Patent ID: 7643531

Claim:
An optical semiconductor element comprising: a surface-emitting type semiconductor laser that emits laser light; a photodetecting element formed above the surface-emitting type semiconductor; a first electrode of a first polarity formed on the surface-emitting type semiconductor laser; a second electrode of a second polarity different from the first polarity formed on the photodetecting element; an additional electrode that covers the first electrode and the second electrode; a first columnar section including at least a portion of the surface-emitting type semiconductor laser and a portion of the photodetecting element; and a second columnar section that is formed above the first columnar section, has a cross-sectional area smaller than a cross-sectional area of the first columnar section, and includes another remaining portion of the photodetecting element; wherein the photodetecting element includes a first semiconductor layer composed of a first conductivity type, a second semiconductor layer that functions as an absorption layer, and a third semiconductor layer composed of a second conductivity type, wherein the first semiconductor layer is included in the first columnar section, and the second semiconductor layer and the third semiconductor layer are included in the second columnar section; wherein the second electrode is formed on the first semiconductor layer included in the first columnar section; and wherein the first semiconductor layer included in the first columnar section has an outer circumferential portion formed in a comb teeth shape around the emission surface, wherein the first electrode is formed in gaps of the comb teeth shape of the first semiconductor layer.