Patent ID: 6931041

Claim:
A semiconductor device including a semiconductor substrate and a plurality of semiconductor layers grown over the substrate, comprising: at least one active layer located within one of the plurality of semiconductor layers, said at least one active layer including a plurality of integrated optical components, said integrated optical components including a buried heterojunction laser and a ridge waveguide having an optically guiding ridge structure, the ridge waveguide being optically coupled via said at least one active layer to laser radiation generated by a laser; and a laser current conduction region located above the active layer and a laser current confinement region located adjacent the active layer of the laser, the laser current conduction region and laser current confinement region being arranged to channel electric current to the at least one active layer of said laser; wherein said ridge structure comprises one or more layers also used to form the laser current conduction region; and wherein the layers comprising the laser current confinement region do not extend adjacent the ridge structure.