Patent ID: 7336688

Claim:
A surface emitting semiconductor laser comprising: a substrate; a first semiconductor multiple layer reflecting mirror formed on the substrate; a semiconductor conductive layer formed on the first semiconductor multiple layer reflecting mirror and including at least Ga, In and P; an active region formed on the semiconductor conductive layer; a second semiconductor multiple layer reflecting mirror formed on the active region; a current confining layer formed between the first and second multiple layer reflecting mirrors and including an oxidized region at a peripheral portion; a first electrode formed on a peripheral portion of the first semiconductor multiple layer reflecting mirror; and a second electrode formed at a side of the second semiconductor multiple layer reflecting mirror wherein: the surface emitting semiconductor laser has a mesa that extends from the second semiconductor multiple layer reflecting mirror to the semiconductor conductive layer, which serves as an etching stop layer; the current confining layer is formed in the mesa; the first electrode contacts the semiconductor conductive layer via an opening formed in an insulating film at a bottom of the mesa; the second electrode contacts the second semiconductor multiple layer reflecting mirror via another opening formed in the insulating film on the second semiconductor multiple layer reflecting mirror, and has an aperture for emission of laser light; and the first and second semiconductor multiple reflecting mirrors comprise Al, Ga and As.