Patent ID: 7684453

Claim:
A surface light emitting semiconductor laser element, comprising: a substrate; a lower reflector disposed over the substrate, the lower reflector having a first reflecting surface; an active layer disposed over the lower reflector; an upper reflector disposed over the active layer, the upper reflector having a second reflecting surface, the first and second surfaces defining the cavity of the laser; a compound semiconductor layer formed over the upper reflector and defining a first opening above the upper reflector where the compound semiconductor layer is not formed; and a metal film formed partially over the compound semiconductor layer and upper reflector and defining a second opening above the upper reflector where the metal film is not formed such that the second opening is within the first opening, wherein the metal film and the compound semiconductor layer constitute a complex refractive index distribution structure such that a complex refractive index is changed from a center of the second opening toward the outside, and further wherein the compound semiconductor layer is comprised of a plurality of different layers, each of which directly contacts another of the plurality of different layers, and each of which has a top surface that is parallel to the second reflecting surface, the metal film contacting at least a part of the top surface of each of the plurality of the different layers.