Carbon-doped AlxGa1−xAs-GaAs quantum well lasers

Data are presented demonstrating that carbon (C) can be used as the active p-type dopant in high-quality AlxGa1−xAs-GaAs quantum well laser crystals. We show, by fabricating three different types of stripe geometry laser diodes (oxide stripe, hydrogenated stripe, and impurity-induced layer-disordered stripe), that C is a stable dopant and compatible in behavior with typical integrated-circuit style of device processing. The data suggest that more complicated laser geometries are possible on C-doped material because of minimal pattern ‘‘undercutting’’ after processing by, for example, hydrogenation or impurity-induced layer disordering.