SEMICONDUCTOR LASER

摘要

Provided is a semiconductor laser which has a low operating current and stably oscillates even for high-temperature output. The semiconductor laser is provided with a substrate (10); an n-type clad layer (12) arranged on the substrate (10); an active layer (13) arranged on the n-type clad layer (12); a p-type clad layer (14), which is arranged on the active layer (13) and composed of a compound containing Al and has a stripe-shaped ridge structure to be a current channel; a current block layer (16), which is arranged on the surface of the p-clad layer (14) excluding an upper surface of the ridge structure and composed of a compound containing Al and has an Al composition ratio not more than that of the p-type clad layer (14); and a light absorption layer (17), which is arranged on the current block layer (16) and absorbs light at the laser oscillation wavelength.

主权项

1. A semiconductor laser, comprising:
a substrate; a first conduction-type cladding layer provided on the substrate; an active layer provided on the first conduction-type cladding layer; a second conduction-type cladding layer which is provided on the active layer and composed of a compound containing Al, the second conduction-type cladding layer including a stripe-shaped ridge structure serving as a current channel; a current block layer which is provided on a surface of the second conduction-type cladding layer except an upper surface of the ridge structure and is composed of a compound containing Al, the current block layer having a composition ratio of Al not higher than that of the second conduction-type cladding layer; a light absorption layer which is provided on the current block layer and absorbs light at a laser oscillation wavelength; and a contact layer formed on respective upper surfaces of the current block layer, the band discontinuity reduction layer, and the light absorption layer, wherein the entire space on both side surface sides of the ridge structure of the second conduction-type cladding layer and immediately below the contact layer is filled with the light absorption layer, inserting the current block layer between the ridge structure and the light absorption layer.