Patent ID: 8130806

Claim:
A nitride based semiconductor laser, comprising: a substrate; an epitaxial AlGaInN-based structure on said substrate, said structure containing an active region and further including: a first dry etched facet a second dry etched facet; a dry etched ridge waveguide formed along a top surface of said epitaxial AlGaInN-based structure above said active region for providing lateral waveguiding for said laser, said ridge waveguide located between said first and second etched facets; wherein said first dry etched facet is formed at and extends across a first end of said epitaxial AlGaInN-based structure and said ridge waveguide in a single plane at or around 90-degrees to said substrate; and wherein said first etched facet, said second dry etched facet and said dry etched ridge waveguide are each formed in a dry etching system containing an ion beam source generating an ion beam directed towards said substrate.