Application of reactive ion etching for GaAs-based integrated optoelectronics

D. Cengher, E. Aperathitis, G. Deligeorgis, M. Androulidaki, K.Tsagaraki, Z. Hatzopoulos and A. Georgakilas

Microelectronic Research Group, Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser, FORTH, PO Box 1527, 711 10, Heraklion, Greece

Dry etching of semiconductor structures is one of the most widely used techniques for patterning electronic and optoelectronic devices. Dry etching techniques, like Reactive Ion Etching (RIE), offer the advantages of anisotropic etching, improved uniformity and in-situ monitoring.

A convenient Reactive Ion Etching process was developed, which allow the formation of narrow trenches with vertical walls, suitable for fabrication of integrated photonic circuits. This RIE process was applied in the fabrication of edge emitting laser diodes laterally integrated with waveguide detectors on the same GaAs wafer. The RIE-etched mirrors profile and the parameters of edge emitting lasers and waveguide detectors will be presented.