12.5-gbps operation of 850-nm vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers with reduced parasitic capacitance by BCB planarization technique

12.5-Gbps operation of 850-nm AlGaAs-based VCSEL fabricated using low-k benzocyclobutene (BCB) planarization technique is reported. The BCB has lowest dielectric constant of 2.65 among conventional passivation dielectrics including polyimide and thick passivation can be easily formed by simple planarization technique, resulting in very low parasitic capacitance especially at around the pad electrode. The thick BCB film buried around the epitaxial post structure reduces the parasitic capacitance down to 0.041 pF which is one third as low as that of the conventional SiN passivated VCSELs. The fabricated BCB-planarized VCSEL exhibits very high relaxation oscillation frequency of 12 GHz for the oxide aperture of 6.5 mum, which corresponds to high modulation bandwidth f_3dB of 16 GHz with relaxation oscillation frequency of 11 GHz for the oxide aperture of 8.5 mum. These values are as comparably high as the reported highest values. Open eye-diagrams up to 12.5 Gbps are also confirmed implying that the presented VCSEL is applicable to the optical data network systems such as Giga-bit Ethernet at higher bit rates. Preliminary reliability test result shows stable optical output power at constant operating current at 100 degC over 1000 h