tunnel junction layer and allowing the effective bandgap of the p-type tunnel junction layer of the tunnel junction structure to be higher than the photon energy of the lasing wavelength to avoid absorption.

12. The device of claim 10 further comprising:

a first interference reflector disposed near the InP substrate and remote from the tunnel junction structure;

a second interference reflector disposed remote from the first interference reflector and near the tunnel junction structure, the second interference reflector substantially reflecting light at the lasing wavelength generated by the active region disposed between the first and second interference reflectors; and

an optical distance between the first and second interference reflectors being in a predetermined relationship with the lasing wavelength for forming a vertical optical cavity for a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL).

13. The device of claim 10 , in which the p- type tunnel junction layer doped with a carbon concentration in a range from about 1.5×10 19 cm −3 to 3×10 20 cm −3 is located between the n-type tunnel junction layer and the active region.