Samir Aboulhouda

28-Gbps 850-nm oxide VCSEL development and manufacturing progress at Avago

Avago’s 850nm VCSELs for applications requiring modulation at 25-28Gbps have been designed for -3dB bandwidths in excess of 19GHz over the extended temperature range of 0-85°C. The DBR mirrors have been optimized to minimize optical losses and thermal and electrical resistance. The active region is designed to provide superior differential gain for high optical bandwidth. In this paper we will describe the design for performance and manufacturability of Avago’s high speed 25-28Gbps VCSEL. Analysis of the high-speed modulation characteristics and results of wearout reliability studies will be presented. We will also discuss the manufacturability of this next generation of high performance, reliable lasers. The challenges of epitaxial growth and wafer fabrication along with the associated process control technologies will be described.