A semiconductor optical element includes: a first conductivity type semiconductor substrate; and a laminated body disposed on the first conductivity type semiconductor substrate. The laminated body includes, in the following order from a side of the first conductivity type semiconductor substrate: a first conductivity type semiconductor layer; an active layer; a second conductivity type semiconductor layer; and a second conductivity type contact layer. The second conductivity type semiconductor layer includes: a carbon-doped semiconductor layer in which carbon is doped as a dopant in a compound semiconductor; and a group 2 element-doped semiconductor layer in which a group 2 element is doped as a dopant in a compound semiconductor. The carbon-doped semiconductor layer is disposed at a position closer to the active layer than the group 2 element-doped semiconductor layer.

An edge emitting laser (EEL) device includes a substrate, an n-type buffer layer, a first n-type cladding layer, a grating layer, a spacer layer, a lower confinement unit, an active layer, an upper confinement unit, a p-type cladding layer, a tunnel junction layer and a second n-type cladding layer sequentially arranged from bottom to top. The tunnel junction layer can stop an etching process from continuing to form the second n-type cladding layer into a predetermined ridge structure and converting a part of the p-type cladding layer into the n-type cladding layer to reduce series resistance of the EEL device. Therefore, the optical field and active layer tend to be coupled at the middle of the active layer, the lower half of the active layer can be utilized effectively, and the optical field is near to the grating layer to achieve better optical field/grating coupling efficiency and lower threshold current.

A laser diode including a double heterostructure comprising a top layer, a buffer layer formed on a substrate, and an intrinsic active layer formed between the top layer and the buffer layer. The top layer and the buffer layer have opposite types of conductivity. The active layer has a bandgap smaller than that of the buffer layer or the top layer. The double heterostructure includes Ge, SiGe, GeSn, and/or SiGeSn materials.

An embodiment relates to a surface-emitting laser element, a light-emitting device comprising same, and a method for manufacturing same. A surface-emitting laser element according to an embodiment may comprise: a substrate; a first reflective layer disposed on the substrate; an active layer disposed on the first reflective layer; an aperture region disposed on the active layer and including an aperture and an insulation region; and a second reflective layer disposed on the aperture region. The doping level of the aperture region may be (X+3)XXE18(atoms/cm.sup.3) A ratio (b/a) of a second minimum diameter (b) to a first maximum diameter (a) of the aperture may be [95.0−(2X/3)]% to [99.9−(X/3)]%, wherein X may be 0 to 3.

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.

An embodiment relates to a surface-emitting laser device and a light-emitting device including same. A surface-emitting laser device according to the embodiment can include: a first reflective layer; an active area disposed on the first reflective layer; an aperture area disposed on the active area; and a second reflective layer disposed on the aperture area. The second reflective layer can include: a first AlGaAs-based layer comprising Al.sub.x1Ga.sub.(1-x1)As (wherein 0<X1<0.2); a second AlGaAs-based layer disposed on the first AlGaAs-based layer and comprising Al.sub.x2Ga.sub.(1-x2)As (wherein 0.8<X2<1.0); and an AlGaAs-based transition area disposed between the first AlGaAs-based layer and the second AlGaAs-based layer. The AlGaAs-based transition area can include: a third AlGaAs-based layer comprising Al.sub.x3Ga.sub.(1-x3)As (wherein 0<X3<0.2); and a fourth AlGaAs-based layer comprising Al.sub.x4Ga.sub.(1-x4)As (wherein 0.8<X4<1.0).

A semiconductor layer stack, a component made therefrom, a component module, and a production method is provided. The semiconductor layer stack has at least two layers (A, B), which, as individual layers, each have an energy position of the Fermi level in the semiconductor band gap,

[00001]$E_F-E_V<\frac{E_G}{2}$

applying to the layer (A) and

[00002]$E_L-E_F<\frac{E_G}{2}$

applying to the layer (B), with E.sub.F the energy position of the Fermi level, E.sub.V the energy position of the valence band, E.sub.L the energy position of a conduction band and E.sub.L−E.sub.V the energy difference of the semiconductor band gap E.sub.G, the thickness of the layers (A, B) being selected in such a way that a continuous space charge zone region over the layers (A, B) results.

A vertical cavity surface emitting laser includes a first laminate including first semiconductor layers having a first Al composition, and second semiconductor layers having a second Al composition greater than the first Al composition; a current confinement structure including a current aperture and a current blocker; a first compound semiconductor layer adjacent to the current confinement structure; and a second compound semiconductor layer adjacent to the first laminate and the first compound semiconductor layer. The first compound semiconductor layer has a first aluminum profile changing monotonously in a direction from the first laminate to the current confinement structure from a first minimum Al composition within a range greater than the first Al composition and smaller than the second Al composition to a first maximum Al composition. The second compound semiconductor layer has an Al composition greater than the first Al composition and smaller than the first maximum Al composition.

A modulation doped semiconductor laser includes a multiple quantum well composed of a plurality of layers including a plurality of first layers and a plurality of second layers stacked alternately and including an acceptor and a donor; a p-type semiconductor layer in contact with an uppermost layer of the plurality of layers; and an n-type semiconductor layer in contact with a lowermost layer of the plurality of layers, the plurality of first layers including the acceptor so that a p-type carrier concentration is 10% or more and 150% or less of the p-type semiconductor layer, the plurality of second layers containing the acceptor so that the p-type carrier concentration is 10% or more and 150% or less of the p-type semiconductor layer, the plurality of second layers containing the donor, and an effective carrier concentration corresponding to a difference between the p-type carrier concentration and an n-type carrier concentration is 10% or less of the p-type carrier concentration of the plurality of second layers.

A surface-emitting laser device according to an embodiment comprises: a first electrode; a substrate arranged on the first electrode; a first reflection layer arranged on the substrate; an active region arranged on the first reflection layer and including a cavity; an opening region arranged on the active region and including an aperture and an insulation region; a second reflection layer arranged on the opening region; a second electrode arranged on the second reflection layer; and a delta doping layer arranged in the opening region. The thickness of the insulation region becomes thinner in the direction of the aperture, and the delta doping layer can be arranged at the aperture.