MANUFACTURE OF SEMICONDUCTOR LASER ELEMENT

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve reliability by preventing cracks developed when a semiconductor laser element is divided. SOLUTION: In this manufacture, a laser substrate 14 comprising a substrate 2 and a laser crystal consisting of a clad layer 3, an active layer 4 and a clad layer 5 requentially laminated on the substrate 2, a plurality of ridge parts 7, 7 in stripes having predetermined pitches, a narrow current layer 8 between the ridge parts 7, 7, and a contact layer 9 is divided in the direction parallel to the stripes to form a laser bar 18 between the ridge parts 7, 7. Then, the laser bar 18 is divided in the direction perpendicular to the stripes to manufacture a semiconductor laser element. The portion corresponding to the ridge parts 7, 7 is etched from the contact layer 9 to the halfway of the substrate 2 by sequentially using a phosphate etchant, a phosphate chloride etchant and a phosphate peroxide etchant to form a V groove 16. The laser bar 18 is formed by dividing the laser substrate 14 at the V groove 16.