SURFACE-EMITTING LASER ARRAY, OPTICAL SCANNING DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING DEVICE

摘要

A surface-emitting laser array includes a plurality of surface-emitting laser elements (1). Each surface-emitting laser element includes a first reflection layer (102) formed on a substrate (101), a resonator cavity (103, 104, 105) formed in contact with the first reflection layer and containing an active layer (104), and a second reflection layer (106, 107) formed over the first reflection layer and in contact with the resonator cavity. The second reflection layer contains a selective oxidation layer (107). The first reflection layer contains on the active layer side at least a low refractive index layer (1021), made e.g. of AlAs, having an oxidation rate equivalent to or larger than an oxidation rate of the selective oxidation layer (107) contained in the second reflection layer. The resonator cavity is made of an AlGaInPAs base material containing at least In. A bottom of a mesa structure is located below the selective oxidation layer and above the first reflection layer.