Patent ID: 6914925

Claim:
A vertical cavity surface emitting semiconductor laser (VCSEL) device comprising a semiconductor substrate, and a layer structure formed thereon, said layer structure including an active layer, p-type and n-type cladding layers sandwiching therebetween said active layer, p-type and n-type semiconductor multilayer mirrors (DBRs) sandwiching therebetween said p-type and n-type cladding layers and said active layer, and a current confinement layer for injecting therethrough current to said active layer, each of said p-type and n-type DBRs including a plurality of layer pairs each including an Al.sub.x1Ga.sub.1-x1As high-reflectivity layer (0.1toreq.x<1) and an Al.sub.x2Ga.sub.1-x2As low-reflectivity layer (0<x2.1toreq.1, and x1<x2) and an Al.sub.x3Ga.sub.1-x3As slope content layer (x1<x3<x2) interposed between each of said high-reflectivity layers and each of said low-reflectivity layers adjacent to said each of said high-reflectivity layers, each of said slope content layers having a slope Al-content profile for Al content x3, wherein said Al content x3 of said slope content layers of said n-type DBR disposed within a distance from said active layer which is equivalent to an effective cavity length of said VCSEL device is such that 0<x3.1toreq.0.3 and 0.55.1toreq.x3<1 in said slope Al-content profile.