SBIR Phase I: Extended Performance Red VCSELs

这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目将评估显著提高RED垂直腔面发射激光器的输出功率、工作温度范围和可靠性的可行性。第一阶段项目的目标是开发一种650-680 nm垂直腔面发射激光器的设计方法，该方法将工作温度范围提高20℃，将输出功率提高30%以上，并将50℃至3000小时的寿命提高。第一阶段的工作还将为进一步开发提供更多实质性的性能改进。该项目将使用现有的外延晶片来测试一种新的制造方法，以改善载流子注入并从器件中移除热量。这项工作将加深对影响RED垂直腔面发射激光器高温性能的设计特征的理解。如果实现了这些目标，该活动将显著提高与重要商业应用相关的RED VCSELs的性能。除了更全面地了解设计参数的影响外，还将对技术极限的预测进行估计和修正。此外，还将了解影响设备可靠性的参数。为这一第一阶段计划提出的方法打破了制造VCSEL的传统模式，实现了一种混合集成方法，可以影响限制该技术的基本问题。如果成功，这一成果将带来广泛的商业机会，这些机会将受益于VCSEL的性能特征，包括用于家庭和汽车、激光打印、工业传感、军用激光雷达和医疗传感的塑料光纤。到目前为止，商业上唯一可用的VCSEL一直在780 nm到850 nm的波长范围内，这是因为在这个范围之外的器件存在的材料挑战。建议的工作可能适用于各种波长的VCSEL(长波长侧也存在类似的热问题，即1310 nm到1550 nm)，以及其他可能受到热问题限制的光电子器件。在商业上，RED VCSEL性能的显著增强可以使基于塑料光纤的家用和汽车网络迁移到更高的数据速率(Gbps与Mbps)，可以实现更快和更高质量的激光打印，可以促进更远距离和更精确的运动控制传感，并使使用光谱吸收或荧光进行检测的新型便携式或可穿戴医疗传感成为可能。为这些应用带来这种额外价值的能力反过来又为RED VCSEL供应商打开了一个重要的商机。该项目还有一个教育部分，即一名学生实习生将协助该项目，并将加深对技术的理解，以及接触到转移技术以推动商业活动的过程。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will evaluate the feasibility of significantly improving the output power, temperature range of operation, and reliability of red VCSELs. The objective of the Phase I project is to develop a design approach for 650-680nm VCSELs that will increase the temperature range of operation by 20 deg C, improve the output power by greater than 30% and improve lifetime at 50 deg C to 3000 hours. The Phase I work will also provide the insight for even more substantial performance improvements for further developments. This project will use existing epitaxial wafers to test a novel fabrication approach for improving carrier injection and remove heat from the devices. This proposed work will enhance the understanding of the design features impacting the high temperature performance of red VCSELs. If the objectives are achieved, the activity will significantly improve the performance of red VCSELs relevant to commercially important applications. In addition to a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of the design parameters, the prediction of the limits of the technology will be estimated and modified. An understanding of the parameters affecting device reliability will also be developed. The approach proposed for this Phase I program breaks out of the traditional model for fabricating VCSELs, by implementing a hybrid integration approach that can impact the fundamental issues limiting the technology. If successful, the results will open up a wide range of commercial opportunities that would benefit from the performance characteristics of VCSELs, including plastic optical fiber for homes and automobiles, laser printing, industrial sensing, military LIDAR, and medical sensing. To date, the only commercially available VCSELs have been in the wavelength range of 780nm to 850nm, due to the materials challenges existing of devices outside this range. The proposed work may be applicable to a variety of VCSEL wavelengths (similar thermal issues exist on the long wavelength side, i.e. 1310nm to 1550nm), as well as other optoelectronic devices that may be limited by thermal issues. Commercially, a significant enhancement in red VCSEL performance can enable the migration of plastic fiber based home and auto networks to higher data rates (Gbps vs Mbps), can enable faster and higher quality laser printing, can facilitate longer distance and more precise motion control sensing, and enable new types of portable or wearable medical sensing that uses spectroscopic absorption or fluorescence for detection. The ability to bring this additional value to these applications in turn opens up a significant business opportunity for the suppliers of red VCSELs. The project also has an educational component, in that a student intern will assist on the project, and will develop an improved understanding of the technology, as well as exposure to the process of transferring technology to drive a business activity.