Patent ID: 7095768

Claim:
A vertical cavity surface emitting laser comprising: a lower distributed Bragg reflector; an active region positioned on the lower distributed Bragg reflector; an upper distributed Bragg reflector positioned on the active region; a cylindrical volume removed from the upper distributed Bragg reflector defining a mesa with a substantially vertical side wall concentrically surrounded by the cylindrical volume, an isolation trench formed in a lower surface of the cylindrical volume concentric with the mesa; an implant region including a portion of the side wall of the mesa and a portion of the upper distributed Bragg reflector below the lower surface of the cylindrical volume; a planarizing material filling the cylindrical volume; and n and p electrical contacts coupled to opposite sides of the active region for supplying operating current thereto; wherein the lower surface of the cylindrical volume is formed so that more mirror pairs of the upper distributed Bragg reflector remain adjacent the mesa and less mirror pairs remain as the lateral distance from the mesa increases.