Service life characteristics of GaInAsP/InP heterostructure lasers emitting short-wavelength radiation

Life tests were carried out on stripe and wide-contact GaInAsP/InP heterolasers emitting in the spectral range 1.06–1.1 μm at room temperature. Stripe diodes emitting spontaneous radiation were tested at heat-sink temperatures 20, 40, 60, and 70 °C. The activation energy of the degradation process was estimated to be 0.65 eV. Stripe heterolasers were tested by cw operation for 420 h at 50 °C, equivalent to 4.6 X 10³ h at room temperature. Pulsed heterolasers were tested at 80 °C for 400–600 h. The equivalent lifetime at room temperature was (3.2–4.8) X 10⁴ h. The predicted lifetimes were (5–9.4) X 10⁴ and 3 X 10⁴ h for pulsed and cw heterolasers, respectively.