A two-dimensional design and modeling of semiconductor lasers

A fully two-dimensional, self-consistent, steady-state analysis based on the finite element method is performed for the investigation of both the electrical and optical behavior of semiconductor lasers. Poisson's equation and the current continuity equations for electrons and holes as well as the wave equation and the rate equation for photons are numerically solved with the same finite element mesh. Computed results on channeled-substrate-planar laser diodes are compared to those evaluated by the finite difference method. Excellent agreement is found and necessary corrections at the laser structure boundaries in the finite difference method analysis are pointed out.