Patent ID: 7508049

Claim:
A semiconductor optical device comprising: a first conductive type III-V compound semiconductor layer provided on a substrate; a second conductive type III-V compound semiconductor layer provided on the substrate; and an active region provided between the first conductive type III-V compound semiconductor layer and the second conductive type III-V compound semiconductor layer, the active region including a III-V compound semiconductor layer, the III-V compound semiconductor layer containing nitrogen and arsenic as the V-group element, a hydrogen concentration of the III-V compound semiconductor layer of the active region being greater than 6×10 16 cm −3 , the III-V compound semiconductor layer of the active region being doped with n-type dopant, an n-type dopant concentration of the III-V compound semiconductor layer of the active region being equal to or lower than 3×10 18 cm −3 and equal to or greater than 1×10 15 cm −3 , the number of N—H 2 bonds in the III-V compound semiconductor layer of the active region being greater than the number of N—H bonds therein, and the n-type dopant concentration of the III-V compound semiconductor layer being greater than a carbon concentration of the III-V compound semiconductor layer of the active region.