Archived — VCSEL

VCSEL lasers have the economic advantage over any other diode lasers. This short explanation tells you why. A typical VCSEL consists of two oppositely-doped Distributed Bragg Reflectors (DBR) with a cavity layer between. In the center of the cavity layer resides an active region, consisting of multiple quantum wells. Current is injected into the active region via a current guiding structure either provided by an oxide aperture or proton-implanted surroundings. As the entire cavity can be grown with one-step epitaxy, these lasers can be manufactured and tested on a wafer scale. This presents a significant manufacturing advantage.