A laser diode includes a ridge portion, channel portions located adjacent to the ridge portion such that the ridge portion is sandwiched, the channel portions being shorter in height than the ridge portion, terrace portions adjacent to opposite sides of the respective channel portions from the ridge portion and longer in height than the channel portions, supporting portions provided over the respective channel portions, separated from side surfaces of the ridge portion or side surfaces of terrace portions or both, and made of resin, a ceiling portion including first portions provided over the supporting portions and second portions continuous with the first portions and located over the respective channel portions with hollow portions interposed therebetween, the ceiling portion being made of resin, and a metal layer provided over the ceiling portion and connected to an upper surface of the ridge portion.

A structure and method of formation of a buried heterostructure laser die with alignment aids wherein the alignment aids include lateral and vertical structures formed on the die. Lateral alignment aids are formed using a same mask layer as the ridge structure of the laser and provide fiducials that are formed in reference to the ridge structure. Vertical alignment aids, and vertical protrusions of the lateral alignment aids are formed using etch stop layers positioned in the buried heterostructure laser layer structure.

A nitride semiconductor light-emitting device having high luminous efficiency is provided. A nitride semiconductor light-emitting device is provided with a nitride semiconductor substrate including a main surface having an off angle of 0.4 or larger with respect to a (0001) plane, a first semiconductor layer formed of an n-type or p-type nitride semiconductor formed on the main surface, a second semiconductor layer formed of a nitride semiconductor having In composition of 2% or higher formed on the first semiconductor layer, an active layer formed on the second semiconductor layer including a well layer formed of a nitride semiconductor having In composition higher than that of the second semiconductor layer and a barrier layer formed of a nitride semiconductor stacked therein, and a third semiconductor layer formed on the active layer having a conductivity type different from that of the first semiconductor layer.

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.

A semiconductor laser element that includes a stripe-shaped light-emitting region and that is formed by adhering a surface of the semiconductor laser element on a side opposite to a semiconductor substrate and a submount to each other by a solder layer includes a terrace section on a surface of the semiconductor laser element that is adhered by the solder layer, the terrace section being separated from a ridge portion, which is a current-carrying portion, by a grooved portion. A top surface of a region including the grooved portion is covered by a metal. The terrace section is divided into a plurality of portions that are disposed in a scattered manner.

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.

A semiconductor laser element that includes a stripe-shaped light-emitting region and that is formed by adhering a surface of the semiconductor laser element on a side opposite to a semiconductor substrate and a submount to each other by a solder layer includes a terrace section on a surface of the semiconductor laser element that is adhered by the solder layer, the terrace section being separated from a ridge portion, which is a current-carrying portion, by a grooved portion. A top surface of a region including the grooved portion is covered by a metal. The terrace section is divided into a plurality of portions that are disposed in a scattered manner.

A nitride semiconductor light-emitting device having high luminous efficiency is provided. A nitride semiconductor light-emitting device is provided with a nitride semiconductor substrate including a main surface having an off angle of 0.4 or larger with respect to a (0001) plane, a first semiconductor layer formed of an n-type or p-type nitride semiconductor formed on the main surface, a second semiconductor layer formed of a nitride semiconductor having In composition of 2% or higher formed on the first semiconductor layer, an active layer formed on the second semiconductor layer including a well layer formed of a nitride semiconductor having In composition higher than that of the second semiconductor layer and a barrier layer formed of a nitride semiconductor stacked therein, and a third semiconductor layer formed on the active layer having a conductivity type different from that of the first semiconductor layer.

A laser diode includes a ridge portion, channel portions located adjacent to the ridge portion such that the ridge portion is sandwiched, the channel portions being shorter in height than the ridge portion, terrace portions adjacent to opposite sides of the respective channel portions from the ridge portion and longer in height than the channel portions, supporting portions provided over the respective channel portions, separated from side surfaces of the ridge portion or side surfaces of terrace portions or both, and made of resin, a ceiling portion including first portions provided over the supporting portions and second portions continuous with the first portions and located over the respective channel portions with hollow portions interposed therebetween, the ceiling portion being made of resin, and a metal layer provided over the ceiling portion and connected to an upper surface of the ridge portion.

A laser diode includes a ridge portion, channel portions located adjacent to the ridge portion such that the ridge portion is sandwiched, the channel portions being shorter in height than the ridge portion, terrace portions adjacent to opposite sides of the respective channel portions from the ridge portion and longer in height than the channel portions, supporting portions provided over the respective channel portions, separated from side surfaces of the ridge portion or side surfaces of terrace portions or both, and made of resin, a ceiling portion including first portions provided over the supporting portions and second portions continuous with the first portions and located over the respective channel portions with hollow portions interposed therebetween, the ceiling portion being made of resin, and a metal layer provided over the ceiling portion and connected to an upper surface of the ridge portion.