Patent ID: 7881354

Claim:
A Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser diode (VCSEL) comprising: a first semiconductor mirror layer of a first conductivity type on a substrate, an active region on the first semiconductor mirror layer, a second semiconductor mirror layer of a second conductivity type on the active region, and a current confining layer in proximity to and directly on the active region; and a mesa structure formed such that at least a side surface of the current confining layer is exposed; and the current confining layer comprising a first semiconductor layer including an Al-composition and a second semiconductor layer including an Al-composition and being formed nearer to the active region than the first semiconductor layer does, the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer forming the current confining layer being directly adjacent and in contact, and Al concentration of the first semiconductor layer being higher than Al concentration of the second semiconductor layer, and optical thickness that is sum of the thickness of the first and second semiconductor layers being λ/4 when oscillation wavelength of laser light is λ, and the first and second semiconductor layers being selectively oxidized from the side surface of the mesa structure, and an end surface of an oxidized region of the second semiconductor layer being inclined relative to the side surface of the mesa structure; wherein the second semiconductor mirror layer is formed by alternately stacking a first AlGaAs layer having a high Al-composition and a second AlGaAs layer having a low Al-composition, and Al concentration of the second semiconductor layer in the current confining layer is lower than Al concentration of the first AlGaAs layer.