A semiconductor light emitting element includes: a GaN substrate; a first semiconductor layer located above the GaN substrate and including a nitride semiconductor of a first conductivity type; an active layer located above the first semiconductor layer and including a nitride semiconductor including Ga or In; an electron barrier layer located above the active layer and including a nitride semiconductor including Al; and a second semiconductor layer located above the electron barrier layer and including a nitride semiconductor of a second conductivity type. The electron barrier layer includes: a first region having an Al composition ratio changing at a first change rate; and a second region having an Al composition ratio changing at a second change rate larger than the first change rate. In the first second regions, the Al composition ratio monotonically increases at the first change rate in the direction from the active layer toward second semiconductor layer.

A method is presented for forming a germanium (Ge) laser diode with direct bandgap for laser generation. The method includes forming an intrinsic Ge active layer over a substrate, forming a p+ region and an n+ region adjacent the intrinsic Ge active layer, such that the p+ region, the n+ region, and the intrinsic Ge active layer collectively define a p-i-n diode, and forming metal contacts to the p+ and n+ regions.

Structures and methods for forming highly uniform and high-porosity gallium-nitride layers with sub-100-nm pore sizes are described. Electrochemical etching of heavily-doped gallium nitride at low bias voltages in concentrated nitric acid is used to form the porous gallium nitride. The porous layers may be used in reflective structures for integrated optical devices such as VCSELs and LEDs.

The present application is provided with: a ridge laminated with a first conductivity type cladding layer, an active layer, and a second conductivity type first cladding layer in order and having a top portion formed to be flat; a first buried layer buried on both side areas of the ridge; a second buried layer covering the first buried layer and protruding toward the center of the ridge and toward a top portion of the ridge to form an opening formed by protruding portions facing each other; and a second conductivity type second cladding layer buried on the second buried layer and in the opening, wherein a surface of the second buried layer on a side to the top portion of the ridge is formed so as to fit within a surface of the second conductivity type first cladding layer.

An optical semiconductor device outputting a predetermined wavelength of laser light includes a quantum well active layer positioned between a p-type cladding layer and an n-type cladding layer in thickness direction. The optical semiconductor device includes a separate confinement heterostructure layer positioned between the quantum well active layer and the n-type cladding layer. The optical semiconductor device further includes an electric-field-distribution-control layer positioned between the separate confinement heterostructure layer and the n-type cladding layer and configured by at least two semiconductor layers having band gap energy greater than band gap energy of a barrier layer constituting the quantum well active layer. The quantum well active layer is doped with 0.3 to 1×10.sup.18/cm.sup.3 of n-type impurity.

This disclosure relates to semiconductor quantum cascade lasers (QCLs). A three-terminal QCL device is disclosed. The three-terminal QCL device includes a unipolar multi-period quantum cascade laser structure embedded in a bipolar structure having three terminals providing at least two independently controllable biases to the QCL device for adjusting the lasing intensity and for tuning the lasing wavelength of the QCL device. The three-terminal QCL device further includes a quantum impedance matching structure for achieving high efficiency carrier injection and lowering lasing threshold. In addition, the multi-period quantum cascade laser structure is selectively doped to provide near charge neutrality during operation. The three-terminal QCL may further be controlled to achieve simultaneous dual- or multi-color lasing.

A method for manufacturing a GaN-based surface-emitting laser by an MOVPE includes: (a) growing a first cladding layer with a {0001} growth plane; (b) growing a guide layer on the first cladding layer; (c) forming holes which are two-dimensionally periodically arranged within the guide layer; (d) etching the guide layer by ICP-RIE using a chlorine-based gas and an argon; (e) supplying a gas containing a nitrogen to cause mass-transport, and then supplying the group-III gas for growth, whereby a first embedding layer closing openings of the holes is formed to form a photonic crystal layer; and (f) growing an active layer and a second cladding layer on the first embedding layer, The step (d) includes a step of referring to already-obtained data on a relationship of an attraction voltage and a ratio of gases in the ICP-RIE with a diameter distribution of air holes embedded, and applying the attraction voltage and the ratio to the ICP-RIE.

A method for manufacturing a GaN-based surface-emitting laser by an MOVPE includes: (a) growing a first cladding layer with a {0001} growth plane; (b) growing a guide layer on the first cladding layer; (c) forming holes in a surface of the guide layer by etching, the holes being two-dimensionally periodically arranged within a plane parallel to the guide layer; (d) etching the guide layer by using an etchant having selectivity to the {0001} plane and a {10-10} plane of the guide layer; (e) supplying a gas containing a nitrogen source to cause mass transport without supplying a group-III material gas, and then supplying the group-III material gas for growth, whereby a first embedding layer closing openings of the holes is formed to form a photonic crystal layer; and (f) growing an active layer and a second cladding layer in this order on the first embedding layer.

A laser diode apparatus has a first waveguide layer including a gain region connected in series with a second waveguide layer with a second gain region. A tunnel junction is positioned between the first and second guide layers. A single collimator is positioned in an output path of laser beams emitted from the first and second waveguide layers. The optical beam from the single collimator may be coupled into an optical fiber.

Included is a semiconductor multilayer film in which a non-doped InAlN layer and a GaN layer formed on said InAlN layer and containing a dopant are stacked a plurality of times.