Method of manufacturing a semiconductor laser

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor laser, said method comprising the steps of:

• sequentially forming a first cladding layer having a first conductivity type, an active layer, a second cladding layer having a second conductivity type and a cap layer on a (100) plane of a semiconductor substrate having said first conductivity type to form a laminated structure for a semiconductor laser;
• forming a stripe-like mask made of an inorganic material and extending in a <011>
• direction with respect to said semiconductor substrate,
• etching said laminated structure from a surface thereof to said first cladding layer by using said mask as a direct anti-etching mask with a predetermined etchant, said predetermined etchant being selected so that etching rates of said cap layer and said second cladding layer on a (111)B plane are respectively lower than those of other crystal planes of said cap layer and said second cladding layer, said etchant etching said cap layer at a higher etching rate on the (111)B plane thereof than said second cladding layer on the (111)B plane thereof;
• forming a burying layer by an epitaxial growing method in a region from which said laminated structure has been removed by said etching step, using said mask as a selective growing mask;
• moving said mask and said cap layer;
• and
• forming a third cladding layer of said second conductivity type and a contact layer of said second conductivity type on said burying layer and said second cladding layer.