Scanning voltage microscopy on buried heterostructure multiquantum-well lasers: identification of a diode current leakage path

We report scanning voltage microscopy (SVM) results on actively driven buried heterostructure (BH) multiquantum-well (MQW) lasers that exhibit current blocking failure at high current injection operation. The measured two-dimensional image of local voltage distribution delineates the buried structures of the BH laser. The results, in combination with light-current-voltage (L-I-V) measurements, connect macroscopic external performance to measurements on the nanometer scale. Our experimental results suggest that the current blocking breakdown observed in the MQW BH lasers correlates with the turn-on of a diode leakage path when the devices are biased at high current injection.

[1]  Leon Shterengas,et al.  Direct measurement of lateral carrier leakage in 1.3-/spl mu/m InGaAsP multiple-quantum-well capped mesa buried heterostructure lasers , 2002 .

[2]  A. Valster,et al.  1.3 µm buried heterojunction laser diodes under high electrical stress: Leakage currents and aging behavior , 1985, IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics.

[3]  U. Smith,et al.  On the degradation of InGaAsP/InP-based bulk lasers , 1999 .

[4]  Zhou Fan,et al.  Native-oxidized InAlAs blocking layer buried heterostructure InGaAsP-InP MQW laser for high-temperature operation , 1999 .

[5]  St. J. Dixon-Warren,et al.  Scanning spreading resistance microscopy study of a metalorganic chemical vapor deposited grown InP optoelectronic structure , 2001 .

[6]  Kyung Hyun Park,et al.  High-Performance Strain-Compensated Multiple Quantum Well Planar Buried Heterostructure Laser Diodes with Low Leakage Current , 1996 .

[7]  M. Amann,et al.  Design and realization of a buried-heterostructure tunable-twin-guide laser diode with electrical blocking regions , 1999 .

[8]  M. Kubota,et al.  1.3-μm AlGaInAs buried-heterostructure lasers , 1999, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

[9]  A. Takemoto,et al.  Theoretical and experimental analysis of leakage current in InGaAsP BH lasers with p-n-p-n current blocking layers , 1999 .

[10]  G. Pakulski,et al.  Semi-insulating buried heterostructure laser with PN fence , 2002 .

[11]  Edward H. Sargent,et al.  Two-dimensional profiling of carriers in a buried heterostructure multi-quantum-well laser: Calibrated scanning spreading resistance microscopy and scanning capacitance microscopy , 2002 .

[12]  Edward H. Sargent,et al.  Direct imaging of the depletion region of an InP p-n junction under bias using scanning voltage microscopy , 2002 .

[13]  Mark Osowski,et al.  Progress in InGaAs-GaAs selective-area MOCVD toward photonic integrated circuits , 1997 .

[15]  J. Poorter,et al.  The effect of interstital Frank partial dislocations on the gradual degradation of 1.3‐μm double‐channel planar buried heterostructure laser diodes , 1990 .

[16]  C. Barrios,et al.  Analysis of leakage current in GaAs/AlGaAs buried-heterostructure lasers with a semi-insulating GaInP:Fe burying layer , 2002 .

[17]  Edward H. Sargent,et al.  Two-Dimensional Transverse Cross-Section Nanopotentiometry of Actively-Driven Buried Heterostructure Multiple-Quantum-Well Lasers , 2002 .