Semiconductor laser device capable of maintaining the operation current low and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

In this semiconductor laser device, an InGaP etching block layer 11 as an etching selection layer having etching selectivity for an n-type AlInP current block layer 10, which is a non-optical-absorption layer, is formed on the n-type current block layer 10. Since this etching block layer 11 prevents the current block layer 10 on both sides of a ridge 20 from being etched during manufacture, a contact layer 12 can be prevented from entering gaps between the sides of this ridge 20 and the current block layer 10. Therefore, light oscillating in an active layer 4 is taken out from a device end surface without being absorbed in the contact layer 12. According to this semiconductor laser device, an oscillation threshold current and an operation current can be maintained low, deterioration of differential quantum efficiency can be prevented and reliability can be improved.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.