Patent ID: 7029936

Claim:
A semiconductor laser element manufacturing method, comprising: (a) a step of forming a plurality of semiconductor layers on a semiconductor substrate; (b) a step of forming a first semiconductor layer over the plurality of semiconductor layers; (c) a step of forming a contact layer including a second semiconductor layer over the plurality of semiconductor layers; (d) a step of selectively removing a portion of the contact layer to form a contact portion; (e) a step of selectively removing a portion of the first semiconductor layer to form a ridge including said contact portion and a remaining portion of the first semiconductor layer beneath said contact portion, with an upper surface of said contact portion having a first direction width greater than a first direction width of said remaining portion of the first semiconductor layer (f) a step of forming an insulating film over said semiconductor substrate so as to cover an upper surface and sidewalls of said ridge; and (g) a step of removing the insulating film across a first direction width of the upper surface of said ridge such that the sidewalls of said ridge remain substantially covered by the insulating film.