A cost-effective, on-wafer surface implantation technique was applied for the fabrication of short pulse InGaAsP/InP laser diodes. Based on thick electroplated Au masks, local ion implantation could be performed, allowing for a versatile design of the absorber region. Picosecond pulses with typical FWHM of 20 ps and optical power exceeding 1.5 W were obtained. The measured emission spectrum in the pulsed regime demonstrates the potential of such devices to pump commercially available EDFA's.