Nitride semiconductor laser element

A nitride semiconductor laser element comprising:

• a semiconductor laminate made of a group III nitride semiconductor and including a light-emitting end surface;
• and
• a protection film formed of a dielectric multilayer film formed to cover the light-emitting end surface of the semiconductor laminate,
• wherein the protection film includes an end surface protection layer and an oxygen diffusion suppressing layer, and the end surface protection layer and the oxygen diffusion suppressing layer are disposed in order of the end surface protection layer and the oxygen diffusion suppressing layer from a side of the light-emitting end surface;
• the end surface protection layer is a layer including a crystalline aluminum nitride film;
• the oxygen diffusion suppressing layer includes at least a single layer of a metal oxide film and at least two layers of silicon oxide film, and the silicon oxide film is sandwiched by the two layers of the silicon oxide film;
• and
• the metal oxide film is crystallized by laser light emitted from the light-emitting end surface, and
• the metal oxide film is aluminum oxide film.

A nitride semiconductor laser element comprising:

• a semiconductor laminate made of a group III nitride semiconductor and including a light-emitting end surface;
• and
• a protection film formed of a dielectric multilayer film formed to cover the light-emitting end surface of the semiconductor laminate,
• wherein the protection film includes an end surface protection layer and an oxygen diffusion suppressing layer, and the end surface protection layer and the oxygen diffusion suppressing layer are disposed in order of the end surface protection layer and the oxygen diffusion suppressing layer from a side of the light-emitting end surface;
• the end surface protection layer is a layer including a crystalline aluminum nitride film;
• the oxygen diffusion suppressing layer includes at least a single layer of a metal oxide film and at least a single layer of a silicon oxide film, and the silicon oxide film and the metal oxide film are disposed in this order from a side of the end surface protection layer;
• and
• the metal oxide film is crystallized by laser light emitted from the light-emitting end surface, and
• the metal oxide film is aluminum oxide film.

A nitride semiconductor laser element comprising:

• a semiconductor laminate made of a group III nitride semiconductor and including a light-emitting end surface;
• and
• a protection film formed of a dielectric multilayer film formed to cover the light-emitting end surface of the semiconductor laminate,
• wherein the protection film includes an end surface protection layer and an oxygen diffusion suppressing layer, and the end surface protection layer and the oxygen diffusion suppressing layer are disposed in order of the end surface protection layer and the oxygen diffusion suppressing layer from a side of the light-emitting end surface;
• the end surface protection layer is a layer including a crystalline aluminum nitride film;
• the oxygen diffusion suppressing layer includes at least a single layer of a metal oxide film and at least two layers of silicon oxide film, and the silicon oxide film is sandwiched by the two layers of the silicon oxide film;
• and
• the metal oxide film is crystallized by laser light emitted from the light-emitting end surface, and
• the metal oxide film is aluminum oxide film.