CST Global begins development of buried heterostructure laser diodes

III-V optoelectronic foundry Compound Semiconductor Technologies Global Ltd (CST Global) of Hamilton International Technology Park, Blantyre, near Glasgow, Scotland, UK has begun developing a buried heterostructure (BH) laser diode production capability on its commercial metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) system.

Buried heterostructure lasers suit many silicon photonics applications, including passive optical network (PON) and quantum sensing markets, but there is currently a supply shortage of this type of single-frequency device and a worldwide bottleneck in the ability to manufacture them, notes the firm.

The active layers of BH lasers are coated with an indium phosphide (InP) epitaxial overgrowth layer, applied by the MOCVD reactor. This creates a structure that simultaneously provides optical and electrical confinement while also offering high thermal performance, optimal beam shapes and low-noise, semiconductor optical amplification.

“The BH laser diode development project will enable CST Global to meet known high demand for this type of laser, which is used in silicon photonic, cloud data-center applications,” says VP sales & marketing Euan Livingston. “BH lasers provide many advantages over standard lasers, such as low threshold current and high-speed modulation capability. Additionally, the epitaxial layers are uniform and can be grown simultaneously on multiple, large-area substrates, so they should be relatively quick and simple for us to make with high yield rates,” he reckons.

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Visit: www.CSTGlobal.uk