SURFACE-EMITTING LASER WITH SURFACE RELIEF, SURFACE-EMITTING LASER ARRAY, METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A SURFACE-EMITTING LASER, METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A SURFACE-EMITTING LASER ARRAY AND OPTICAL APPARATUS EQUIPPED WITH SAID SURFACE-EMITTING LASER ARRAY

摘要

A method of manufacturing a surface-emitting laser that allows precise alignment of the center position of a surface relief structure and that of a current confinement structure and formation of the relief structure by means of which a sufficient loss difference can be introduced between the fundamental transverse and higher order transverse mode. Removing a dielectric film on the semiconductor layers and a first-etch stop layer along a second pattern, using a second- and third-etch stop layer are conducted in single step after forming the confinement structure. The relief structure is formed by three layers including a lower, middle and upper layer (130, 132, 134) and total thickness of three layers is equal to the optical thickness of an odd multiple of 1/4 wavelength (λ: oscillation wavelength, n: refractive index of the semiconductor layer). The layer right under the lower layer is the second-etch stop layer (128) and the first-etch stop layer (130) is laid right on this etch stop layer.