JPH01120881A - Semiconductor laser device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To irradiate a light perpendicularly to an active layer by providing a high refractive index region having a refractive index equal to or larger than that of the active layer on a low refractive index region. CONSTITUTION:A low refractive index region 9 having a refractive index smaller than that of an active layer 5 is provided on the layer 5, and a high refractive index region 10 having a refractive index larger than or equal to that of the layer 5 is provided on the region 9, and externally exposed. After a laser beam which propagates through the layer 5 and its vicinity is tunneled through the region 9 to the region 10, it is irradiated externally. That is, a light to be propagated through a core region 12 is radiated through a prism 14 to an external field. Accordingly, even in a semiconductor laser device in which the region 9 and the region 10 are sequentially laminated, the laser beam can be radiated perpendicularly to the layer 5 by means of an optical tunneling effect.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to, for example, a surface-emitting type semiconductor laser device.

[Prior Art] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the structure of a conventional semiconductor laser device.

In this figure, 1 is a p-side electrode, 2 is a substrate, 3 is a current blocking layer, 4 is a lower cladding layer, 5 is an active layer, 6 is an upper cladding layer, 7 is a contact layer, and 8 is an n-side electrode.

Next, the operation will be explained.

Now, when forward bias is applied between the p-side electrode 1 and the n-side electrode 8, holes and electrons are injected into the active layer 5 and combine to become light. The light generated in the active layer 5 propagates while being amplified in the horizontal direction with respect to the active layer 5, and is emitted from the end face as a laser beam.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

The semiconductor laser device as described above has a problem in that light can only be extracted in the horizontal direction with respect to the active layer 5.

The present invention was made to solve these problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a surface-emitting type semiconductor laser device that can also extract light in a direction perpendicular to the active layer.

[Means for solving problems]

In the semiconductor laser device according to the present invention, a low refractive index region having a refractive index smaller than the refractive index of the active layer is provided on the active layer, and a refractive index larger than or equal to the refractive index of the active layer is provided on the low refractive index region. A high refractive index region having a refractive index is provided and exposed to the outside.

[Effect]

In this invention, laser light propagating through the active layer and its vicinity tunnels through the low refractive index region, enters the high refractive index region, and is then emitted to the outside.

[Embodiment] FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) are perspective views showing the structure of an embodiment of the semiconductor laser device of the present invention, and
It is a cross-sectional view in an X-ray.

In these figures, the same reference numerals as in FIG. 5 indicate the same elements, 9 is a low refractive index region having a smaller refractive index than the active layer 5, and 1o is a region with a refractive index greater than or equal to that of the active layer 5. It is a high refractive index region with a high refractive index. That is,
The refractive index of the active layer 5 is nI, and the refractive index of the low refractive index region 9 is nI.
2. When the refractive index of the high refractive index region 10 is n3, n, >
The relationship n,>n2 holds true.

Figure 2 shows the prism-film combination (P, Tien, Applied Optics) used in this invention.
, Vol, 10°No., 11. pp, 2395-241
3.1971) is a diagram illustrating the principle of the light tunneling effect known as 3.1971).

In this figure, 11 is a substrate, 12 is a core region, 13 is a gap, and 14 is a prism.

Next, the operation will be explained.

As shown in FIG. 2, when prisms 14 having a refractive index greater than or equal to the refractive index of the core region 12 are placed across a gap 13 with a refractive index smaller than that of the core region 12, the core region 12 The light propagating inside is extracted to the outside world through the prism 14.

Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), a low refractive index region 9 having a refractive index smaller than that of the active layer 5 and a region having a refractive index larger than that of the active layer 5 are formed on a part of the active layer 5. Even in the semiconductor laser device of the present invention in which high refractive index regions 10 having the same refractive index are sequentially stacked, laser light can be extracted in a direction perpendicular to the active layer 5 due to the above-mentioned optical tunnel effect.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views showing the structure of other embodiments of the present invention.

In the structure shown in FIG. 3, the low refractive index region 9 is attached not only on the active layer 5 but also on the oblique side. With this structure, the light is reflected on the oblique side and the light is emitted efficiently. It can be taken out.

Furthermore, in the case shown in FIG. 4, the low refractive index region 9 is provided in the middle of the upper cladding layer 6, but even with this configuration, substantially the same effects as in each of the above embodiments can be obtained. .

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, this invention provides a low refractive index region having a refractive index smaller than the refractive index of the active layer on the active layer, and a refractive index larger than or equal to the refractive index of the active layer on the low refractive index region. Since a high refractive index region is provided and exposed to the outside, the laser light propagating in the active layer and its vicinity tunnels through the low refractive index region, enters the high refractive index region, and is emitted to the outside, causing the active layer to be exposed to the outside. This has the effect that laser light can be extracted in a direction perpendicular to the layer.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the structure of an embodiment of a semiconductor laser device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the principle of the tunneling effect of light, and FIGS. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the structure of a conventional semiconductor laser device. In the figure, 1 is a p-side electrode, 2 and 11 are substrates, 3 is a current blocking layer, 4 is a lower cladding layer, 5 is an active layer, 6 is an upper cladding layer, 7 is a contact layer, 8 is an n-side electrode, 9 is a low refractive index region, 10 is a high refractive index region, 12 is a core region, 13
is a gap, and 14 is a prism. Note that the same reference numerals in each figure indicate the same or corresponding parts. Agent Masuo Oiwa (2 others) Figure 1's Dai 4ul It, l:
J + bend *! ! 11*Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Procedural amendment (voluntary) 1. Indication of the case Patent application No. 1982-278504 2.
Title of the invention: Semiconductor laser device 3, relationship to the amended case Patent applicant address: 2-2-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. Name (601) Mitsubishi Electric Corporation Representative Moriya Shiki 4, Agent Address 2-2-3-5 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
, Detailed Description of the Invention Column 6 of the Specification Subject to Amendment, Contents of the Amendment (1) Page 2 of the Specification, Lines 8 and 12, 1-Horizontal Direction.''
are respectively corrected in the [horizontal direction (resonator length direction)]. (2) Similarly, on page 3, lines 3 to 4, "It was installed and exposed to the outside." should be corrected to "It would have been installed."

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a semiconductor laser device in which at least a lower cladding layer, an active layer, an upper cladding layer, and a contact layer are formed on a substrate, a low refractive index region having a refractive index smaller than that of the active layer is provided on the active layer. Additionally, a high refractive index region having a refractive index greater than or equal to the refractive index of the active layer is provided on the low refractive index region and exposed to the outside.