A method for fabricating a semiconductor device on a semiconductor substrate, wherein the semiconductor device is adapted to provide target lasing properties, the method includes creating, a mask layer over the semiconductor substrate, the mask layer having at least one opening to expose a region of the semiconductor substrate, etching using a first etching process the exposed region, utilizing inductively coupled plasma with preselected first set of parameters to obtain a baseline mesa profile, the baseline mesa profile having a baseline mesa angle, re-etching using a second etching process the etched region, utilizing inductively coupled plasma with preselected second set of parameters, to alter the baseline mesa profile to obtain a requisite mesa profile having a requisite mesa angle defined by the target lasing properties and the requisite mesa angle being different from the baseline mesa angle, removing the mask layer and defining a p-n junction for the semiconductor substrate.

A semiconductor laser includes: a multi-quantum well layer in a mesa structure; a buried layer comprising a semi-insulating semiconductor, the buried layer being in contact with each of both sides of the mesa structure; a first cladding layer with a first conductivity type, the first cladding layer having a lower refractive index than the multi-quantum well layer; a high refractive index layer configured to not absorb light oscillating in the multi-quantum well layer, the high refractive index layer having a higher refractive index than the first cladding layer; a diffraction grating layer at least partially constituting a diffraction grating capable of diffracting the light oscillating in the multi-quantum well layer, the diffraction grating layer not contacting the high refractive index layer; a substrate with the first conductivity type; and a second cladding layer with a second conductivity type above the multi-quantum well 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 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 reproducible method for producing a resonant structure of a distributed-feedback semiconductor laser exhibiting a narrow waveguide of the order of some ten micrometers, the production of the diffraction grating being carried out subsequent to the step of producing the strip is provided. In a last step, a diffraction grating is engraved as a function of a desired precise wavelength.

A semiconductor laser device includes a submount having a bottom plate part and a projecting part projecting from a surface of the bottom plate part, and a semiconductor laser bonded to the submount. The semiconductor laser includes a semiconductor substrate, a semiconductor structure part that is formed on the semiconductor substrate and has an active layer, a first electrode, and a second electrode. A side face of the semiconductor laser facing the projecting part, and the second electrode thereof are respectively bonded to the projecting part facing the semiconductor laser and the bottom plate part with a bonding member. The bonding member for bonding the projecting part and the side face of the semiconductor laser is such that an end part thereof in a z-direction in which the projecting part projects is located further away in the z-direction than a surface of the semiconductor substrate of the semiconductor laser.

An optical semiconductor device includes a substrate, a semiconductor multilayer which is formed on the substrate, and includes an optical functional layer, an insulating film formed on the semiconductor multilayer, and an electrode formed on a part of the insulating film. The insulating film covers the semiconductor multilayer except for a region in which the semiconductor multilayer and the electrode are electrically connected to each other. At least a part of a region of the insulating film that is overlapped with the electrode is thinner than a region of the insulating film that is not overlapped with the electrode.

An optical semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate with a protrusion that forms a lower end portion of a mesa stripe structure in a stripe shape extending in a first direction; a multi-quantum well layer in a stripe shape extending in the first direction on the protrusion, wherein the multi-quantum well layer forms an intermediate portion of the mesa stripe structure; a semiconductor layer in a stripe shape extending in the first direction on the intermediate portion, wherein the semiconductor layer forms an upper end portion of the mesa stripe structure; and a semi-insulating semiconductor layer in contact with side surfaces of the mesa stripe structure on both sides in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The optical semiconductor device may include a first electrode on a surface of the semiconductor substrate and/or a second electrode on the upper end surface of the mesa stripe structure.

A buried typed semiconductor optical device includes a semiconductor substrate having a pair of grooves extending in a first direction. An upper surface of a buried layer has a first region that is adjacent to a mesa stripe structure, overlaps with a corresponding one of the pair of grooves, is inclined so as to be higher in a second direction from the mesa stripe structure, and on which a passivation film is not formed. The upper surface of the buried layer has a second region that does not overlap with any of the pair of grooves, is flat, and is higher than a lower end of the first region, and on which the passivation film is formed. The upper surface of the buried layer has a connection region between the first region and the second region at a same height as the second region.

An optical semiconductor element including a semiconductor substrate, a first cladding layer of a first conductive type provided on the semiconductor substrate, an active layer provided on the first cladding layer, a second cladding layer of a second conductive type provided on the active layer, a first mesa constituted of a part of the first cladding layer, the active layer, and the second cladding layer, an auxiliary cladding layer of the second conductive type provided on the first mesa, a second mesa constituted of the auxiliary cladding layer, and a semi-insulating layer provided on the first cladding layer and on both sides of the first mesa and both sides of the second mesa, wherein a width of the second mesa is greater than a width of the first mesa.