Room temperature visible (683-713 nm) all-AlGaAs vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs)

Visible emitting all-AlGaAs vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) have been produced by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) using ultra-high purity source reagents. Lasing was obtained at wavelengths in the range 683-713 nm using four 45 /spl Aring/ Al/sub 0.18/Ga/sub 0.82/As quantum wells in the active region. At room temperature, a minimum threshold current density of 3.8 kA.cm/sup -2/ was measured for a wavelength of 692 nm; this is the lowest value for an all-AlGaAs vertical-cavity laser operating at this wavelength. Growth of the epitaxial mirrors at 5.2 μm/h/sup -1/ results in a total growth time of only two and a half hours.