Patent ID: 8483252

Claim:
A semiconductor light emitting device, comprising: a lower cladding layer, an active layer, an InGaAs etching stop layer, and an AlGaAs upper cladding layer provided over a GaAs substrate; said InGaAs etching stop layer being provided in contact with the lower side of said AlGaAs upper cladding layer and being provided in contact with the upper side of a GaAs layer or an AlGaAs layer; said semiconductor light emitting device having a ridge structure including said AlGaAs upper cladding layer and said InGaAs etching stop layer; the upper side of said GaAs layer or said AlGaAs layer being exposed on opposite sides of said ridge structure; said InGaAs etching stop layer having a band gap greater than that of said active layer; and the Al composition ratio of said AlGaAs upper cladding layer being 0.4 or less.