Advanced dry etching of GaAs/AlGaAs multilayer wafer with InAs quantum dot for circular defect in photonic crystal laser

Abstract

We previously proposed the circular defect in two-dimensional photonic crystal (CirD) laser based on a GaAs/AlGaAs multilayer wafer, which is fabricated by dry etching. This CirD laser uses InAs quantum dot (QD) layers as the gain medium, but this inhibits vertical dry etching. We improved the dry etching process by introducing three QD layers and three-step dry etching for fabricating the CirD laser. As a result, CirD structures with good etching profiles could be fabricated and excellent optical properties were obtained. We observed lasing by a CirD laser fabricated by deep etching under photoexcitation measurement for the first time.