Surface-emitting GaAs/AlGaAs lasers with dry-etched 45° total reflection mirrors

Surface-emitting GaAs/AlGaAs lasers with 45° total reflection mirrors have been successfully produced using a 45° tilted reactive ion beam etching technique. The ratio of surface-emitted light output power to edge-emitted light output power was obtained at values as high as 77%. The total reflection mirror was formed within 1° of the desired precise 45° angle. This type of surface-emitting laser is promising for optoelectronic integrated circuits because of the simplicity of its structure and fabrication.