| US 7,480,322 B2 | ||
| Electrically-pumped (Ga,In,Al)N vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser | ||
| Daniel F. Feezell, Santa Barbara, Calif. (US); Daniel A. Cohen, Santa Barbara, Calif. (US); Robert M. Farrell, Goleta, Calif. (US); Masahiro Ishida, Goleta, Calif. (US); and Shuji Nakamura, Santa Barbara, Calif. (US) | ||
| Assigned to The Regents of the University of California, Oakland, Calif. (US) | ||
| Filed on May 15, 2007, as Appl. No. 11/803,472. | ||
| Claims priority of provisional application 60/800391, filed on May 15, 2006. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2007/0280320 A1, Dec. 06, 2007 | ||
| Int. Cl. H01S 5/00 (2006.01); H01S 3/08 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 372—50.124 [372/103] | 20 Claims |
| 1. An electrically injected vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL), comprising:
(a) an optical cavity bounded by a top reflector and a bottom reflector;
(b) an active region contained within the optical cavity that generates light when injected with an electrical current;
(c) one or more cladding layers that clad the active region and provide for control of current injection; and
(d) one or more low-loss thin metal layers placed within the optical cavity near a null of an optical standing wave to minimize
optical loss and adjacent to the cladding layers;
(e) wherein the low-loss thin metal layers simultaneously provide lower resistance, non-rectifying electrical contact, and
enhanced lateral current spreading to the VCSEL as compared to a VCSEL without the metal layers.
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