Coherent light generators – Particular active media – Semiconductor
Patent
1996-08-22
1998-02-03
Bovernick, Rodney C.
Coherent light generators
Particular active media
Semiconductor
372 50, 385 90, 437129, H01S 319, G02B 636, H01L 2120
Patent
active
057152675
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a semiconductor laser device to be suitably used for optical telecommunications and a method of manufacturing the same. It also relates to a method of coupling a semiconductor laser device and at least one optical waveguide device.
2. Prior Art
As known well, the semiconductor laser device is a device that finds a principal application in a light source for optical telecommunications and is, in use, optically coupled with at least one optical fiber, optical waveguides or some other devices for providing at least one optical path.
For coupling a semiconductor laser device and at least one optical waveguide devices, the light-emitting sections of the semi-conductor laser device and the optical waveguide devices have to be aligned accurately to maximize the efficiency with which they operate. In other words, at least one light-emitting section of the semiconductor laser device have to be precisely located and the devices have to be aligned accurately so that the optical axes of the devices completely agree with each other.
At least one light-emitting section of the semiconductor laser device are found within the region of an active layer and an end surface of the light-emitting sections is exposed from an cleavage plane of semiconductor crystal of the device. However, since at least one light-emitting section of the semiconductor laser device is extremely small and the boundaries separating them from the surrounding members are not particularly distinct, they cannot be spotted through a microscope, if a cleavage plane of semiconductor crystal is microscopically observable.
Thus, in a situation where a semiconductor laser device and at least one optical waveguide devices are to be coupled with each other, it is not possible to locate at least one light-emitting section of the laser device without particular means specifically designed for it.
A known method of coupling a semiconductor laser device and at least one optical waveguide devices comprises the following steps.
Firstly, in step 1, an area of the semiconductor laser device containing the light-emitting section or one of the light-emitting sections, whichever appropriate, is placed vis-a-vis the incident light receiving end of a corresponding optical waveguide device.
Then, in step 2, the semiconductor laser device is caused to emit a laser beam that goes into the optical waveguide device through the entrance of light of the device, while monitoring the intensity of the beam at the exit of light and three-dimensionally adjusting the relative positions of the semiconductor laser device and the optical waveguide device until a peak intensity is obtained.
In step 3, the semiconductor laser device and the optical waveguide device are rigidly secured to each other.
If a plurality of optical waveguide devices are to be coupled to discrete single semiconductor laser devices, the above process is repeated for each coupling operation.
Although it may seem that the semiconductor laser device and the optical waveguide device are highly precisely coupled with each other by using the above coupling method because the intensity of the laser beam passing therethrough is monitored until it is maximized, this method is actually accompanied by certain drawbacks, which will be described below.
One of the problems is that the optical axis of the semiconductor laser device and that of the optical waveguide device can be separated from each other to a great extent particularly at the corresponding light-emitting section of the former and the entrance of light of the latter in step 1 because the light-emitting section of the semiconductor laser device and the core diameter of the optical waveguide device are very small and the light-emitting section of the semiconductor laser device is not distinctly observable. This problem is particular serious when the optical waveguide device comprises an single mode optical fiber having a core diameter of several microns.
Another problem is that, when the op
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patent: 4186994 (1980-02-01), Denkin et al.
patent: 4787696 (1988-11-01), Norris et al.
patent: 4891816 (1990-01-01), Yoshida et al.
patent: 4975923 (1990-12-01), Buus et al.
Bovernick Rodney C.
Phan Luong-Quyen T.
The Furukawa Electric Co. Ltd.
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