Optical Devices and Methods of Manufacture and Operation

Abstract

Optical devices and methods of manufacturing and operating such optical devices. In an embodiment, an optical device includes a substrate, a multi-layer structure having a first surface in contact with a first surface of the substrate, a first mirror disposed over a second surface of the multi-layer structure, a second mirror disposed over a second surface of the substrate, an intermediate mirror within the multi-layer structure, and an optical gain structure within the multi-layer structure. The device may include a first optically resonant cavity within the multi-layer structure, bounded by the first mirror and the intermediate mirror, where the first optically resonant cavity includes the optical gain structure. The device may further include a second optically resonant cavity, bounded by the first and second mirrors, where the second optically resonant cavity includes the first optically resonant cavity, the second optically reflective layer, and the substrate.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vertical-cavity light emitting device, comprising:
 a III-nitride-containing substrate having a thickness of at least 10 um;   an epitaxial stack grown on a top surface of the substrate that includes:
 an intermediate multilayer mirror having at least two pairs of low-index and high-index layers, characterized by an intermediate reflectivity in a range 10-50%, and
 an active region providing optical gain at a peak wavelength; 
 
   a top mirror formed on at least a portion of the epitaxial stack, characterized by a top reflectivity higher than 99%; and   a bottom mirror formed on a bottom surface of the substrate, characterized by a curved shape and by a bottom reflectivity higher than 99% and lower than the top reflectivity.