Butt-joint waveguide couplings are fabricated for use in InP-based photonic integration, and characterized by scanning electron microscopy and optical transmission measurements. Several parameters have been optimized in the characterization study: size and shape of the mask protecting the first waveguide layer during butt-joint regrowth, and the crystallographic direction of the butt-joint interface. The studies show that high-quality butt-joints having negligible optical loss can be made with good fabrication tolerance. Using the optimized butt-joint, DBR-type, gain-clamped SOAs have been fabricated which are free of internal excess reflections. A constant optical gain of 21 dB is obtained up to a signal output power of 25 mW. The devices show CATV grade linearity in a 77 channel CATV linearity test at a distortion level of -55 dB below carrier.