Abstract

The technique of liquid phase epitaxy (LEE) used to grow multilayer GaAs-AlGaAs structures will be described; emphasizing procedures to control layer composition and doping; melt mixing caused by imperfect melt wipes between successive layer growths, dimensional uniformity and point defects. While LPE has been widely used to form discrete double heterostructure (DH) devices such as CW lasers, waveguides, modulators and detectors, diffraction limitations and mechanical stability have required stringent conditions for their interconnection. These difficulties are largely overcome in monolithic integration where the laser radiation is coupled from the active layer into a low loss passive DH waveguide without appreciable loss in the transfer.^1,2,3 The waveguide may then easily be extended into the active layer of a DH modulator^1,6 or be modified in dimension to control the laser divergence at an exit mirror⁴. A portion of the DH waveguide cladding can be exposed to permit formation of a distributed Bragg reflector grating to provide the laser feedback⁵.

© 1976 Optical Society of America