Characterization of semiconductor laser diodes by beam injection techniques

This paper illustrates the application of microscopy techniques to address material, processing, and device-related issues encountered in the development of laser diodes. General comments are made concerning local characterization of laser diodes, and issues related to laser reliability are addressed. An extensive investigation is presented, showing how microscopy techniques can facilitate the building of modern devices. The examples cited include recent data published by various authors as well as the author's own work on quantum well ridge-type InGaP/AlGaInP/AlGaAs red emitting lasers, GaAs/AlGaAs lasers, strained InGaAs/AlGaAs 980 nm lasers, and GaAs/AlGaAs lasers with dry-etched mirrors.