Patent ID: 6839369

Claim:
A surface emitting semiconductor laser device comprising a substrate, a bottom DBR overlying the substrate, and a mesa post overlying the bottom DBR and having a layer structure, the layer structure including a top DBR including a plurality of pairs, each of said pairs including an Al-containing high refractive index layer and an Al-containing low refractive index layer, an active layer structure sandwiched between the DBRs for emitting laser, and a current confinement layer disposed within or in a vicinity of one of the DBRs, the current confinement layer including a central current injection area and an annular current blocking area encircling the central current injection area, the annular current blocking area being formed by selective oxidation of Al in an Al x Ga 1−x As layer (0.95≦x<1) having a thickness below 60 nm, said mesa post and said current blocking area defining dimensions “a” and “b,” where “a” is a distance between the current confinement layer and a top of the mesa post, and “b” is a width of the Al-oxidized annular current blocking area, and wherein the Al-containing low refractive index layer of said top DBR includes Al at an atomic ratio not less than 0.8 and below 0.9.