A two-dimensional photonic crystal laser with transparent conductive cladding layer is provided. The two-dimensional photonic crystal region through the etching process is composed by multiple periodic air-holes with proper duty cycle. Then, the transparent conductive oxide layer is directly deposited on the top of the entire two-dimensional photonic crystal structure to cover the entire two-dimensional photonic crystal structure in order to form a current spreading layer. The configuration and the process condition of transparent conductive oxide layer are optimized to provide uniform current spreading path and the transparency. In addition to simplifying the whole fabrication process, the optical confinement is improved and the maximum gain to optical feedback is obtained. Overall, low threshold, small divergence angle and high quality laser output is achieved to satisfy the requirements for next-generation light sources.

A two-dimensional photonic crystal laser with transparent conductive cladding layer is provided. The two-dimensional photonic crystal region through the etching process is composed by multiple periodic air-holes with proper duty cycle. Then, the transparent conductive oxide layer is directly deposited on the top of the entire two-dimensional photonic crystal structure to cover the entire two-dimensional photonic crystal structure in order to form a current spreading layer. The configuration and the process condition of transparent conductive oxide layer are optimized to provide uniform current spreading path and the transparency. In addition to simplifying the whole fabrication process, the optical confinement is improved and the maximum gain to optical feedback is obtained. Overall, low threshold, small divergence angle and high quality laser output is achieved to satisfy the requirements for next-generation light sources.

In a reflector including an AlGaN layer, an InGaN layer, and a GaN layer placed therebetween, high reflectivity and a wide reflection band are achieved. A reflector includes a substrate containing GaN; first layers containing Al.sub.xGa.sub.1-xN; second layers containing In.sub.yGa.sub.1-yN; and a third layer containing GaN, the first, second, and third layers being stacked on the substrate. The first and second layers are alternately stacked, the third layer is placed between one of the first layers and one of the second layers, x and y satisfy a specific formula, the first layers have a thickness less than the thickness of the second layers, and the second layers have an optical thickness of /8 to 3/8, where is the central wavelength of the reflection. band of the reflector.

A method of manufacturing a vertical cavity surface emitting laser element including a first reflector including a nitride semiconductor multilayer film, the method includes: growing a first semiconductor layer consisting of a group III semiconductor containing aluminum and indium, the growing of the first semiconductor layer consisting of growing a first layer by supplying an aluminum source gas, an indium source gas, and a nitrogen source gas, and growing a second layer by supplying an aluminum source gas, an indium source gas, and a nitrogen source gas so that an indium composition ratio of the second layer is higher than an indium composition ratio of the first layer; and growing a second semiconductor layer consisting of gallium nitride. The growing of the first semiconductor layer and the growing of the second semiconductor are repeated alternately to form the nitride semiconductor multilayer film constituting the first reflector.