Patent ID: 6154479
Filing Date: 2000-11-28
Classification: H01S

Abstract:
A monolithic type array of surface emitting laser elements, wherein said monolithic type array comprises a monolithic semiconductor substrate having a plane of laser light emission and an array of laser elements formed on said substrate, a polarization direction of each of said laser elements being predetermined, each of said laser elements comprising:an n-side GaAs/AlAs multi-layer reflector formed on said substrate, each reflector layer of said n-side semiconductor multi-layer reflector being parallel to said plane of laser light emission;intermediate layers formed on said n-side GaAs/AlAs multi-layer reflector, comprising optical confinement layers and an active layer for generating laser light sandwiched between said optical confinement layers, each layer of said intermediate layers being parallel to said plane of laser light emission;a p-side GaAs/AlAs multi-layer reflector formed on said intermediate layers, each reflector layer of said p-side GaAs/AlAs multi-layer reflector being parallel to said plane of laser light emission, said p-side GaAs/AlAs multi-layer reflector being formed into a post extending substantially perpendicular to said plane of laser light emission;an anode covering the outer surface of said post;a cathode formed in contact with said n-side GaAs/AlAs multi-layer reflector;said post having a rectangular cross-section parallel to said plane of laser light emission and having longer sides and shorter sides, the length of said longer said being substantially 6 .mu.m and the length of said shorter sides being less than or equal to substantially 5 .mu.m;a spacing being provided between a bottom surface of said post and said active layer being about one wavelength of said laser light; anda polarization plane of said laser light being parallel to said longer sides.