Material and fabrication-related limitations to high-power operation of GaAs/AlGaAs and InGaAs/AlGaAs laser diodes

This paper discusses material/device and fabrication problems related to the high-power performance of fundamental-mode GaAs/AlGaAs and InGaAs/AlGaAs laser diodes. Various views on the stability of these devices and their degradation are presented. Bulk-, mirror- and ohmic-contact-related issues, including the physics/chemistry of defect formation, are discussed.