Nonplanar quantum well heterostructure window laser

Data are presented on a nonplanar graded barrier quantum well heterostructure window laser formed by a single metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) growth. By utilizing a selectively etched substrate, a transparent window region is formed in the vicinity of the facets thereby relaxing the maximum power limit imposed by catastrophic optical degradation. The ultimate output power available from such devices is approximately 50% higher than from devices with the same structure but grown on unetched substrates. The processing required for device fabrication is minimized by taking advantage of the properties of MOCVD growth on nonplanar substrates.