Patent ID: 7418014

Claim:
A surface-emitting type semiconductor laser comprising: a substrate; a first distributed Bragg reflection type mirror formed above the substrate; an active layer formed above the first distributed Bragg reflection type mirror; a second distributed Bragg reflection type mirror formed above the active layer; and an insulation layer having an opening section formed in one of the first distributed Bragg reflection type mirror and the second distributed Bragg reflection type mirror, wherein: a part of the first distributed Bragg reflection type mirror, the active layer, the second distributed Bragg reflection mirror and the insulation are formed in a columnar section such that a diameter of an upper side of the columnar section is formed smaller than a diameter of a bottom side of the columnar section, light generated from the active layer is emitted as a laser beam of a lower order mode or a laser beam of a higher order mode, the opening section in the insulation layer is formed to have a size that enables the laser beam of the higher order mode to be totally reflected at an upper surface of the second distributed Bragg reflection type mirror, at least the second distributed Bragg reflection type mirror defines the columnar section, a side surface of the columnar section is inclined such that the second distributed Bragg reflection type mirror, the insulation layer, the active layer, and at least part of the first distributed Bragg reflection type mirror are continuously conically shaped, and the output of the laser beam of the higher order mode emitted in the downward direction of the substrate is greater than the output of the laser beam of the higher order mode emitted in the upward direction of the substrate.