GaInAsP/InP double heterostructure lasers emitting at 1.5 μm grown by chemical beam epitaxy

Double heterostructure lasers of GaxIn1−xAs1−yPy lattice matched to InP and emitting at 1.55 μm have been grown by chemical beam epitaxy (CBE). Broad-area lasers fabricated from these wafers had pulsed room-temperature threshold current densities Jth and differential quantum efficiencies that are similar to the best results obtained from wafers grown by liquid phase epitaxy and metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. The lowest Jth obtained was 1 kA/cm2 with an active layer thickness of 0.14 μm. Differential quantum efficiencies were ∼15–18% per facet. Lasing was obtained with these broad-area lasers up to 106 °C with relatively weak degradation of quantum efficiency. Excellent device uniformity and wafer-to-wafer reproducibility were obtained with CBE. The method appears at this yet early stage to be an attractive approach to GaInAsP epitaxy.