Patent ID: 7809041

Claim:
A surface emitting semiconductor laser comprising: a first distributed Bragg reflector including first and second semiconductor layers of a first conductive type, the first and second semiconductor layers being alternately arranged; a second distributed Bragg reflector including first and second portions, the first and second portions being arranged in a direction of a predetermined axis, the first portion being made of semiconductor, and the second portion being made of dielectric; an active layer provided on the first distributed Bragg reflector; the first portion of the second distributed Bragg reflector being provided between the active layer and the second portion of the second distributed Bragg reflector, and the first distributed Bragg reflector, the active layer, and the second distributed Bragg reflector being sequentially arranged in the direction of the predetermined axis; a III-V compound semiconductor region provided on the first distributed Bragg reflector to surround the first portion of the second distributed Bragg reflector; a tunnel junction region including a mesa portion with the III-V compound semiconductor region surrounding the mesa portion, the tunnel junction region including a tunnel junction with a first tunnel junction conductive type semiconductor layer and a second tunnel junction conductive type semiconductor layer; and a second conductive type III-V compound semiconductor layer provided between the active layer and the tunnel junction region, the tunnel junction region being provided between the first portion of the second distributed Bragg reflector and the second conductive type III-V compound semiconductor layer, wherein the III-V compound semiconductor region surrounds the tunnel junction region.