Reliability of Light Emitters and Detectors for Optical Fiber Communication Systems

Life test results on light emitters and detectors showed promisingly long lifetimes for short and long wavelength optical fiber communication systems. Data are presented on 0.85 μm AIGaAs LD's and LED's, Si APD's and p-i-n-PD's, 1.3 μm InGaAsP LD's and LED's, and Ge APD's and PD's. Degradation mechanisms and counteractions are also discussed.