High power 980 nm ridge waveguide lasers with etch-stop layer

For the first time, the use of an etch-stop layer to precisely control the mesa height in ridge waveguide InGaAs/GaAs lasers is reported. These 980 nm devices emit up to 180 mW of total power in the fundamental spatial mode and lase in a single frequency with sidemode suppression ratios of greater than 25 dB.