Vertical cavity surface emitting laser devices

1. A VCSEL device comprising:

a substrate;

a laser cavity over the substrate, the laser cavity including a gain section disposed between first and second reflectors, wherein the VCSEL device is operable to emit light through a first end of the VCSEL device, the first end being closer to the first reflector than the second reflector;

an anode surface mount contact; and

a cathode surface mount contact,

wherein each of the anode and cathode surface mount contacts is disposed at a second end of the VCSEL device opposite the first end of the VCSEL device, the VCSEL device further including:

a first electrical connection at the first end of the VCSEL device, wherein the first electrical connection is routed to the anode surface mount contact by way of an opening through the substrate; and

a second electrical connection at a surface of the second reflector, wherein the second electrical connection is either routed to the cathode surface mount contact by way of a same opening through the substrate as the first electrical connection is routed to the anode surface mount contact or by way of direct contact with the substrate.

2. The VCSEL device of claim 1 including a dielectric layer that separates the first electrical connection from the gain section, the substrate and the second reflector.

3. The VCSEL device of claim 2 wherein the dielectric layer extends partially along a surface of the substrate near the second end to prevent electrical continuity between the anode surface mount contact and the substrate.

4. The VCSEL device of claim 1 wherein the first reflector is a partial-reflectivity distributed Bragg grating reflector.

5. The VCSEL device of claim 1 wherein the substrate is a heavily doped semiconductor substrate.

6. The VCSEL device of claim 1 wherein the substrate is a semi-insulating semiconductor substrate.

7. The VCSEL device of claim 1 wherein the gain section includes multiple stages of multiple quantum wells.

8. A top-emitting VCSEL device comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of epitaxial layers on the substrate, including a laser cavity having a gain section disposed between first and second distributed Bragg grating reflectors, wherein the VCSEL device is operable to emit light through a top side of the VCSEL device, the top side being closer to the first distributed Bragg grating reflector than the second distributed Bragg grating reflector, and wherein the first distributed Bragg grating reflector is partially-reflecting;

an anode contact pad; and

a cathode contact pad,

wherein each of the anode and cathode contact pads is disposed at a bottom side of the VCSEL device opposite the top side of the VCSEL device, the VCSEL device further including:

a first electrical connection at the top side of the VCSEL device, wherein the first electrical connection is routed to the anode contact pad by way of an opening through the substrate; and

a second electrical connection at a surface of the second distributed Bragg grating reflector, wherein the second electrical connection is either routed to the cathode contact pad by way of a same opening through the substrate as the first electrical connection is routed to the anode contact pad or by way of direct contact with the substrate.

9. The VCSEL device of claim 8 including a dielectric layer that separates the first electrical connection from the gain section, the substrate and the second distributed Bragg grating reflector.

10. The VCSEL device of claim 9 wherein the dielectric layer extends partially along a surface of the substrate near the bottom side to prevent electrical continuity between the anode contact pad and the substrate.

11. The VCSEL device of claim 8 wherein the substrate is a heavily doped semiconductor substrate.

12. The VCSEL device of claim 8 wherein the substrate is a semi-insulating semiconductor substrate.

13. The VCSEL device of claim 8 wherein the gain section includes multiple stages of multiple quantum wells.

14. A high-speed communication system comprising:

a laser driver integrated circuit having output pads; and

a VCSEL device as in claim 1 or 8 , wherein the VCSEL device is surface mount connected to the output pads of the laser driver integrated circuit.

15. A high-speed communication system comprising:

a coplanar waveguide printed circuit having connection pads; and

a VCSEL device as in claim 1 or 8 , wherein the VCSEL device is surface mount connected to the connection pads of the coplanar waveguide printed circuit.