Patent ID: 7344904

Claim:
A method of fabricating a laser diode, the method comprising: sequentially forming at least a lower clad layer, a resonance layer, an upper clad layer, an upper contact layer, an upper electrode layer, and a sacrificial layer on a substrate; forming a ridge portion by etching the sacrificial layer, the upper electrode layer, the upper contact layer, and a predetermined depth of the upper clad layer; laterally etching portions of the upper electrode layer exposed at both sides of the ridge portion to thereby expose portions of the top surface of the upper contact layer and the bottom surface of the sacrificial layer at both sides of the ridge portion; forming a buried layer having an opening that exposes at least a portion of the bottom surface of the sacrificial layer, the buried layer formed on the surface of the ridge portion and the top surface of the upper clad layer that extends from the ridge portion; and removing the sacrificial layer and a portion of the buried layer disposed thereon by supplying an etchant through the opening, wherein the sacrificial layer is selectively etched using an etchant supplied through at least one of the bottom surfaces of the exposed sacrificial layer.