Abstract: An improved thermal model for a vertical cavity surface-emitting laser is proposed.The model is based on Tucker’s model of the laser diode.The voltage-current (V-I) characteristic of the laser is given by introducing the thermal effect to the parasitic resistance and to the reverse saturation current.The light output power-current (L-I) characteristic is given by adding a thermal related leakage current to the model.The model proposed in this paper is more practical than thermal models proposed in the reference,and model parameters can be easily extracted with methods that have been presented by other authors. The model is implemented into SPICE-like simulators including HSPICE,and the simulated and measured V-I characteristics and L-I characteristics exhibit a good agreement over a wide range of ambient temperature.

Key words: VCSEL, equivalent circuit model, thermal effect