VCSELs pervade our everyday lives, from face recognition in smartphones to communication networks, and the ramp in demand is showing no signs of slowing. Pressure for manufacturers to ship more chips, combined with tighter specification tolerance of emerging applications has resulted in an ever-increasing need for rapid device-level feedback within a production cycle. To meet this need, we developed a 24hr quick-fab VCSEL process within the Institute for Compound Semiconductors and on-wafer testing to deliver assessment of wafer-uniformity and performance validation. Here we present examples of quick-fab for VCSELs grown on GaAs and Ge substates up to 200mm in diameter.
Jack Baker is a postdoctoral research associate in compound semiconductor optoelectronics at Cardiff University. His work focusses on the design, fabrication, and characterisation of III-V optoelectronic devices, principally VCSELs and LEDs. His doctoral studentship was co-sponsored by the advanced epi-wafer manufacturer IQE and he was awarded the PhD in Physics in 2024.