Patent ID: 7440481

Claim:
A surface-emitting type semiconductor laser comprising: an upper mirror and a lower mirror each composed of alternately formed first semiconductor layers and second semiconductor layers; an active layer disposed between the upper mirror and the lower mirror, wherein the surface-emitting laser emits laser light in a direction in which the first semiconductor layers and the second semiconductor layers are formed; a thick film layer formed with one of the first semiconductor layers composing the lower mirror, the thick film layer being thicker than other of the first semiconductor layers; and a third semiconductor layer provided between the thick film layer and one of the second semiconductor layers on the thick film layer, the third semiconductor layer having a refractive index between a refractive index of the first conductive layer and a refractive index of the second semiconductor layer; wherein the upper mirror, the active layer and a portion of the lower mirror above the thick film layer are formed into a columnar section in a columnar configuration; and wherein the thick film layer located at least below the columnar section has an optical film thickness of 3λ/4 or greater and an odd multiple of λ/4, where λ is a wavelength of the laser light.