Surface-emitting laser and surface-emitting laser array, method of manufacturing a surface-emitting laser and method of manufacturing a surface-emitting laser array, and optical apparatus including a surface-emitting laser array

Abstract

Provided is a method of manufacturing a surface-emitting laser capable of preventing characteristics fluctuations within the plane and among wafers and oscillating in a single fundamental transverse mode. The method includes after performing selective oxidation: exposing a bottom face of a surface relief structure by etching a second semiconductor layer with a first semiconductor layer where a pattern of the surface relief structure has been formed as an etching mask and a third semiconductor layer as an etching stop layer; and exposing a top face of the surface relief structure by etching the first semiconductor layer where the pattern of the surface relief structure has been formed, with the second semiconductor layer and the third semiconductor layer as etching stop layer.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A surface-emitting layer, comprising:
 multiple semiconductor layers which comprise a lower DBR, an active region, an upper DBR, and a contact portion and which are stacked on a substrate; and   a mesa structure in which a light emission portion of the upper DBR is provided with a surface relief structure having a stepped structure, which is constructed in order to control a reflectance distribution,   wherein the surface relief structure has a surface that is located on a lower level than the contact portion.   
     
     
         16 . The surface-emitting laser according to  claim 15 , wherein the surface relief structure has a bottom face which is made from an AlGaInP layer. 
     
     
         17 . The surface-emitting laser according to  claim 15 ,
 wherein the contact portion is made from GaAs, and   wherein the surface relief structure is made from Al x Ga 1-x As (x>0.4).   
     
     
         18 . The surface-emitting laser according to  claim 15 , wherein, when an oscillation wavelength of the surface-emitting laser is given as λ and a refractive index of the surface relief structure is given as n, the surface relief structure has a height that is an odd multiple of λ/4n. 
     
     
         19 . A surface-emitting laser array, comprising a plurality of the surface-emitting lasers according to  claim 15  that are arranged into an array. 
     
     
         20 . An optical apparatus, comprising the surface-emitting laser according to  claim 15  as a light source.