Nonperipheral cleaved facet fabrication technique

Author

Fujita, J. ; Levy, M. ; Osgood, R.M., Jr

Author_Institution

Microelectron. Sci. Lab., Columbia Univ., New York, NY, USA

Volume

11

Issue

1

fYear

1999

Firstpage

78

Lastpage

80

Abstract

A new technique for forming nonperipheral cleaved facets on GaAs epilayers for hybrid optical integration is demonstrated. Local photoelectrochemical etching is used to form an undercut region under the epilayer structure. The undercut region is then cleaved by subsequent ultrasonic agitation. Undercut widths of 70-170 μm/spl plusmn/5 μm are obtained at a bias voltage of 2 V and laser powers of 200-600 μW. Optical measurements show that these facets have minimal (0.4 dB) excess loss. A thin-film polarizer is inserted into the groove to test facet performance; the test shows a minimal degradation of the extinction ratio (<0.3 dB) over its free-space counterpart.

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; etching; gallium arsenide; optical fabrication; optical films; optical losses; optical polarisers; photoelectrochemistry; semiconductor epitaxial layers; 0.4 dB; 2 V; 200 to 600 muW; 70 to 170 mum; GaAs; GaAs epilayers; bias voltage; epilayer structure; extinction ratio; facet performance; free-space counterpart; hybrid optical integration; laser powers; local photoelectrochemical etching; minimal degradation; minimal excess loss; nonperipheral cleaved facet fabrication technique; nonperipheral cleaved facets; optical measurements; thin-film polarizer; ultrasonic agitation; undercut region; undercut widths; Etching; Gallium arsenide; Integrated optics; Loss measurement; Optical device fabrication; Optical losses; Power lasers; Testing; Ultrasonic variables measurement; Voltage;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1041-1135

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/68.736399

Filename

736399