A semiconductor laser diode and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor laser diode are disclosed. In an embodiment a semiconductor laser diode includes an epitaxially produced semiconductor layer sequence comprising at least one active layer and a gallium-containing passivation layer on at least one surface region of the semiconductor layer sequence.

A semiconductor laser (2) includes an n-type semiconductor substrate (1), a stack of an n-type cladding layer (4), an active layer (5), and a p-type cladding layer (6) successively stacked on the n-type semiconductor substrate (1). An optical waveguide (3) includes a non-impurity-doped core layer (9) provided on a light output side of the semiconductor laser (2) on the n-type semiconductor substrate (1) and having a larger forbidden band width than the active layer (5), and a cladding layer (10) provided on the core layer (9) and having a lower carrier concentration than the p-type cladding layer (6). The semiconductor laser (2) includes a carrier injection region (X1), and a non-carrier-injection region (X2) provided between the carrier injection region (X1) and the optical waveguide (3).

A nitride light emitter includes: a nitride semiconductor light-emitting element including an Al.sub.xGa.sub.1-xN substrate (0x1) and a multilayer structure above the Al.sub.xGa.sub.1-xN substrate; and a submount substrate on which the nitride semiconductor light-emitting element is mounted. The multilayer structure includes a first clad layer of a first conductivity type, a first light guide layer, a quantum-well active layer, a second light guide layer, and a second clad layer of a second conductivity type which are stacked sequentially from the Al.sub.xGa.sub.1-xN substrate. The multilayer structure and submount substrate are opposed to each other. The submount substrate comprises diamond. The nitride semiconductor light-emitting element has a concave warp on a surface closer to the Al.sub.xGa.sub.1-xN substrate.

A quantum cascade semiconductor laser includes a laser structure having a first area including an end face, a second area, and a third area; a metal layer provided on a major surface in the third area; a separation area provided on the major surface; and a reflector provided on the laser structure. The reflector includes a dielectric film and a metal reflecting film provided on the end face and the separation area. The separation area has a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion. The metal layer has an edge separated from the end face in the third area. The contact layer has an edge separated from the end face in the third area. The first portion projects more than the second portion over the semiconductor mesa. The third portion projects more than the second portion over the semiconductor mesa.

The invention relates to a semiconductor laser (1) comprising a semiconductor layer sequence (2) with an n-type n-region (21), a p-type p-region (23) and an active zone (22) lying between the two for the purpose of generating laser radiation. A p-contact layer (3) that is permeable to the laser radiation and consists of a transparent conductive oxide is located directly on the p-region (23) for the purpose of current input. An electrically-conductive metallic p-contact structure (4) is applied directly to the p-contact layer (3). The p-contact layer (3) is one part of a cover layer, and therefore the laser radiation penetrates as intended into the p-contact layer (3) during operation of the semi-conductor laser (1). Two facets (25) of the semiconductor layer sequence (2) form resonator end surfaces for the laser radiation. Current input into the p-region (23) is inhibited in at least one current protection region (5) directly on at least one of the facets (25). Said current protection region has, in the direction running perpendicularly to the associated facets (25), an extension of at least 0.5 m and at most 100 m, and additionally of at least 20% of a resonator length for the laser radiation.

A laser diode includes a substrate, an epitaxial structure, an electrode contacting layer and an optical cladding layer. The epitaxial structure is disposed on the substrate, and is formed with a ridge structure opposite to the substrate. The electrode contacting layer is disposed on a top surface of the ridge structure. The optical cladding layer has a refractive index smaller than that of the electrode contacting layer. The optical cladding layer includes a first cladding portion which covers side walls of the ridge structure, and a second cladding portion which is disposed on a portion of the top surface of the ridge structure. A method for manufacturing the abovementioned laser diode is also disclosed.

The present technology can be used to control the current injection profile in the longitudinal direction of a high-power diode laser in order to optimize current densities as a function of position in the cavity to promote higher reliable output power and increase the electrical to optical conversion efficiency of the device beyond the level which can be achieved without application of this technique. This approach can be utilized, e.g., in the fabrication of semiconductor laser chips to improve the output power and wall plug efficiency for applications requiring improved performance operation.

A semiconductor laser device includes a semiconductor layer portion having an active layer and performs multi-mode oscillation of laser light. Further, the semiconductor layer portion includes first and second regions, the second region being located closer to a facet on a laser light radiation side than the first region, the first region and the second region include a stripe region in which the laser light is guided, and an optical confinement effect of the laser light to the stripe region in a horizontal direction in the second region is less than that in the first region.

A quantum cascade laser includes: a laser structure including first and second end faces, a semiconductor mesa, and a supporting base; and a first electrode on the semiconductor mesa. The first and second end faces are arranged in a direction of a first axis. The semiconductor mesa has first and second mesa portions which are disposed between the first and second end faces. The semiconductor mesa has a first mesa width at a boundary between the first and second mesa portions, and a second mesa width smaller than the first mesa width at an end of the second mesa portion, and has a width varying from the first mesa width in a direction from the boundary to the second end face. The second mesa portion includes a high specific-resistance region having a specific-resistance higher than that of a conductive semiconductor region included in the first and second mesa portions.

In one embodiment, the invention relates to a semiconductor laser comprising a semiconductor layer sequence for generating laser radiation. According to the invention, the semiconductor layer sequence has a geometric structuring on a top side. A resonator is located in the semiconductor layer sequence and is delimited by opposing facets, wherein the facets contain optically active resonator end faces. The structuring ends spaced apart from the facets. The resonator end faces are spaced apart from material removals from the semiconductor layer sequence.