Objective Through a co-ordinated effort, the Optivan consortium has succeeded in controlling the growth and in characterising essential properties of the novel GaInNAs/GaAs material system. This culminated in realising the first 1300nm VCSELs worldwide that are suitable for use in data communications systems. Three epitaxial techniques (MOVPE, Solid-Source-MBE and Gas-Source-MBE) have been investigated in order to get a basic understanding of the growth mechanisms of the GaInNAs alloy and the application of advanced characterisation methods has led to a better understanding of its material properties:- LETI, for instance has discovered the presence of an anomalous behaviour of the GaInNAs quantum wells. The variation of the photoluminescence peak energy with the temperature shows an inverted S-shape. This effect is explained by a strong localisation of carriers below 100 K.- Experimental evidence for an increased electron effective mass of (~0.8m(sub0)) was found from PLE investigations of electronic states in GaInNAs/GaAs quantum wells, as performed at the University of Strathclyde. From a theoretical fit to the PLE transitions, a Type I band alignment for the heavy holes was confirmed.-Measurements of the modal gain performed at IMEC confirmed that the material gain of GaInNAs is broad and high enough to expect superior laser properties.-By Solid-Source MBE, edge-emitting lasers were realised, which for the first time demonstrated that GaInNAs can rival the established InGaAsP as a laser material. A number of excellent devices have been elaborated within the project: High performance ridge waveguide lasers emitting at 1.29µm with threshold currents as low as 20mA, slope efficiencies of 0.27 W/A, improved high temperature performance and CW operation up to 100°C. Such values represent the very best ridge waveguide results reported in this material system at the time of realisation. 100µm broad stripe lasers exhibited high power CW operation up to 8W, which can be taken as a proof for the excellent material quality.-Within the third year of the project, the ultimate objective of the project was realised: Using an intra-cavity contact configuration VCSEL structures have been grown by Infineons solid source MBE technology. These VCSELs show output-powers of more than 1mW at room-temperature and cw-operation up to 80°C. The threshold-current at room-temperature is 2mA, the side-mode suppression-ratio at a typical drive-current of 5mA (for 2.5GBit/s) is better than 30dB. Data transmission experiments up to 10Gbit/s could be demonstrated.-At the end of the project Infineon additionally could demonstrate high quality VCSELs from its MOVPE technology. Later, IQE also reported on the MOVPE growth of 1.28µm VCSEL device layer structures.-With respect to the MOVPE production processes another achievement of the OPTIVAN project is the assessment of several high purity metalorganic precursors for the growth of GaInNAs epilayers. Finally, 1,1-dimethylhydrazine (UDMHy) was confirmed as the best suitable source for the incorporation of nitrogen and a new purification technology has been developed at Epichem.-Apart from this, the results published by the Optivan partners have stimulated a number of other research groups in their work. The world-wide interest in the work of Optivan Objectives and content Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting lasers (VCSELs) are a rapidly emerging class of lasers diodes which overcomes the main limitations of the existing devices based on edge-emitting structures. A relative mature technology exists for VCSELs operating in the 0.6 to 1.0mm wavelength range. Their active region is based on III-V semiconducting materials lattice-matched on GaAs which are all compatible with the growth of AlGaAs-based DBRs achieving >99% reflectivity with typically only 20-30 mirror pairs due to the large refractive index difference (0.5) possible with AlGaAs alloys. However, an important part of the laser market deals with diodes used in the 1.3 to 1.55mm wavelength range for compatibility with optical fibre-based telecommunications. Furthermore VCSELs in the 1.2 to 1.3 mm wavelength range will be required for the next generation high performance optical data links where they offer significant advantages over conventional 850nm devices. Long Wavelength (LW) VCSELs, which in laboratory demonstration have traditionally relied on InGaAsP/InP and AlGaInAs/InP materials technology have been much more difficult to produce. The primary difficulty is that the refractive index difference available in InGaAsP-based DBRs is only 0.2-0.3 which means that 50 layer pairs would be necessary to give the required >99% reflectivity. This increases the growth time dramatically and places stringent requirements on layer-to-layer reproducibility. This also induces other negative effects such as high diffractive losses and an increase of electrical resistance. The recent appearance of InGaAsN semiconducting material structures offers a very attractive alternative. InGAAsN can be grown on GasAs substrates and therefore the entire LW-VCSEL structure can be produced in a single growth run using conventional AlGaAs based Bragg mirrors. Since AlGaAs-based DBRs are retained, we also retained the advantages of compositional grading, large indexcontrast, and suitability for selective oxidation, and the GaAs/AlGaAs barrier and confinement regions around the InGaAsN quantum well active regions provide enhanced electron confinement to reduce temperature sensitivity. The objectives of this project are to: grow high quality InGaAsN/GaAs layers and (SQWs) by MOCVD and GSMBE epitaxial techniques, improve the N incorporation to achieve a 1.3 mm absorption edge combined with the excellent layer stability and reproducibility, achieve photoluminescence and electroluminescence from the DH and SQW structures at 1.2 and 1.3mm and, achieve edge-emitting lasers and CW LW-VCSELs emitting at 1.2 and 1.3,um based on InGaAsN/AlGaAs QWs in the active region. The consortium comprise major manufacturers of electronic devices, epitaxial layers, starting chemicals together with experts in device design, material characterisation and device processing. Fields of science natural scienceschemical scienceselectrochemistryelectrolysisengineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringinformation engineeringtelecommunicationsnatural sciencesphysical sciencesopticslaser physics Programme(s) FP4-BRITE/EURAM 3 - Specific research and technological development programme in the field of industrial and materials technologies, 1994-1998 Topic(s) 0201 - Materials engineering Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinator INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG EU contribution No data Address ST. MARTIN STRASSE 53 81609 MUENCHEN Germany See on map Total cost No data Participants (5) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE France EU contribution No data Address 17,Rue des Martyrs 17 38054 GRENOBLE See on map Total cost No data Epichem Ltd United Kingdom EU contribution No data Address Power Road Bromborough L62 3QF Wirral See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data IQE (EUROPE) LIMITED United Kingdom EU contribution No data Address Cypress Drive, St Mellons CF3 OEG Cardiff See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Interuniversitair Mikro-Electronika Centrum VZW Belgium EU contribution No data Address 41,ST.Pietersnieuwstraat 9000 Gent See on map Total cost No data University of Strathclyde United Kingdom EU contribution No data Address 106,Rottenrow 106 G4 0NW Glasgow See on map Total cost No data