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.

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.

A semiconductor light-emitting element includes: an n-type cladding layer formed of a nitride semiconductor; an active layer which is arranged above the n-type cladding layer and formed of a nitride semiconductor; a p-type cladding layer arranged above the active layer and formed of a nitride semiconductor; and a p-side electrode arranged above the p-type cladding layer, wherein the p-type cladding layer contains hydrogen, and a first concentration of the hydrogen at a center of the p-type cladding layer in a region below the p-side electrode is lower than a second concentration of the hydrogen at a position located on a side closer to an outer edge than to the center in the region below the p-side electrode.

Tunnel junctions (TJs) are used to invert a relative arrangement of the built-in polarization and current flow direction for metal (Ill)-polar grown Ill-nitride laser diodes (LDs). The resulting devices has subsequent TJ, p-type layers, active region and n-type layers. This arrangement ensures a band alignment which provides an injection efficiency of 100% without the need of close proximity of an electron blocking layer.

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, $E_F-E_V<\frac{E_G}{2}$
applying to the layer (A) and $E_L-E_F<\frac{E_G}{2}$
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 semiconductor laser element includes a light emission layer and a plurality of waveguides to arranged in one direction. A semiconductor laser device includes the semiconductor laser element and a first base disposed, via a first adhesion layer, on one face in the lamination direction of the semiconductor laser element. The thermal resistance of the first adhesion layer is, in the arrangement direction of the plurality of waveguides to lower on one end portion side than on the other end portion side.

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.

A semiconductor light-emitting element includes a light emission layer including a group III nitride semiconductor; an electron barrier layer disposed above the light emission layer and including a group III nitride semiconductor containing Al; and a p-type clad layer disposed above and in contact with the electron barrier layer, wherein the electron barrier layer and the p-type clad layer contain Mg as a dopant, and the p-type clad layer includes a high carbon concentration region containing carbon and a low carbon concentration region having a carbon concentration lower than a carbon concentration of the high carbon concentration region, in a stated order from an electron barrier layer side.

A surface emitting laser includes: a semiconductor layer containing a nitride semiconductor, and including a first semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second semiconductor layer that are stacked in this order, in which the semiconductor layer includes a light emitting region; and a first light reflecting layer and a second light reflecting layer that are opposed to each other with the semiconductor layer being disposed therebetween. The first semiconductor layer has a high dislocation portion disposed outside the light emitting region. The high dislocation portion has an average dislocation density higher than an average dislocation density of the light emitting region.

A light emitting apparatus includes a laminated structure including a plurality of columnar section assemblies each formed of p columnar sections. The p columnar sections each include a light emitting layer. When viewed in the lamination direction of the laminated structure, the ratio of the maximum width to the minimum width of the light emitting layer in each of q first columnar sections out of the p columnar sections is greater than the ratio of the light emitting layer in each of r second columnar sections out of the p columnar sections. The light emitting layer in each of the p columnar sections does not have a rotationally symmetrical shape. The parameter p is an integer greater than or equal to 2. The parameter q is an integer greater than or equal to 1 but smaller than p. The parameter r is an integer that satisfies r=p−q.