Method of manufacturing vertical cavity surface emitting laser and method of manufacturing laser array, vertical cavity surface emitting laser and laser array, and image forming apparatus with laser array

A method of manufacturing a vertical cavity surface emitting laser of a mesa structure, the method comprising:

• sequentially laminating on a substrate a plurality of semiconductor layers including a bottom reflecting mirror, an active layer, a selective oxidation layer and a top reflecting mirror, followed by forming a dielectric film on the laminated semiconductor layers;
• forming on the dielectric film a first resist pattern comprised of large and small annular opening patterns having the same central axis;
• forming the large and small annular opening patterns in the dielectric film, using the first resist pattern;
• forming a second resist pattern on the dielectric film with the large and small annular opening patterns so that only the small annular opening pattern is exposed, followed by forming an annular electrode in the exposed small annular opening pattern;
• and
• forming a third resist pattern over the annular electrode to form a mesa structure comprised of the large annular opening pattern formed in the dielectric film and the third resist pattern.