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High temperature AlGaInAs-based

25g DML-DFB lasers operating in O-
band for data center use

Saarela, Antti, Melanen, Petri, Vilokkinen, Ville, Kuusela,

Luukas, Uusimaa, Petteri, et al.

Antti Saarela, Petri Melanen, Ville Vilokkinen, Luukas Kuusela, Petteri

Uusimaa, Pekko Sipilä, Riina Ulkuniemi, Ossi Mäkinen, "High temperature
AlGaInAs-based 25g DML-DFB lasers operating in O-band for data center
use," Proc. SPIE 11712, Metro and Data Center Optical Networks and Short-
Reach Links IV, 117120B (5 March 2021); doi: 10.1117/12.2578257

Event: SPIE OPTO, 2021, Online Only

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 High temperature AlGaInAs-based 25G DML-DFB lasers operating in
O-band for data center use
Antti Saarelaa, Petri Melanena, Ville Vilokkinena, Luukas Kuuselaa, Petteri Uusimaaa, Pekko Sipiläa,
Riina Ulkuniemia, Ossi Mäkinena
a
Modulight, Inc., Hermiankatu 22, 33720 Tampere, Finland

ABSTRACT

Hyperscale datacenters are driving the growth of datacom laser diode market. Small wavelength drift over temperature,
small footprint and low power consumption makes directly modulated distributed feedback (DFB) lasers ideal for
uncooled operation in intra-datacenter interconnects. DFB lasers require significantly less process steps than electro-
absorption modulated lasers (EMLs), used typically for higher speeds and longer distances. AlGaInAs-based lasers are
exceptionally desirable for uncooled operation compared to InGaAsP because of the material’s better electron
confinement, resulting in better power conversion in high temperature operation, higher possible operation frequency and
more stable operation in AlGaInAs based lasers. Directly modulated DFB lasers must be operated with relatively high
bias current to achieve the desired bandwidth. This together with the absence of active cooling raises a reliability
concern1. Modulight has already demonstrated a very stable 10 Gb/s device operating in O-band with predicted median
lifetime of 180 years at 85 °C2. Using similar epitaxial design, 25 Gb/s operation is already possible. DFBs can be further
optimized by limiting the device resistance and capacitance by optimizing the doping profile as well as the contact pad.
Miniaturization of the laser chip is limited by the dicing process, but the effective device size can be reduced by limiting
the active area in the chip.
Keywords: DML, DFB, transmitter, uncooled, datacenter, laser, AlGaInAs, O-band

1. INTRODUCTION

Ever increasing amount of data transferred across the planet correlates to steady growth of transceiver markets.
Transceivers used for intra-datacenter optical links and transmitter laser diodes used in them are in a special position as
datacenters drive the demand, and majority of the market volume is in intra-datacenter connections. Directly modulated
distributed feedback (DFB) lasers operating in O-band in the vicinity of 1310 nm are well suited for this purpose, as their
narrow spectral width limits the chromatic dispersion. Datacenters that are densely packed with heat emitting
components have efficient centralized cooling, making them an attractive environment for low-cost transceivers without
expensive internal cooling elements. The fact that the transceiver internal temperature is not actively controlled places a
special strain on the transmitter lasers inside. The laser should be operable and reliable across a larger range of
temperature. Low operating current and thus high quantum efficiency is also desired to limit the production of internal
heat. High operating temperatures limit the power conversion efficiency of the laser. However, this effect is significantly
smaller in AlGaInAs-based lasers compared to InGaAsP due to the larger band gap discontinuity in the conductivity
band which significantly reduces Auger recombination and carrier leakage3. Modulight has 20 years of experience
regarding AlGaInAs-based directly modulated, highly reliable lasers2 ranging from 2.5 Gb/s Fabry-Perot (FP) to 25 Gb/s
DFB. This manuscript demonstrates these advancements and the development required to produce 25 Gb/s directly
modulated O-band DFB for datacenter use.

2. DEVICE FABRICATION

Epitaxial structures used in development were grown on InP substrates using metalorganic chemical vapor deposition
(MOCVD). Two different structure designs were used. The active region consists of either six or eight compressive

Metro and Data Center Optical Networks and Short-Reach Links IV, edited by Atul K. Srivastava,
Madeleine Glick, Youichi Akasaka, Proc. of SPIE Vol. 11712, 117120B · © 2021 SPIE
CCC code: 0277-786X/21/$21 · doi: 10.1117/12.2578257

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 AlGaInAs quantum wells (QW) surrounded by tensile AlGaInAs barrier layers. In the 6QW structure, the AlGaInAs
guiding layers on both sides of the active region have graded composition as well as a graded doping profile. The
waveguide design is completed with AlInAs cladding layers on both sides, while the outer claddings are InP. On the p-
side there is a GaInAsP grating layer embedded within the InP cladding. A uniform first-order grating was fabricated
into the grating layer by holographic lithography. The growth of the structure was finished by overgrowth of the
remaining InP cladding followed by InGaAsP barrier-reduction layers in order to reduce the serial resistance of the
structure, as well as a heavily doped InGaAs contact layer to reduce the fermi-level pinning at metal-semiconductor
interface for a good ohmic contact. The 8QW structure has similar design to the 6QW structure with the exceptions that
the AlGaInAs guiding layers surrounding the active region have uniform composition with graded doping profile, and
that the grating was fabricated using electron-beam lithography and a quarter-wavelength phase shift was incorporated to
the grating design.

Lithography phases in the wafer processing start with ridge formation. All the photoresist developing steps are
done with standard contact lithography. Controlled and repeatable etching process resulting in small sidewall roughness
in ridge formation step is very important to ensure single lateral mode operation with little optical scattering losses.
Followed is then several insulator depositing phases and their corresponding pattern formations with lithography. The
insulator on ridge top is opened to create an electrical contact to the junction. To reduce bonding pad capacitance for
better dynamic performance, thick insulator pad is created below the wire bonding pad. Insulator is removed from device
edges to ease dicing in the further parts of the process chain. Standard Ti/Pt/Au p-side metal is then deposited and
patterned using lift-off for electrical contacts as well as device numbering. Following these steps, the wafer is thinned
and finally the n-side metal is deposited. From the finished wafer material one laser bar wide blocks are cleaved.

Post-wafer processing is done by cleaving the bar blocks into individual 200-µm cavity laser bars. The laser
bars are stacked to specifically designed short bar holder fixtures with spacer bars alternating so that every other bar in
the stack is a spacer bar. Low-reflectivity anti-reflective (AR) coating is deposited on one laser facet and other facet is
covered with a high-reflective (HR) coating. Both coatings are deposited using ion beam sputtering (IBS). LIV curve, far
field and spectrum are measured for the coated bars using an automated bar tester. Laser bars are then diced into
individual lasers. After dicing, the lasers are visually inspected and with the data combined from the automated bar tester
passed chips are selected to further testing. Passed chips are mounted on a suitable submount depending on the
measurements done to them.

3. DEVICE CHARACTERIZATION

Dynamic performance is measured by characterizing both the small and large signal response. S21 bandwidth is measured
using a vector network analyzer (VNA), Ground-Signal-Ground (GSG) microwave probe, and a high-speed
photodetector. The device under testing (DUT) is biased with direct current (DC), and the radio frequency (RF) signal
from the VNA is combined to the input by using a high-speed bias tee. The light from the laser is collected for the high-
speed detector using two lens optical configuration. The photodetector then transforms the optical signal back to
electrical voltage and delivers it back to the VNA. The ratio between the sent and returning signal is measured by the
VNA respective to the frequency of the signal. By increasing modulation frequency, the received optical power
experiences a roll-off, and at a certain frequency the received optical power has 50% of its low-frequency value. This is
called the -3 dB optical bandwidth of the DUT.

The large signal response measurement utilizes a pulse pattern generator and a high-speed sampling
oscilloscope. The input signal is again a combined input of a DC current driver and the signal from the pattern generator.
Pattern generator generates a pseudorandom bit pattern that is used to modulate the laser. Similar method with the small
signal measurement is used to collect the light, and the detected signal is directed to the sampling oscilloscope. The
sampling oscilloscope then constructs the transmitted signal, consisting of superimposed waveforms on the screen,
resembling an eye. The eye pattern can be utilized to characterize the dynamic performance of the DUT by applying a
mask pattern on top of the plotted signal. Waveforms should not overlap with the mask pattern, defined by standards, as
it would be registered as a faulty bit in data transmission. The more distinct the lines of individual waveforms, the less

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 noisy and jittery the signal is considered to be, which is desirable. The eye pattern is also an important tool in device
diagnostics as it can be utilized to detect individual problems in the operation and define the best operating conditions.

Spectral measurements are done using an optical spectrum analyzer (OSA). In the case of transmitter lasers, the
modulated spectrum is of significant importance. The DUT should operate in a single longitudinal mode, resulting in a
clean and narrow single peak spectrum. The presence of other modes harm the device’s dynamic performance and as the
data transmission can occur in channels of multiple wavelengths, interfering different wavelengths are not allowed.
Sufficient side mode suppression ratio (SMSR) is 30 dB4.

Life testing for transmitter lasers is done using automatic current control (ACC) test. The operating conditions
are often selected to match the operating conditions in terms of the ambient temperature and the output power. It is
important to note that the DUTs under life testing are not modulated for practicality reasons. The devices can be pre-
screened using a burn-in test. In a burn-in the chips are operated at an elevated temperature and/or operating current for a
time period of a few tens of hours to screen out the weaker devices. When life testing the devices on an ACC test, the
resulting plot is operating power as a function of time. These graphs can then be analyzed utilizing mathematical tools to
estimate median device lifetime, wear-out rate and other important characteristics.

4. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

Bar level data of LIV parameters were measured in multiple different temperatures. Figure 1 Figure 1 shows comparison
of multiple devices measured at 25 and 65 °C. Typical threshold and slope for 25 °C operation is 10 mA and 0.4
mW/mA, respectively. For 65 °C operation the respective values are 15 mA and 0.31 mW/mA. Series resistance of the
devices is 9 Ω at 25 °C. Turn on voltage is 980 mV for 25 °C and 965 mV for 65 °C.

Figure 1 Output power and voltage as a function of input drive current of several lasers at 25 °C on the left and 65 °C on the right.

Figure 1 shows measured S21 bandwidth measurement at different bias current values. Typical -3 dB
modulation bandwidth of the devices exceeds 18 GHz already at 44 mA bias current in 25 °C operation, making
them suitable candidates for 25 Gb/s transceivers. Large signal measurements were measured against a 100G-LR4 mask
with 65 mA input current at 25 °C. Positive mask margins were reached with zero hits. Typical eye pattern can be seen in
Figure 2..

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 Figure 2 Small signal response of a single device measured at bias currents between 10 and 91 mA. The red line illustrates the -3
dB optical bandwidth.

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 Figure 3 Eye pattern of a single device using 25 Gb/s modulation, 100G-LR4 mask. Positive mask margin of 16.5 % was reached
with zero hits at 25 °C temperature and 65 mA input current.

Spectral properties were measured using an optical spectrum analyzer. SMSR ratios greater than 30 dB have
been measured across 25 to 70 °C temperature range up to 80 mA input current. Life testing data gives promising results
of device behavior at 65 °C as devices have suffered no sudden failures and weak devices can be screened out according
to few tens of hours initial testing. In Figure stable device performance is demonstrated through a normalized power as
well as voltage plot over time.

Figure 4 Normalized output power (left) and operation voltage (right) of an ACC test operating at 65 °C and 70 mA.

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 5. SUMMARY

The demonstrated 25 Gb/s AlGaInAs-based directly modulated DFB lasers have excellent qualities for high temperature
25 Gb/s operation. Power conversion of 0.31 mW/mA and threshold current of 15 mA at 65 °C as well as 18 GHz
modulation bandwidth at an input current of 44 mA represent a great performance for uncooled transceivers. The
achieved dynamic performance at low bias current is ideal for intra-datacenter interconnects. The demonstrated stable
operation across a large temperature range combined with the solid reliability further supports these claims, making these
devices an outstanding transmitter laser choice for uncooled transceivers following 25GBASE-LR or other 25 Gb/s
interface standard.

REFERENCES

[1] Matsui, Yasuhiro, et al. "112-Gb/s WDM link using two directly modulated Al-MQW BH DFB lasers at 56
Gb/s." Optical Fiber Communication Conference. Optical Society of America (2015).
[2] Vilokkinen, V., P. Savolainen, and P. Sipila. "Reliability analysis of AlGaInAs lasers at 1.3/spl µ/m." Electronics
Letters 40.23, 1489-1490 (2004).
[3] Ishikawa, T., et al. "Evaluation of differential gain of 1.3/spl µ/m AlGaInAs/InP strained MQW lasers." Conference
Proceedings. 1998 International Conference on Indium Phosphide and Related Materials (Cat. No. 98CH36129), IEEE,
(1998).
[4] "IEEE 802. 3™-2018 IEEE Standard for Ethernet", IEEE Computer Society, (2018).

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