Vertical cavity surface emitting laser with undoped top mirror

1. A method of fabricating a VCSEL comprising:

forming a bottom mirror on a substrate, wherein forming a bottom mirror comprises forming alternating layers of materials with different indices of refraction with ramps between the alternating layers of materials, each ramp having a step change in composition, wherein at least a portion of the materials are doped to a conductivity type of the substrate;

forming an active layer that contains quantum wells on the bottom mirror;

forming a periodically doped conduction layer region that has an opposite conductivity type from the bottom mirror on and in contact with the active layer, wherein forming the periodically doped conduction layer region comprises doping portions of the conduction layer region more heavily at a location where the optoelectronic energy is at about a minimum when the VCSEL is in use;

forming a thermally conductive top mirror on the conduction layer region such that the top mirror is essentially undoped and non-graded; and

forming a thermally conductive intracavity contact layer on the first conduction layer and that extends to and at least partially covers a top of the top mirror.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the top mirror comprises:

forming alternating layers of AlAs and GaAs and sealing the top mirror from a high temperature wet oxidation process; or

forming alternating layers of GaAs and AlGaAs.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising etching to the periodically doped conduction layer region.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein etching to the conduction layer region comprises:

etching using a reactive ion etch to an etch stop layer formed on the conduction layer region, and

using a dilute HF etch to etch through the etch stop layer.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising forming the intracavity contact that is coupled to the periodically doped conduction layer region such that the intracavity contact layer has a first portion deposited on the first conduction layer and a second portion formed on the first portion, where the second portion completely covers a lateral wall of the thermally conductive top mirror.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

depositing a dielectric layer on the periodically doped conduction layer region;

slope etching the dielectric layer; and

depositing a metal contact on the conduction layer region and the slope etch dielectric layer.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

forming a periodically doped spacer layer on the bottom mirror;

wherein forming the active layer comprises forming the active layer on the periodically doped spacer layer;

etching to the periodically doped spacer layer; and

forming a second intracavity contact on the periodically doped spacer layer.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the bottom mirror comprises:

forming alternating layers of AlAs and GaAs that have the different indices of refraction with the ramps therebetween.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the ramp between the alternating layers of materials includes a portion having a continuous change in composition.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the bottom mirror comprises:

forming the bottom mirror to be a DBR mirror on and in contact with the substrate so as to have the alternating layers of first and second materials that have different indices of refraction with ramps therebetween, the ramps including a step change in composition from the first material and then a substantially continuous ramp of changing composition to the second material.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first material includes AlAs and the second material includes GaAs and the step change includes AlGaAs, and the continuous ramp of changing composition has a substantially continuous decrease in Al composition from the step change to the GaAs.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein forming the thermally conductive top mirror results in the top mirror having a mesa structure with a lateral wall and such that the top mirror has alternating layers of different materials that are substantially non-graded at interfaces therebetween.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein forming the thermally conductive intracavity contact layer includes forming a first portion and second portion thereof with the first portion in contact with the periodically doped first conduction layer and the second portion completely covers the lateral wall of the mesa structure and at least partially covers a top of the mesa structure.

14. The method of claim 13 , comprising forming an aperture in an epitaxial structure above the quantum wells.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the second portion of the thermally conductive intracavity contact layer does not block the aperture and such that the VCSEL is configured to emit a laser from the top mirror.

16. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

forming the bottom mirror to be a DBR mirror on and in contact with the substrate so as to have the alternating layers of first and second materials that have different indices of refraction with ramps therebetween, the ramps including a step change in composition from the first material and then a substantially continuous ramp of changing composition to the second material, wherein the first material includes AlAs and the second material includes GaAs and the step change includes AlGaAs, and the continuous ramp of changing composition has a substantially continuous decrease in Al composition from the step change to the GaAs;

forming the top mirror to include:

alternating layers of AlAs and GaAs that seal the top mirror from a high temperature wet oxidation process; or

alternating layers of GaAs and AlGaAs; and

forming the intracavity contact that is coupled to the periodically doped conduction layer region such that the intracavity contact layer has a first portion deposited on the first conduction layer and a second portion formed on the first portion, where the second portion completely covers a lateral wall of the thermally conductive top mirror.

17. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

forming an aperture in an epitaxial structure above the quantum wells;

forming the thermally conductive intracavity contact layer includes forming a first portion and second portion thereof with the first portion in contact with the periodically doped first conduction layer and the second portion completely covers the lateral wall of the mesa structure and at least partially covers a top of the mesa structure, wherein the second portion of the thermally conductive intracavity contact layer does not block the aperture and such that the VCSEL is configured to emit a laser from the top mirror.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

forming a periodically doped spacer layer on the bottom mirror;

wherein forming the active layer comprises forming the active layer on the periodically doped spacer layer;

etching to the periodically doped spacer layer; and

forming a second intracavity contact on the periodically doped spacer layer.

19. The method of claim 1 , comprising forming a VCSEL that includes:

the substrate of a first conductivity type and an epitaxial structure, wherein the epitaxial structure comprises:

the bottom mirror being a bottom DBR mirror disposed on the substrate wherein the bottom mirror is doped to the first conductivity type and wherein the bottom DBR mirror comprises alternating layers of AlAs and GaAs with ramps between the AlAs and GaAs layers, the ramps including a step change to AlGaAs with at least 30% aluminum and an essentially continuous ramp of decreasing aluminum composition between the step change and the GaAs layer;

the active layer disposed on the bottom mirror, the active layer including quantum wells;

the periodically doped first conduction layer of a second conductivity type, the first conduction layer at least partially contacting the active layer, the doped first conduction layer being heavily doped at a location where the optical electric field is at about a minimum;

an aperture formed in the epitaxial structure above the quantum wells;

the thermally conductive top mirror coupled to the periodically doped first conduction layer, the top mirror forming a mesa structure having a lateral wall, wherein the top mirror is essentially undoped, the top mirror having alternating layers that are substantially non-graded at an interface between the alternating layers so as to increase heat conduction through the top mirror;

the thermally conductive intracavity contact layer having a first portion that is deposited on the first conduction layer and a second portion formed above the first portion wherein the second portion completely covers the lateral wall of the mesa structure and at least partially covers the top of the mesa structure so as to conduct heat from the mesa structure, wherein the second portion does not block the aperture; and

the active region, top mirror, and bottom mirror are configured to emit a laser beam from the top mirror.

20. A method of forming a VCSEL, the method comprising:

providing a substrate of a first conductivity type; and

forming an epitaxial structure on the substrate, wherein forming the epitaxial structure includes:

forming a bottom DBR mirror on the substrate wherein the bottom mirror is doped to the first conductivity type and wherein the bottom DBR mirror comprises alternating layers of AlAs and GaAs with ramps between the AlAs and GaAs layers, the ramps including a step change to AlGaAs with at least 30% aluminum and an essentially continuous ramp of decreasing aluminum composition between the step change and the GaAs layer;

forming an active layer on the bottom mirror, the active layer including quantum wells;

forming a periodically doped first conduction layer of a second conductivity type, the first conduction layer at least partially contacting the active layer, the doped first conduction layer being heavily doped at a location where the optical electric field is at about a minimum;

forming an aperture formed in the epitaxial structure above the quantum wells;

forming a thermally conductive top mirror coupled to the periodically doped first conduction layer, the top mirror forming a mesa structure having a lateral wall, wherein the top mirror is essentially undoped, the top mirror having alternating layers that are substantially non-graded at an interface between the alternating layers so as to increase heat conduction through the top mirror;

forming a thermally conductive intracavity contact layer having a first portion that is deposited on the first conduction layer and a second portion formed above the first portion wherein the second portion completely covers the lateral wall of the mesa structure and at least partially covers the top of the mesa structure so as to conduct heat from the mesa structure, wherein the second portion does not block the aperture; and

configuring the VCSEL such that the active region, top mirror, and bottom mirror are capable of emitting a laser beam from the top mirror.