Patent ID: 7678598

Claim:
A method for manufacturing a surface-emitting semiconductor laser in which first and second Distribution Bragg Reflectors with an active layer in between are disposed to form a vertical direction resonator, comprising the steps of: forming at least a first Distribution Bragg Reflector on a substrate; forming a first clad layer on the first Distribution Bragg Reflector; forming the active layer on the first clad layer; forming a second clad layer on the active layer; forming a second Distribution Bragg Reflector on the second clad layer; forming a scattering-loss-structure portion by etching from a top surface of the semiconductor laser to at least a vertical depth of said second Distribution Bragg Reflector, said scattering-loss-structure portion having at least one opposing end that opposes to a central vertical axis of the resonator and which does not extend fully to the central vertical axis, said scattering-loss-structure portion causes a scattering-loss in an outer circumferential portion of said resonator which surrounds the central vertical axis; forming a center hole along the central vertical axis of said resonator to a vertical depth greater than the vertical depth of the scattering-loss-structure portion; and oxidizing selectively from the outside surface of the outer circumferential portion of said resonator and from said center hole thereof in the lower part of said first clad layer or in the upper part of said second clad layer.