TUNABLE LONG-WAVELENGTH VCSEL SYSTEM

1 . A vertical cavity surface emitting laser system comprising:

providing an epitaxially grown bottom spacer layer,

an epitaxially grown active layer on the bottom spacer layer,

an epitaxially grown top spacer layer on the active layer; and

etching a part of the epitaxially grown top spacer layer on a side opposite the active layer.

2 . The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

providing the epitaxially grown top spacer layer provides an epitaxially grown top spacer layer of a predetermined height; and

etching of the epitaxially grown top spacer layer is performed without impacting the active layer.

3 . The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein etching the part of the epitaxially grown top spacer layer on a side opposite the active layer includes etching the epitaxially grown top spacer layer in different parts to different heights to cause a predetermined wavelength spacing.

4 . The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprises:

forming additional vertical cavity surface emitting laser systems on a wafer that includes the substrate; and

forming the additional vertical cavity surface emitting laser systems specified to have the same wavelengths to have wavelengths within about 1% of each other on the wafer.

5 . The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprises:

forming additional vertical cavity surface emitting laser systems on a plurality of wafers; and

forming the additional vertical cavity surface emitting laser systems specified to have the same wavelengths to have wavelengths about 1% of each other on the plurality of wafers.

6 . A vertical cavity surface emitting laser system comprising:

providing a formation substrate;

growing an epitaxially grown top spacer layer on the formation substrate;

forming an active layer on the epitaxially grown top spacer layer;

growing a bottom spacer layer on the active layer;

placing a substrate over the bottom spacer layer;

removing the formation substrate;

forming a first top spacer layer by selectively etching a first part of the epitaxially grown top spacer layer on a side opposite the active layer;

forming a second top spacer layer by selectively etching a second part of the epitaxially grown top spacer layer on the side opposite the active layer; and

forming a third top spacer layer by selectively etching a third part of the epitaxially

grown top spacer layer on the side opposite the active layer.

7 . The system as claimed in claim 6 further comprising forming a first longwavelength structure comprises forming a first top mirror on the first top spacer layer and forming a bottom mirror on the bottom spacer layer.

8 . The system as claimed in claim 6 wherein etching the part of the epitaxially grown top spacer layer on a side opposite the active layer includes etching the epitaxially grown top spacer layer in different parts.

9 . The system as claimed in claim 6 further comprises:

forming further long-wavelength vertical cavity surface emitting laser systems on a wafer that includes the substrate; and

forming the further vertical cavity surface emitting laser systems specified to have the same wavelengths to have wavelengths within 1% of each other on the wafer.

10 . The system as claimed in claim 6 further comprises:

forming further long-wavelength vertical cavity surface emitting laser systems on a plurality of wafers that include the substrate; and

forming the further vertical cavity surface emitting laser systems specified to have the same wavelengths to have wavelengths within 1% of each other on the plurality of wafers.

11 . A vertical cavity surface emitting laser system comprising:

a substrate;

a bottom mirror on top of the substrate;

a bottom spacer layer on top of the bottom mirror;

an active layer on top of the bottom spacer;

an epitaxially grown top spacer layer on top of the active layer;

wherein the epitaxially grown top spacer layer completely covers the active layer;

wherein the epitaxially grown top spacer layer has different parts with different heights, the different heights for providing different wavelengths having predetermined wavelength spacings.

12 - 20 . (canceled)

21 . The system as claimed in claim 11 further comprising a first wavelength structure including a first top mirror on the first top spacer layer.

22 . The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the first, second, and third predetermined heights are for causing the first, second, and third top spacer layers to cause a wavelength spacing.