A nitride semiconductor laser device at least includes a ridge part disposed on a second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer, a conductive oxide layer covering the upper surface of the ridge part and portions of opposite side surfaces of the ridge part, a dielectric layer covering a portion of the conductive oxide layer, and a first metal layer covering the conductive oxide layer and the dielectric layer, wherein a portion of the conductive oxide layer disposed on the upper surface of the ridge part is exposed through the dielectric layer and covered with the first metal layer.

A semiconductor laser device comprises a substrate; a semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type on the substrate; an active layer on the semiconductor layer of the first conductivity type; a semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type on the active layer; a ridge portion in part of the semiconductor layer of the second conductivity type; a dielectric layer covering a region of the semiconductor layer of the second conductivity type other than the ridge portion; a metal layer on the dielectric layer, the metal layer being electrically coupled to the ridge portion; and a conductive member electrically connecting the metal layer to at least the region of the semiconductor layer of the second conductivity type other than the ridge portion.

Methods for fabricating ultraviolet laser diode devices include providing substrate members comprising gallium and nitrogen or aluminum and nitrogen, forming an epitaxial material overlying a surface region of the substrate members, patterning the epitaxial material to form epitaxial mesa regions, depositing a bond media on at least one of the epitaxial mesa regions, bonding the bond media on at least one of the epitaxial mesa regions to a handle substrate, subjecting the sacrificial layer to an energy source to initiate release of the substrate member and transfer the at least one of the epitaxial mesa regions to the handle substrate, and processing the at least one of the epitaxial mesa regions to form the ultraviolet laser diode device.

A light-emitting element includes a mesa structure in which a first compound semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, an active layer, and a second compound semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type are disposed in that order, wherein at least one of the first compound semiconductor layer and the second compound semiconductor layer has a current constriction region surrounded by an insulation region extending inward from a sidewall portion of the mesa structure; a wall structure disposed so as to surround the mesa structure; at least one bridge structure connecting the mesa structure and the wall structure, the wall structure and the bridge structure each having the same layer structure as the portion of the mesa structure in which the insulation region is provided; a first electrode; and a second electrode disposed on a top face of the wall structure.

A semiconductor laser device includes: a first semiconductor layer on a first conductivity side; a second semiconductor layer on the first conductivity side; an active layer; a third semiconductor layer on a second conductivity side different from the first conductivity side; and a fourth semiconductor layer on the second conductivity side. Eg2<Eg3 is satisfied, where Eg2 and Eg3 denote maximum values of band gap energy of the second semiconductor layer and the third semiconductor layer, respectively. The third semiconductor layer includes a first region layer in which band gap energy monotonically decreases toward the fourth semiconductor layer. N2>N3 is satisfied, where N2 denotes an impurity concentration of the second semiconductor layer, and N3 denotes an impurity concentration of the third semiconductor layer.

A method for producing a semiconductor chip (100) is provided, in which, during a growth process for growing a first semiconductor layer (1), an inhomogeneous lateral temperature distribution is created along at least one direction of extent of the growing first semiconductor layer (1), such that a lateral variation of a material composition of the first semiconductor layer (1) is produced. A semiconductor chip (100) is additionally provided.

A method for manufacturing an optical semiconductor device having a ridge stripe configuration containing an active layer and current blocking layers which embed both sides of the ridge stripe configuration, comprises steps of forming a mask of an insulating film on a surface of a semiconductor layer containing an active layer, forming a ridge stripe configuration by etching a semiconductor layer using gas containing SiCl.sub.4, removing an oxide layer with regard to a Si based residue which is attached on a surface which is etched of the ridge stripe configuration which is formed and removing a Si based residue whose oxide layer is removed.

A method for manufacturing an optical semiconductor device having a ridge stripe configuration containing an active layer and current blocking layers which embed both sides of the ridge stripe configuration, comprises steps of forming a mask of an insulating film on a surface of a semiconductor layer containing an active layer, forming a ridge stripe configuration by etching a semiconductor layer using gas containing SiCl.sub.4, removing an oxide layer with regard to a Si based residue which is attached on a surface which is etched of the ridge stripe configuration which is formed and removing a Si based residue whose oxide layer is removed.

A semiconductor laser includes a semiconductor layer including end faces and at least one of the end faces is configured as a light emission end face. The semiconductor layer includes a waveguide and a light window structure region. The waveguide has a first width and is extended between the end faces. The light window structure region includes an opening having a second width greater than the first width arranged along the waveguide and is formed continuously or intermittently from one to another of the end faces.

A method of manufacturing an optical semiconductor element includes: stacking a plurality of compound semiconductor layers on a first substrate containing a compound semiconductor; dividing the first substrate into small pieces; forming terraces, grooves, walls, and a first mesa for a waveguide on a second substrate containing silicon; jointing at least one small piece to the second substrate after the forming; wet-etching the first substrate so as to expose the compound semiconductor layers after the jointing; and forming a second mesa opposite to the first mesa from the compound semiconductor layers; wherein the grooves are formed on both sides of the first mesa, the terraces are formed on both sides of the first mesa and the grooves, and the walls are arranged in an extending direction of each groove.