Patent ID: 7863061

Claim:
A surface emitting laser manufacturing method for manufacturing a surface emitting laser that includes a surface relief structure, the method comprising steps of: stacking, in order, a lower mirror, an active layer, an upper mirror, a third relief layer, a second relief layer, and a first relief layer; forming a resist pattern including a first pattern for forming a mesa structure and a second pattern for forming the surface relief structure, on or above the first relief layer; performing a first-phase etching for etching the first relief layer using the resist pattern to determine a horizontal position of the surface relief structure; forming a current confining structure that constrains current injected into the active layer, after the performing of the first-phase etching; and performing a second-phase etching for etching the second relief layer, which is exposed by the etching of the first relief layer, to determine a depth position of the surface relief structure, after the forming of the current confining structure, wherein the surface relieve structure is formed from the third relief layer, the second relief layer, and the first relief layer stacked in the order of the stacking step.