Patent ID: 11881684
Assignee: NICHIA CORPORATION
Field: Optics (Instruments)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 8:
9. A semiconductor laser element comprising:
an n-side semiconductor layer formed of a nitride semiconductor;
an active layer disposed on or above the n-side semiconductor layer and formed of a nitride semiconductor;
a p-side semiconductor layer disposed on the active layer, formed of a nitride semiconductor, and comprising:
an undoped first part an upper face of the active layer and comprising at least one semiconductor layer,
an electron barrier layer an upper face of the first part, containing a p-type impurity, and having a band gap energy that is larger than a band gap energy of the first part, and
a second part the upper face of the electron barrier layer and comprising at least one p-type semiconductor layer containing a p-type impurity; and

a p-electrode the upper face of the second part; wherein:
at least a portion of the p-side semiconductor layer forms a ridge projecting upward and having an upper face and a lower end;
a thickness of the second part is smaller than a thickness of the first part;
the lower end of the ridge is positioned at the first part;
the first part comprises an uppermost layer in contact with a lower face of the electron barrier layer;
the second part comprises a lowermost layer in contact with the upper face of the electron barrier layer; and
the lowermost layer has a band gap energy that is smaller than a band gap energy of the uppermost layer.