Electroluminescence spectroscopy for reliability investigations of 1.55μm bulk semiconductor optical amplifier

Semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) appear as key components for many applications for future optical networks and telecommunication systems due to various technological schemes that can be selected according to the targeted functions and performances (Eliseev, 1995). New qualification methodologies are now proposed to face the optoelectronic industry modifications and provide end-users with relevant reliability data and improve the confidence level about product quality (Goudard, 2002). Such an evolution of qualification tests requires developing experimental techniques and tools more oriented towards physical mechanisms origin but also physics of failure than usual experimental qualification tests often performed with "go-no go" status at the end of product development. In order to assess the reliability of SOAs for telecommunication applications, functional parameters monitoring is necessary, such as gain, noise figure, operating current, optical output power but also electroluminescence spectroscopy.