Patent ID: 7804875

Claim:
A Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) module having a monitoring photodiode, the VCSEL module comprising: a substrate having first and second regions spaced apart by a predetermined distance; a monitoring photodiode disposed on a first mirror layer, a first semiconductor conducting layer, an active layer, a lower second semiconductor conducting layer, a tunnel junction layer, and directly disposed on an upper second semiconductor conducting layer in which the layers are sequentially formed on each other in the first region; and a VCSEL disposed on the first mirror layer, the first semiconductor conducting layer, the active layer, the lower second semiconductor conducting layer, the tunnel junction layer, and the upper second semiconductor conducting layer sequentially formed on each other in the second region of the substrate, wherein the VCSEL comprises the first mirror layer, the first semiconductor conducting layer, the active layer, the lower second semiconductor conducting layer, the tunnel junction layer, the upper second semiconductor conducting layer and a second mirror formed in the second region, wherein each of the first semiconductor conducting layer, the active layer, the lower second semiconductor conducting layer, the tunnel junction layer, and the upper second semiconductor conducting layer in the second region has a thickness which is substantially the same as the thickness of the corresponding layer in the first region; and a third metal layer formed to cover a portion of the upper second semiconductor conducting layer and exposing a central portion of the upper second semiconductor conducting layer in the second region, wherein the second mirror layer formed on the exposed portion of the upper second semiconductor conducting layer and on an upper portion of the third metal layer and emitting light of the VCSEL, wherein the second mirror layer is formed only on the upper second semiconductor conducting layer in the second region, and wherein the predetermined distance is set so that light emitted by the VCSEL formed in the second region of the substrate can be detected by the monitoring photodiode formed in the first region of the substrate.