GALLIUM NITRIDE SEMICONDUCTOR LASER ELEMENT AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING GALLIUM NITRIDE SEMICONDUCTOR LASER ELEMENT

摘要

Provided are a gallium nitride-based semiconductor laser device with reduced threshold current and a method for fabricating the gallium nitride-based semiconductor laser device. The gallium nitride-based semiconductor laser device is provided with an n-type cladding layer 15b, an n-side light guide layer 29, an active layer 27, a p-side light guide layer 31, and a p-type cladding layer 23. A lasing wavelength of the active layer 27 is not less than 400 nm and not more than 550 nm. The n-type cladding layer 15b is In x Al y Ga 1-x-y N (0 < x < 0.05 and 0 < y < 0.20) and the p-type cladding layer 23 is In x Al y Ga 1-x-y N (0 ‰¤ x < 0.05 and 0 < y < 0.20). The n-side light guide layer 29 and the p-side light guide layer 31 both contain indium. Each of indium compositions of the n-side light guide layer 29 and the p-side light guide layer 31 is not less than 2% and not more than 6%. A film thickness of the n-type cladding layer 15b is in the range of not less than 65% and not more than 85% of a total of the film thickness of the n-type cladding layer 15b and a film thickness of the p-type cladding layer 23.