Patent ID: 7723138

Claim:
A method of fabricating a semiconductor optical device, the semiconductor optical device including a first semiconductor optical element and a second optical semiconductor element, the method comprising the steps of: growing plural semiconductor layers for the first semiconductor optical element on a primary surface of a substrate in a metal-organic vapor phase deposition reactor, the primary surface of the substrate having a first area for the first semiconductor optical element and a second area for the second optical semiconductor element; forming an insulating mask on the plural semiconductor layers and the first area; etching the plural semiconductor layers by use of the insulating mask to form a semiconductor portion having an end face; after etching the plural semiconductor layers, growing a layer of a first semiconductor for the second optical element on the second area and depositing the first semiconductor on the end face by use of the insulating mask in the metal-organic vapor phase deposition reactor; after growing the layer of the first semiconductor, supplying etchant for etching the first semiconductor to remove at least a part of the deposit of the first semiconductor on the end face by use of the insulating mask; after removing at least a part of the deposit of the first semiconductor, growing a layer of a second semiconductor for the second optical element on the second area by use of the insulating mask in the metal-organic vapor phase deposition reactor; after growing the layer of the second semiconductor, growing a layer of a third semiconductor on the second area and depositing the third semiconductor on the end face by use of the insulating mask in the metal-organic vapor phase deposition reactor; and after growing the layer of the third semiconductor, supplying etchant for etching the third semiconductor to remove at least a part of the deposit of the third semiconductor by use of the insulating mask.