Hot-wall epitaxial growth of Pb 1- xSn xTe hetero-layers for infrared diode laser devices
Abstract
A multi source hot-wall epitaxy (HWE) technique has been used at relatively low growth temperatures (∼ 350 C) to produce heterostructure diode lasers from vapour-grown Pb 1- xSn xTe single crystal substrates. The effect of varying growth parameters such as temperature and source conditions in the modified HWE system has been studied. Diode lasers were fabricated by sequential growth of p-type and n-type epilayers on Pb 1- xSn xTe substrates. Stimulated infrared emission from the minimum bandgap region was produced when the diodes were operated at cryogenic temperatures with either CW or pulsed injection current. Low temperature threshold current densities were in the range 125-1000 A cm -2 and the laser power output in a single mode was typically 50-200 μW for CW operation and ∼400μW for pulsed operation, with a total output amounting to several hundred μW. The wavelength tuning of the diode lasers was accomplished by changing the injection current or the heat-sink temperature, with an average current tuning rate of 0.1 cm -1 mA -1 and a temperature tuning rate of 3cm -1K -1, giving an overall tuning range typically of 50-150 cm -1. HWE has been shown to be a powerful alternative technique to those of LPE and MBE for producing heterostructure lasers and it allows an added opportunity for changing the design of the device.
- Publication:
-
Infrared Physics
- Pub Date:
- March 1982
- DOI:
- 10.1016/0020-0891(82)90024-0
- Bibcode:
- 1982InfPh..22...97B
- Keywords:
-
- Epitaxy;
- Heterojunction Devices;
- Infrared Lasers;
- Lead Tellurides;
- Tin Tellurides;
- Wall Temperature;
- Current Density;
- Emission Spectra;
- Semiconductor Diodes;
- Semiconductor Lasers;
- Substrates;
- Volt-Ampere Characteristics;
- Lasers and Masers