Patent ID: 6954478

Claim:
A nitride-based semiconductor laser device comprising: a first cladding layer consisting of a first conductivity type nitride-based semniconductor; an emission layer, formed on said first cladding layer, consisting of a nitride-based semiconductor; and a second cladding layer formed on said emission layer, consisting of a second conductivity type nitride-based semiconductor, wherein said emission layer includes: an active layer emitting light, a light guiding layer for confining light; and a carrier blocking layer, arranged between said active layer and said light guiding layer, having a larger band gap than said light guiding layer, the nitride-based semiconductor laser device further comprising a light spreading layer, arranged at least either between said emission layer and said first cladding layer or between said emission layer and said second cladding layer, having a smaller refractive index and a larger band gap than adjacent said first or second cladding layer.