Patent ID: 7579200

Claim:
A method of fabricating a semiconductor light emitting apparatus comprising the steps of: epitaxially growing a semiconductor light emitting element comprising at least a first-conductivity-type first cladding layer, an active layer over said first cladding layer, and a second-conductivity-type second cladding layer over said active layer; forming a pair of opposing first recesses which extend at least partially into the second cladding layer thereby forming therebetween a stripe-patterned ridge which provides a major current path; forming at least one second recess on the outer side of at least one of said first recesses such that the second recess extends at least partially into the second cladding layer but does extend into or past the active layer; epitaxially growing a first-conductivity-type current blocking layer and a second and a second-conductivity-type contact layer so as to extend over said first and second recesses; forming a thinned portion in said contact layer and current blocking layer in the region above the ridge; and introducing a second-conductivity-type impurity into said thinned portion to thereby form a contact portion reaching said second cladding layer of the ridge, wherein the light emitting element causes light emission when current flows through said major current path; and wherein a thyristor structural portion composed of a stack of said second-conductivity-type contact layer, said first-conductivity-type current blocking layer, said second-conductivity-type cladding layer, said active layer and said first-conductivity-type first cladding layer at said second recess is formed.