Abstract

Current confined high-radiance LED devices^1–3 are designed primarily for use in fiber-optic communication systems. The planar LED in this study utilizes a reverse biased junction to force current flow into a small (10-75-μm) spot. The current generates tight within a cylindrical volume in the active region, thereby greatly increasing the LED- fiber-coupling efficiency. The major result of this paper is the clear demonstration of phototransistor⁴ electrooptical feedback effects. These effects can lead to partial or complete loss of current confinement, distorted optical pulse shapes, and possible higher harmonic distortion levels in analog applications. The parasitic optical-coupling effects observed in this structure may have significant design implications for some integrated optoelectronic circuits.

© 1984 Optical Society of America