Assessment of lithographic process variation effects in InGaAsP annular Bragg resonator lasers

Abstract

Optical microresonators based on an annular geometry of radial Bragg reflectors have been designed and fabricated by electron-beam lithography, reactive ion etching, and an epitaxial transfer process. Unlike conventional ring resonators that are based on total internal reflection of light, the annular structure described here is designed to support optical modes with very small azimuthal propagation coefficient and correspondingly large free spectral range. The effect of lithographic process variation upon device performance is studied. Laser emission wavelength and threshold optical pump power are found to vary between similar devices given different electron doses during electron-beam lithography. As the resonance wavelength and quality factor of these resonators are very sensitive to environmental changes, these resonators make ideal active light sources that can be integrated into large arrays for gas and liquid sensing applications and are easily interrogated.

Annular Bragg resonators (ABR): the ideal tool for biochemical sensing, nonlinear optics, and cavity QED

“…Annular Bragg resonators of several geometries and Bragg reflector orders were fabricated within a thin membrane of InGaAsP semiconductor material. 19 A cross-section of the semiconductor epitaxial structure used is illustrated in figure 5. The layers were grown by MOCVD on a (100) oriented InP substrate.…”

Hybrid InGaAsP-InP Mach-Zehnder Racetrack Resonator for Thermooptic Switching and Coupling Control

“…The remaining PMMA is removed using an O 2 plasma. Transfer of the patterns into the semiconductor substrate is accomplished using ICP-RIE etching and HI/H 2 /Ar chemistry [16], using the SiO 2 layer as a hard mask. The InGaAsP-InP waveguides are etched through the waveguide core to a depth of ∼3 µm, ensuring strong optical confinement for compact waveguide bends.…”

Transverse Bragg Gratings and Lasers Fabricated by Electron Beam Lithography and Reactive Ion Etching

“…Here we show promising new surface emitting DFB/DBR laser designs. To precisely define the geometries needed for efficient light sources, proximity effect correction modeling [1,2] methods have also become available. After electron beam writing of the gratings in electron beam resist, complex grating structures have been etched into the InGaAsP substrate by inductively-coupled plasma / reactive ion etching (ICP/RIE).…”