IP Library Granted Patent US 7,539,230
Granted Patent B2
US 7,539,230 · App. 11/882,173 · Granted May 26, 2009

Semiconductor laser device and method for fabricating the same

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,539,230
App. No.
11/882,173
Granted
May 26, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

A semiconductor laser device includes a red-light-emission portion and an infrared-light-emission portion on a single substrate. The red-light-emission portion has a structure in which an AlGaInP-based active layer is sandwiched by a first cladding layer of a first conductivity type having a striped portion and a second cladding layer of a second conductivity type. The infrared-light-emission portion has a structure in which an AlGaAs-based active layer is sandwiched by a third cladding layer of the first conductivity type having a striped portion and a fourth cladding layer of the second conductivity type. The first, second, third, and fourth cladding layers are all made of an AlGaInP-based material. When in these layers, the Al:Ga contents are represented by X 1:1 -X 1 , X 2:1 -X 2 , X 3:1 -X 3 , and X 4:1 -X 4 , respectively, X 1 ≧X 2 and X 3 ≧X 4 are satisfied.

Claims (22)

1. A semiconductor laser device,

wherein in the device, a red-light-emission portion and an infrared-light-emission portion are provided on a single substrate,

the red-light-emission portion has a double heterostructure in which a red-light-emitting active layer made of an InGaP-based material or an AlGaInP-based material is sandwiched by a first cladding layer made of an AlGaInP-based material of a first conductivity type and having a red-light-side striped portion for current injection and a second cladding layer made of an AlGaInP-based material of a second conductivity type,

the infrared-light-emission portion has a double heterostructure in which an infrared-light-emitting active layer made of a GaAs-based material or an AlGaAs-based material is sandwiched by a third cladding layer made of an AlGaInP-based material of the first conductivity type and having an infrared-light-side striped portion for current injection and a fourth cladding layer made of an AlGaInP-based material of the second conductivity type,

when in the first cladding layer, the second cladding layer, the third cladding layer, and the fourth cladding layer, the Al:Ga contents are represented by X 1 : 1 -X 1 , X 2 : 1 -X 2 , X 3 : 1 -X 3 , and X 4 : 1 -X 4 , respectively, X 1 >X 2 and X 3 >X 4 and X 1 −X 3 ≦0.1 are satisfied,

the red-light-emitting active layer and the infrared-light-emitting active layer each have a quantum well structure, and

in at least one end face of a resonator contained in each of the red-light-emission portion and the infrared-light-emission portion, the red-light-emitting active layer and the infrared-light-emitting active layer are each provided with a window region in a disordered state made by impurity introduction of Zn as an impurity.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein X 1 >X 3 and X 2 >X 4 are further satisfied.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the impurity further includes Si.

4. The device of claim 1 ,

wherein the red-light-side striped portion and the infrared-light-side striped portion are formed of ridges in mesa shapes, respectively, and

side walls of the ridges are formed with identical semiconductor layers, respectively.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the semiconductor layers are AlInP current block layers.

6. The device of claim 4 , wherein identical dielectric layers are formed instead of the identical semiconductor layers, respectively.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the dielectric layers include at least one of a SiN layer, a SiO 2 layer, a TiO 2 layer, an Al 2 O 3 layer, and an amorphous silicon hydride layer.

8. A method for fabricating a semiconductor laser device in which a red-light-emission portion and an infrared-light-emission portion are provided on a substrate, the method comprising:

the step (a) of forming a double heterostructure of the red-light-emission portion in which a red-light-emitting active layer made of an InGaP-based material or an AlGaInP-based material is sandwiched by a first cladding layer made of an AlGaInP-based material of a first conductivity type and a second cladding layer made of an AlGaInP-based material of a second conductivity type;

the step (b) of forming a double heterostructure of the infrared-light-emission portion in which an infrared-light-emitting active layer made of a GaAs-based material or an AlGaAs-based material is sandwiched by a third cladding layer made of an AlGaInP-based material of the first conductivity type and a fourth cladding layer made of an AlGaInP-based material of the second conductivity type;

the step (c) of introducing, after the steps (a) and (b), Zn as an impurity into predetermined regions of the red-light-emitting active layer and the infrared-light-emitting active layer, thereby simultaneously forming window regions, respectively; and

the step (d) of processing, after the steps (a) and (b), the first cladding layer and the third cladding layer to form a red-light-side striped portion and an infrared-light-side striped portion for current injection, respectively,

wherein when in the first cladding layer, the second cladding layer, the third cladding layer, and the fourth cladding layer, the Al:Ga contents are represented by X 1 : 1 -X 1 , X 2 : 1 -X 2 , X 3 : 1 -X 3 , and X 4 : 1 -X 4 , respectively, X 1 >X 2 and X 3 >X 4 and X 1 −X 3 ≦0.1 are satisfied.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein X 1 >X 3 and X 2 >X 4 are further satisfied.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 27, 2020
From: PANASONIC CORPORATION
To: PANASONIC SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 052755/0917 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 20, 2008
From: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 021897/0516 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 19, 2008
From: TAKAYAMA, TORU; SATOH, TOMOYA; HAYAKAWA, KOICHI; KIDOGUCHI, ISAO
To: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 020529/0144 →