Nitride semiconductor laser element and method for manufacturing the same

A nitride semiconductor laser element, having:

• a nitride semiconductor layer comprising a first nitride semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second nitride semiconductor layer laminated in that order;
• and
• resonator end faces formed mutually opposing at the end of said nitride semiconductor layers,
• wherein an impurity is contained in at least an optical output region of the resonator end faces, with the concentration of said impurity having a concentration distribution that is asymmetric in reference to a peak position, in the lamination direction of the nitride semiconductor layers, and
• said optical output region has a higher impurity concentration than other regions in the active layer.

A method for manufacturing a nitride semiconductor laser element, comprising the steps of:

• (a) forming a nitride semiconductor layer including at least a first nitride semiconductor layer and an active layer;
• (b) forming over said active layer a protective layer having a first region and a second region that is thicker than the first region;
• (c) implanting an ion species in the nitride semiconductor layer via the protective layer so that the ions reach the active layer through the protective layer in the first region of the protective layer;
• (d) exposing the nitride semiconductor layer by removing the protective layer;
• (e) forming a second nitride semiconductor layer over said nitride semiconductor layer;
• and
• (f) dividing the nitride semiconductor layer so that the portion where the ion species is implanted to be the resonator end face on the optical output side.