Patent ID: 7477671

Claim:
A surface-emitting type semiconductor laser comprising: a substrate; a first mirror provided above the substrate; an active layer provided above the first mirror; a second mirror provided above the active layer, the second mirror including an emission surface; an electrode provided above the second mirror the electrode covering a portion of the second mirror; and a current constricting section above the active layer, wherein a diameter of an aperture defined by the current constricting section is smaller than a diameter of the emission surface, wherein the electrode has a film thickness D that satisfies a formula (1) as follows, (4 i+ 1)λ/8 n≦D ≦(4 i +3)λ/8 n (1) where, in the formula (1), i is an integer, λ is an oscillation wavelength, and n is a refractive index of a material that covers the emission surface, and wherein the difference ΔR between the diameter of the aperture and the diameter of the emission surface is a value that satisfies a formula (2) as follows, Δ R≧d×tan (θ/2) (2) where, in the formula (2), d is a distance from the active layer to the emission surface, and θis an angle of broadening of light generated from the emission surface to the active layer.