Patent ID: 7776634

Claim:
A process for fabricating a semiconductor laser diode comprising: forming an epitaxial structure on a semiconductor substrate by an epitaxial process wherein said epitaxial structure includes an active laser layer on said semiconductor substrate and a cap layer on said active laser layer; forming a waveguide ridge and side areas adjacent to said waveguide ridge by removing material from said cap layer; forming a plurality of strip shaped grating structures in or on said side areas wherein said strip shaped grating structures include stripes of varying refractive index; and wherein said strip shaped grating structures are located so that the coupling coefficient between light guided in said waveguide ridge and said strip shaped grating structures is less than approximately 30 cm −1 ; and wherein said strip shaped grating structures are located so that one or more gratingless sections exist; forming at least one current drive electrode located so as to permit independent pumping of sections of said laser diode.