Semiconductor laser element and method of obtaining information from the semiconductor laser element

A method of obtaining information from a semiconductor laser element, the method comprising:

• providing a semiconductor laser element including:
• a substrate having a first main surface and a second main surface,
• a semiconductor layered body including an active layer, the semiconductor layered body being disposed on the first main surface, and
• a plurality of sub-patterns that, when combined, form an integrated pattern that allows reading of predetermined information, the plurality of sub-patterns being disposed on either one or both a first main surface side and a second main surface side of the substrate;
• photographing images of the sub-patterns;
• generating an image of the integrated pattern by combining the images of the plurality of sub-patterns;
• and
• obtaining the predetermined information from the image of the integrated pattern.

A semiconductor laser element comprising:

• a substrate having a first main surface and a second main surface;
• a semiconductor layered body including an active layer, the semiconductor layered body being disposed on the first main surface;
• and
• a plurality of sub-patterns that, when combined, form an integrated pattern that allows reading of predetermined information, the plurality of sub-patterns being disposed on either one or both a first main surface side and a second main surface side of the substrate,
• wherein the integrated pattern has a rectangular shape elongated in one direction in top view, and the plurality of sub-patterns each has a shape of a quarter of the integrated pattern formed by dividing the integrated pattern substantially in parallel to a longitudinal side of the integrated pattern.