A nitride semiconductor laser includes: a first nitride semiconductor layer; a light-emitting layer formed on the first nitride semiconductor layer and including a nitride semiconductor; a second nitride semiconductor layer formed on the light-emitting layer and having a ridge portion; an electrode component formed on the second nitride semiconductor layer, and which is wider than the ridge portion; and a dielectric layer formed on side surfaces of the ridge portion and including SiO.sub.2. A space is present between the electrode component and the dielectric layer, and the electrode component is prevented from being in contact with the dielectric layer by the space, and is in contact with the upper surface of the ridge portion.

A semiconductor laser includes a semiconductor layer sequence having an n-conducting n-region, a p-conducting p-region and an intermediate active zone, an electrically conductive p-contact layer that impresses current directly into the p-region and is made of a transparent conductive oxide, and an electrically conductive and metallic p-contact structure located directly on the p-contact layer, wherein the semiconductor layer sequence includes two facets forming resonator end faces for the laser radiation, in at least one current-protection region directly on at least one of the facets a current impression into the p-region is suppressed, the p-contact structure terminates flush with the associated facet so that the p-contact structure does not protrude beyond the associated facet and vice versa, and the p-contact layer is removed from at least one of the current-protection regions and in this current-protection region the p-contact structure is in direct contact with the p-region over the whole area.

A quantum cascade laser includes a laser structure including first and second end faces, the laser structure including a semiconductor laminate region and a first embedding semiconductor region. The laser structure includes first and second regions arranged in a direction of a first axis extending from the first to second end faces. Each of the first and second regions includes the semiconductor laminate region. The semiconductor laminate region of the first region has a first recess. The semiconductor laminate region of the second region has a semiconductor mesa. The first recess and the semiconductor mesa extend in the direction of the first axis, and are aligned with each other. The semiconductor mesa has an end face extending in a direction of a second axis intersecting the first axis. The first embedding semiconductor region is disposed in the first recess so as to embed the end face of the semiconductor mesa.

A diode bar and a method for producing a laser diode bar are disclosed. In an embodiment a laser diode bar includes a plurality of emitters arranged side by side, the each emitter having a semiconductor layer sequence with an active layer suitable for generating laser radiation, a p-contact and an n-contact, wherein the emitters comprise a group of electrically contacted first emitters and a group of non-electrically contacted second emitters, wherein the p-contacts of the first emitters are electrically contacted by a p-connecting layer, and wherein the p-contacts of the second emitters are separated from the p-connecting layer by an electrically insulating layer and are not electrically contacted.

A semiconductor laser includes a semiconductor layer sequence having an n-conducting n-region, a p-conducting p-region and an intermediate active zone, an electrically conductive p-contact layer that impresses current directly into the p-region and is made of a transparent conductive oxide, and an electrically conductive and metallic p-contact structure located directly on the p-contact layer, wherein the semiconductor layer sequence includes two facets forming resonator end faces for the laser radiation, in at least one current-protection region directly on at least one of the facets a current impression into the p-region is suppressed, the p-contact structure terminates flush with the associated facet so that the p-contact structure does not protrude beyond the associated facet and vice versa, and the p-contact layer is removed from at least one of the current-protection regions and in this current-protection region the p-contact structure is in direct contact with the p-region over the whole area.

A vertical cavity surface emitting laser includes a base and a layered element provided on the base. The layered element includes a first mirror layer, a second mirror layer, and an active layer provided between the first mirror layer and the second mirror layer. The layered element further includes a light exiting section via which light produced in the active layer exits. The light exiting section is an outermost surface of an AlGaInP layer or an AlGaAsP layer.

The disclosed optoelectronic semiconductor chip includes a carrier, a semiconductor layer sequence on the carrier having at least one active zone for generating radiation, a layer of high optical refractive index on an output coupling facet of the semiconductor layer sequence for the output coupling of radiation, and a coating of low optical refractive index directly on an outer side of the layer of high optical refractive index for the total internal reflection of the radiation, wherein the semiconductor layer sequence is configured to guide the radiation in the active zone perpendicularly to a growth direction of the semiconductor layer sequence, and the layer of high optical refractive index is configured to deflect the radiation at the outer side parallel to the growth direction.

A light emitting element comprising a layered structure configured by layering a first light reflecting layer 41 configured by layering a plurality of thin films, a light emitting structure 20, and a second light reflecting layer 42 configured by layering a plurality of thin films, wherein the light emitting structure 20 is configured by layering, from the first light reflecting layer side, a first compound semiconductor layer 21, an active layer 23, and a second compound semiconductor layer 22, a second electrode 32 and an intermediate layer 70 are formed between the second compound semiconductor layer 22 and the second light reflecting layer 42 from the second compound semiconductor layer side, and the value of a surface roughness of a second surface 72 of the intermediate layer 70 in contact with the second light reflecting layer 42 is less than the value of a surface roughness of a first surface 71 of the intermediate layer 70 facing the second electrode 32.

What is shown is a method for manufacturing a semiconductor light source. The semiconductor light source has a substrate and a layer sequence arranged above the substrate, the same having a light-emitting layer and an upper boundary layer arranged above the light-emitting layer. The layer sequence is patterned in order to form a light-emitting stripe for defining the semiconductor light source and an alignment stripe, extending in parallel thereto, as a horizontal alignment mark at the same time. Then, a cover layer is applied on the patterned layer sequence and a part of the cover layer is removed in order to expose the alignment stripe and expose a region of the layer sequence outside the light-emitting stripe and spaced apart from a light-entrance edge or a light-exit edge of the light-emitting stripe as a vertical alignment mark.

A quantum cascade semiconductor laser includes: a semiconductor mesa having a core layer extending in a direction of a first axis, and an end face extending in a direction of a second axis intersecting the direction of the first axis, and the semiconductor mesa being disposed on a principal surface of a substrate; and a reflective layer disposed on the end face of the semiconductor mesa, the reflective layer including a first semiconductor film in contact with the core layer, the core layer having a superlattice structure, the superlattice structure including a quantum well layer and a barrier layer, and the first semiconductor film of the reflective layer having a bandgap equal to or smaller than that of the quantum well layer.