VCSEL Fabrication Processing

The following is pictorial description of the fabrication process for oxidized VCSELs. A detailed description of each step is contained in VCSEL Fab Details.ppt This work was performed in Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory at the University of Illinois by members of the Photonic Device Research Group

VCSEL fabrication Bare wafer

p-DBR

Cleave Label substrate backside Clean

n-DBR

n-GaAs substrate

Photonic Device Research Group

VCSEL fabrication Backside contact

Target: 40 nm AuGe / 20 nm Ni / 150 nm Au

p-DBR

n-DBR

n-GaAs substrate

Photonic Device Research Group

VCSEL fabrication Spin PR

Degrease /N2 dry /Dehydration bake HMDS (can spin-on or vapor prime) Spin on photoresist (usually 4330)

PR p-DBR

n-DBR

n-GaAs substrate

Photonic Device Research Group

VCSEL fabrication Top contact lithography

4330 lithography
PR p-DBR

n-DBR

n-GaAs substrate

Photonic Device Research Group

VCSEL fabrication Metal deposition

O2 Plasma (300W 3 min) 1:10 NH4OH:DI dip (15 sec) Flowing DI rinse (10 min) N2 dry, inspect, load, evaporate Target: 15 nm Ti / 150 nm Au

PR p-DBR

n-DBR

n-GaAs substrate

Photonic DeviceDevice Research Photonic Research Group

Group

VCSEL fabrication Liftoff

Acetone soak ~5 min / Squirt gun

p-DBR

n-DBR

n-GaAs substrate

Photonic Device Research Group

VCSEL fabrication SiO2 deposition

Degrease, N2 dry load, deposit dielectric > 400 nm thickness (based on color)

SiO2 p-DBR

n-DBR

n-GaAs substrate

Photonic Device Research Group

VCSEL fabrication SiO2 pattern

PR SiO2 p-DBR

Degrease /N2 dry /Dehydration bake HMDS vapor prime Spin on AZ5214 Hardbake (110 C for 60 sec) Patern & develop

n-DBR

n-GaAs substrate

Photonic Device Research Group

VCSEL fabrication CF4 RIE etch

PR SiO2 p-DBR

Freon 14 (CF4) for > 400 nm (22 min) Remove PR mask with acetone

n-DBR

n-GaAs substrate

Photonic Device Research Group

VCSEL SiCl4 ICP-RIE mesa etch

Clean ICP (O2 process 15 min) ICP predep (SiCl4 recipe 10 min) Etch > 5 mirror pair into bottom DBR

SiO2 p-DBR

n-DBR

n-GaAs substrate

To be replaced by Semigroup RIE

Photonic Device Research Group

VCSEL fabrication Selective oxidation

Oxidation rate from test piece Use optical (below) or electrical probe Record actual pinch off in log book

SiO2 p-DBR

n-DBR

n-GaAs substrate

Photonic Device Research Group

VCSEL fabrication CF4 RIE etch

Freon 14 (CF4) process (~200 /min) Test for conduction on probe station 2 min etch, test Repeat until all SiO2 is removed
p-DBR

n-DBR

n-GaAs substrate

Photonic Device Research Group

VCSEL Structure and Operation

Laser Emission Top contact

p-DBR Active region

Oxide layers

n-DBR

Top-view optical photograph of fabricated VCSEL

n-GaAs substrate Bottom contact

Side-view schematic of fabricated VCSEL

Photonic Device Research Group

Test VCSELs!

Photonic Device Research Group