Spatial filters

1. A semiconductor photonic device comprising:

a substrate;

an epitaxial semiconductor structure on said substrate including an active layer, a lower cladding layer, and an upper cladding layer;

a first etched facet fabricated in said structure;

a ridge waveguide fabricated in said upper cladding layer; and

a first spatial filter deposited on said first etched facet, said first spatial filter positioned in a spatially controlled manner on said first etched facet.

2. The photonic device of claim 1 , wherein said first spatial filter comprises multiple layers of material.

3. The photonic device of claim 1 , wherein a second etched facet is formed in said structure and a second spatial filter is deposited on said second etched facet.

4. The photonic device of claim 1 , further including an anti-reflective (AR) coating on said first etched facet between said first etched facet and said first spatial filter.

5. The photonic device of claim 4 , wherein said AR coating includes a dielectric coating on said first etched facet, and wherein said first spatial filter includes multiple layers of deposited material on said AR coating.

6. The photonic device of claim 5 , further including an electrical contact for supplying current to said semiconductor structure to cause light to propagate in said structure and to be at least partially emitted from said first etched facet.

7. The photonic device of claim 6 , wherein said first spatial filter is located on said first etched facet to shape said emitted light.

8. The photonic device of claim 5 , wherein said first spatial filter is a reflectivity-modifying coating.

9. The photonic device of claim 8 , wherein said first spatial filter is shaped to modify the shape of light emitted from the photonic device.

10. The photonic device of claim 4 , wherein a second etched facet is formed in said structure and a second spatial filter is deposited on said second etched facet.

11. The photonic device of claim 4 , wherein said first spatial filter has a width that is smaller than a width of said ridge waveguide.

12. The photonic device of claim 1 , wherein said first spatial filter has a width that is smaller than a width of said ridge waveguide.

13. A method for fabricating a semiconductor photonic device capable of emitting a beam of light, comprising:

depositing an epitaxial semiconductor structure, including an active layer, a lower cladding layer, and an upper cladding layer, on a substrate;

forming a first etched facet in said structure;

etching said upper cladding layer to form a ridge waveguide therein; and

forming a first spatial filter by depositing a reflectivity modifying coating on said first etched facet that is positioned on said first etched facet in a spatially controlled manner.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the step of depositing a reflectivity modifying coating on said first etched facet that is positioned on said first etched facet in a spatially controlled manner includes lithographically controlling deposition of the coating on said first etched facet.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein a second etched facet is formed in said structure and a second spatial filter is deposited on said second etched facet.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein said first spatial filter has a width that is less than a width of said ridge waveguide.

17. A semiconductor photonic device comprising:

a substrate;

an epitaxial semiconductor structure on said substrate including an active layer, a lower cladding layer, and an upper cladding layer;

a ridge waveguide fabricated in said upper cladding layer;

a first etched facet fabricated in said structure at an angle other than perpendicular to said substrate causing internal reflection at said first etched facet of light propagating in said ridge waveguide and impinging on said first etched facet; and

a first spatial filter deposited on a surface of said epitaxial semiconductor structure parallel to said substrate and above said first etched facet, said first spatial filter positioned in a spatially controlled manner on said surface.

18. The photonic device of claim 17 , wherein said first spatial filter comprises multiple layers of material.

19. The photonic device of claim 17 , further including an AR coating on said surface between said surface and said first spatial filter.

20. The photonic device of claim 17 , wherein said surface is the surface of a lens.

21. The photonic device of claim 17 , wherein a second etched facet is formed in said structure and a second spatial filter is deposited on said second etched facet.

22. The photonic device of claim 17 , wherein said first spatial filter has a width that is smaller than a width of said ridge waveguide.

23. The photonic device of claim 17 , wherein said first spatial filter is formed on a top surface of a widened top portion of said ridge waveguide.