SEMICONDUCTOR LASER ELEMENT AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SEMICONDUCTOR LASER ELEMENT

Abstract

[Object] To provide a semiconductor laser element capable of preventing current leakage in junction-down mounting and a method of producing the semiconductor laser element.

[Solving Means] A semiconductor laser element according to the present technology includes: a stacked body. The stacked body includes a substrate, an n-type semiconductor layer that is formed on the substrate, is formed of an n-type semiconductor material, and has a core that is a defect concentration region, an active layer that is formed on the n-type semiconductor layer, and a p-type semiconductor layer that is formed on the active layer and is formed of a p-type semiconductor material, and has a recessed portion formed from a surface of the p-type semiconductor layer to have a depth reaching the core and an ion implantation region that is formed by implanting ions into a region including the core.

Claims

1. A semiconductor laser element, comprising: a stacked body that includes a substrate, an n-type semiconductor layer that is formed on the substrate, is formed of an n-type semiconductor material, and has a core that is a defect concentration region, an active layer that is formed on the n-type semiconductor layer, and a p-type semiconductor layer that is formed on the active layer and is formed of a p-type semiconductor material, and has a recessed portion formed from a surface of the p-type semiconductor layer to have a depth reaching the core and an ion implantation region that is formed by implanting ions into a region including the core.

2. The semiconductor laser element according to claim 1, wherein the stacked body has a side surface including an end surface of the n-type semiconductor layer, the core is exposed to the side surface, and the recessed portion is provided between the surface and the side surface to separate the side surface from the surface.

3. The semiconductor laser element according to claim 2, wherein a ridge portion that extends in a direction parallel to the surface is provided in the p-type semiconductor layer, and the recessed portion may extend in a direction parallel to the ridge portion.

4. The semiconductor laser element according to claim 1, further comprising an insulation layer formed on the surface and an inner peripheral surface of the recessed portion, in which the ion implantation region is covered by the insulation layer.

5. The semiconductor laser element according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is a c-plane GaN substrate, the c-plane GaN substrate being a substrate that is formed of n-type GaN and has a main surface parallel to a c-plane of a GaN crystal, and the n-type semiconductor layer, the active layer, and the p-type semiconductor layer are formed by crystal growth on the c-plane GaN substrate.

6. The semiconductor laser element according to claim 1, wherein the ions are boron ions, nitrogen ions, or protons, and a dose amount of the ions is 2 × 10.sup.13 cm.sup.-2 or more and 2 × 10.sup.15 cm.sup.-2 or less.

7. A method of producing a semiconductor laser element, comprising: preparing a stacked body that includes a substrate, an n-type semiconductor layer that is formed on the substrate, is formed of an n-type semiconductor material, and has a core that is a defect concentration region, an active layer that is formed on the n-type semiconductor layer, and a p-type semiconductor layer that is formed on the active layer and is formed of a p-type semiconductor material; forming, by etching, a recessed portion formed from a surface of the p-type semiconductor layer to have a depth reaching the core; and Implanting ions into a region of the stacked body including the core.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0024] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor laser element according to an embodiment of the present technology.

[0025] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a partial configuration of the semiconductor laser element.

[0026] FIG. 3 is a plan view of a partial configuration of the semiconductor laser element.

[0027] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a core of the semiconductor laser element.

[0028] FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the core of the semiconductor laser element.

[0029] FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the core of the semiconductor laser element.

[0030] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a recessed portion of the semiconductor laser element.

[0031] FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a recessed portion of the semiconductor laser element.

[0032] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing an ion implantation region of the semiconductor laser element.

[0033] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the ion implantation region of the semiconductor laser element.

[0034] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the recessed portion and the ion implantation region of the semiconductor laser element.

[0035] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a method of producing the semiconductor laser element.

[0036] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the method of producing the semiconductor laser element.

[0037] FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing the method of producing the semiconductor laser element.

[0038] FIG. 15 is a plan view showing the method of producing the semiconductor laser element.

[0039] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing the method of producing the semiconductor laser element.

[0040] FIG. 17 is a plan view showing the method of producing the semiconductor laser element.

[0041] FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view showing the method of producing the semiconductor laser element.

[0042] FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view showing the method of producing the semiconductor laser element.

[0043] FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view showing the method of producing the semiconductor laser element.

[0044] FIG. 21 is a plan view showing the method of producing the semiconductor laser element.

[0045] FIG. 22 is a plan view showing the method of producing the semiconductor laser element.

[0046] FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view showing the method of producing the semiconductor laser element.

[0047] FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor laser element according to a modified example 1 of the present technology.

[0048] FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view of the semiconductor laser element according to the modified example 1 of the present technology.

[0049] FIG. 26 is a plan view of the semiconductor laser element according to the modified example 1 of the present technology.

[0050] FIG. 27 is a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor laser element according to a modified example 2 of the present technology.

[0051] FIG. 28 is a plan view of the semiconductor laser element according to the modified example 2 of the present technology.

MODE(S) FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0052] A semiconductor laser element according to an embodiment of the present technology will be described.

Structure of Semiconductor Laser Element

[0053] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor laser element 100 according to this embodiment and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a partial configuration of the semiconductor laser element 100. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the semiconductor laser element 100, and FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are each a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A′ in FIG. 3. Note that in the drawings of the present disclosure, the stacking direction of respective layers is defined as a Z direction, one direction orthogonal to the Z direction is defined as an X direction, and a direction orthogonal to the X direction and the Z direction is defined as the Y direction. That is, a layer surface direction of the respective layers is parallel to the X-Y plane.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the semiconductor laser element 100 includes a substrate 101, an n-type semiconductor layer 102, an active layer 103, a p-type semiconductor layer 104, a transparent conductive film 105, an insulation layer 106, an n-electrode 107, and a p-electrode 108.

[0055] The substrate 101 supports the respective layers of the semiconductor laser element 100. The substrate 101 can be a c-plane GaN substrate that is formed of n-type GaN and has a main surface parallel to the c-plane of a GaN crystal.

[0056] The n-type semiconductor layer 102 is formed of an n-type semiconductor material and is formed on the substrate 101. The n-type semiconductor layer 102 is formed of n-type GaN and can include an n-type cladding layer and an n-type guide layer in order from the side of the substrate 101.

[0057] The active layer 103 is formed on the n-type semiconductor layer 102 and is sandwiched between the n-type semiconductor layer 102 and the p-type semiconductor layer 104. The active layer 103 emits light by recombination of holes flowing from the p-type semiconductor layer 104 and electrons flowing from the n-type semiconductor layer 102. The active layer 103 has, for example, a multi-quantum well structure in which a quantum well layer and a barrier layer are alternately stacked to form a large number of layers, and the quantum well layer and the barrier layer can be formed of, for example, InGaN having different compositions. Further, the active layer 103 may include a single semiconductor layer or have a single quantum well structure.

[0058] The p-type semiconductor layer 104 is formed of a p-type semiconductor material and is formed on the active layer 103. The p-type semiconductor layer 104 is formed of p-type GaN and can include a p-type guide layer, a p-cladding layer, and a contact layer in order from the side of the active layer 103.

[0059] Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a ridge portion 121 is formed in the p-type semiconductor layer 104. The ridge portion 121 is a projecting portion between groove portions 104a provided in the p-type semiconductor layer 104 and extends in the longitudinal direction (Y direction) of the semiconductor laser element 100. A width W1 of the ridge portion 121 can be set to 0.5 .Math.m or more and 100 .Math.m or less.

[0060] The n-type semiconductor layer 102, the active layer 103, and the p-type semiconductor layer 104 are formed on the substrate 101 by crystal growth. Hereinafter, a stacked body obtained by stacking the substrate 101, the n-type semiconductor layer 102, the active layer 103, and the p-type semiconductor layer 104 will be referred to as a stacked body 150. As shown in FIG. 2, one side surface of the stacked body 150 in the lateral direction (X direction) will be referred to as a side surface S1 and the side surface on the side opposite thereto will be referred to as a side surface S2. The side surface S1 and the side surface S2 include end surfaces of the substrate 101 and the n-type semiconductor layer 102.

[0061] The transparent conductive film 105 is formed on the p-type semiconductor layer 104 in the ridge portion 121 and makes the current flowing from the p-electrode 108 to the p-type semiconductor layer 104 uniform. The transparent conductive film 105 is formed of ITO (Indium Tin Oxide), ITiO (Indium Titanium Oxide), AZO (Al.sub.2O.sub.3—ZnO), IGZO (InGaZnOx), or the like. The insulation layer 106 is formed on the p-type semiconductor layer 104 excluding the ridge portion 121 and on the n-type semiconductor layer 102 in the vicinity of the side surface S1 and the side surface S2. The insulation layer 106 is formed of SiO.sub.2, SiN, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, or the like.

[0062] The n-electrode 107 is formed on the surface of the substrate 101 on the side opposite to the n-type semiconductor layer 102 and is electrically connected to the n-type semiconductor layer 102 via the substrate 101. The p-electrode 108 is stacked on the transparent conductive film 105 and the insulation layer 106 and is electrically connected to the p-type semiconductor layer 104 via the transparent conductive film 105.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 1, the p-electrode 108 can include a pad metal layer 111, a barrier metal layer 112, and a bonding metal layer 113. These layers are stacked in the order of the pad metal layer 111, the barrier metal layer 112, and the bonding metal layer 113 from the side of the transparent conductive film 105 and the insulation layer 106.

Regarding Core

[0064] A “core” is provided in each of the substrate 101 and the n-type semiconductor layer 102. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the semiconductor laser element 100 showing the position of the core, and FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the semiconductor laser element 100 showing the position of the core. FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are each a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A′ in FIG. 6. The core is a characteristic structure of a c-plane GaN substrate and is a region where crestal defects are concentrated. Since the core affects light emission characteristics, a semiconductor laser element is generally provided such that a light-emitting region is separated from the core.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 4 to FIG. 6, a core 101c is present in the vicinity of the side surface S1 of the substrate 101 and the core 101c is exposed to the side surface S1. Further, also in the n-type semiconductor layer 102, a core 102c is present above the core 101c and the core 102c is exposed to the side surface S1. This is because the n-type semiconductor layer 102 is stacked on the substrate 101 by crystal growth as will be described below and a region of the n-type semiconductor layer 102 formed on the core 101c inherits the crystal structure of the core 101c. Since the core 101c and the core 102c have variations in surface shape, the insulation layer 106 on the core 102c is formed to have a recessed and projecting shape as shown in FIG. 5.

[0066] Further, a recessed portion is formed on the stacked body 150. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the stacked body 150 showing the recessed portion and FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of FIG. 7. As shown in these figures, the surface of the p-type semiconductor layer 104, i.e., the outermost surface of crystal growth will be referred to as a surface S3. A recessed portion 150a that extends in a direction (Y direction) parallel to the ridge portion 121 is provided on the side of the stacked body 150 where the surface S3 and the side surface S1 are in contact with each other. The recessed portion 150a is dug down from the surface S3 and is formed to have a depth reaching the core 102c of the n-type semiconductor layer 102. The side surface S1 is not continuous with the surface S3 and is separated from the surface S3 by the recessed portion 150a. As shown in FIG. 8, a depth D1 of the recessed portion 150a is suitably 0.5 .Math.m or more and 5 .Math.m or less and a width W2 of the recessed portion 150a is suitably 1 .Math.m or more and 50 .Math.m or less.

[0067] Further, a recessed portion 150b that extends in a direction (Y direction) parallel to the ridge portion 121 is provided on the side of the stacked body 150 where the surface S3 and the side surface S2 are in contact with each other. The recessed portion 150b is dug down from the surface S3 and is formed to have a certain depth in the n-type semiconductor layer 102. The side surface S2 is not continuous with the surface S3 and is separated from the surface S3 by the recessed portion 150b. As shown in FIG. 8, a depth D2 of the recessed portion 150b is suitably 0.5 .Math.m or more and 5 .Math.m or less and a width W3 of the recessed portion 150b is suitably 1 .Math.m or more and 50 .Math.m or less. As shown in FIG. 4, the insulation layer 106 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of each of the recessed portion 150a and the recessed portion 150b.

[0068] Further, an ion implantation region is provided in the stacked body 150. The ion implantation region is a region formed by implanting ions into a partial region of the stacked body 150. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the semiconductor laser element 100 showing the ion implantation region, and FIG. 10 is a plan view of the stacked body 150 showing the ion implantation region. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A′ in FIG. 10. The ion implantation region is a region indicated by dots in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 and includes ion implantation regions F1 to F4.

[0069] As shown in these figures, an ion implantation region F1 is formed in a region of the n-type semiconductor layer 102 including the core 102c in the vicinity of the side surface S1 to have a certain depth from the recessed portion 150a. Further, the ion implantation region F2 is formed in the n-type semiconductor layer 102 in the vicinity of the side surface S2 to have a certain depth from the recessed portion 150b.

[0070] Further, the ion implantation region F3 is formed between the ridge portion 121 and the ion implantation region F1 to have a certain depth in the n-type semiconductor layer 102 from the p-type semiconductor layer 104. Further, the ion implantation region F4 is formed between the ridge portion 121 and the ion implantation region F2 to have a certain depth in the n-type semiconductor layer 102 from the p-type semiconductor layer 104.

[0071] The ion implantation regions F1 to F4 are made have a high resistance by ion implantation. The ions forming the ion implantation regions F1 to F4 can be boron (B), nitrogen (N), or protons (H). The dose amount of ions in the ion implantation regions F1 to F4 can be, for example, 2 × 10.sup.13 cm.sup.-2 or more and 2 × 10.sup.15 cm.sup.-2 or less.

[0072] As described above, the ion implantation region F1 is formed to have a certain depth from the recessed portion 150a. Since the insulation layer 106 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the recessed portion 150a as described above, the ion implantation region F1 exposed from the bottom surface of the recessed portion 150a is covered by the insulation layer 106.

[0073] The semiconductor laser element 100 has the configuration as described above. In the semiconductor laser element 100, when a voltage is applied between the n-electrode 107 and the p-electrode 108, the current flowing between the n-electrode 107 and the p-electrode 108 is concentrated on the ridge portion 121 and light emission (spontaneous emission light) occurs in a region of the active layer 103 located in the vicinity of the ridge portion 121. Reflecting mirrors (not shown) are provided at both ends of the semiconductor laser element 100 in the longitudinal direction to form a resonator. The spontaneous emission light is amplified while travelling through the waveguide formed by the ridge portion 121 and causes laser oscillation by the resonator.

Effects of Semiconductor Laser Element

[0074] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the core 102c. As shown in the figure, in the semiconductor laser element 100, the ion implantation region F1 is formed in a region of the n-type semiconductor layer 102 including the core 102c to increase the resistance. Although the insulation layer 106 is provided on the n-type semiconductor layer 102 in the recessed portion 150a, there is a possibility that the coverage of the insulation layer 106 is incomplete because the core 102c has variations in surface shape. However, since the ion implantation region F1 having a high resistance is provided below the insulation layer 106, the ion implantation region F1 provides insulation even if the insulation by the insulation layer 106 is insufficient.

[0075] In particular, in the case where the semiconductor laser element 100 mounted junction down, solder is applied between the p-electrode 108 and a mounting object to mount the semiconductor laser element 100. At this time, there is a possibility that the solder creeps up to the side surface S1 and the side surface S2 from the side of the p-electrode 108. Here, since the ion implantation region F1 is provided, current leakage due to the electrical connection between the solder and the n-type semiconductor layer 102 is prevented.

[0076] Further, in the semiconductor laser element 100, the recessed portion 150a and the recessed portion 150b are respective provided at the corners between the surface S3 (see FIG. 8) and the side surface S1 and between the surface S3 and the side surface S2. For this reason, when the semiconductor laser element 100 is mounted junction down, the solder surface is separated from the side surface S1 and the side surface S2 and the solder is less likely to creep up to the side surface S1 and the side surface S2. Therefore, by providing the recessed portion 150a and the recessed portion 150b, it is possible to more reliably prevent current leakage.

Method of Producing Semiconductor Laser Element

[0077] A method of producing the semiconductor laser element 100 will be described. FIG. 12 to FIG. 23 are each a schematic diagram showing a method of producing the semiconductor laser element 100.

[0078] First, as shown in FIG. 12, the n-type semiconductor layer 102, the active layer 103, and the p-type semiconductor layer 104 are stacked on the substrate 101 to form the stacked body 150. These layers can be formed by growing crystals on the substrate 101 by a MOCVD (Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition) method. Since the core 101c is present in the substrate 101, the core 102c, a 103c, and a core 104c inherit the crystal structure of the core 101c and are respectively formed in the n-type semiconductor layer 102, the active layer 103, and the p-type semiconductor layer 104.

[0079] Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 13, an etching mask layer M is formed on the p-type semiconductor layer 104. The etching mask layer M is formed of, for example, SiO.sub.2 or SiN and can be formed by a vapor deposition method, a sputtering method, or the like. As shown in FIG. 13, the etching mask layer M is patterned such that at least the core 104c is exposed. The etching mask layer M can be patterned by using, for example, photolithography to remove the etching mask layer M exposed from a resist opening by an RIE (Reactive Ion Etching) method using a fluorine-based gas or hydrofluoric acid-based wet etching.

[0080] Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 14, the p-type semiconductor layer 104, the active layer 103, and the n-type semiconductor layer 102 are etched using the etching mask layer M to form the recessed portion 150a and the recessed portion 150b. This etching can be performed by the RIE using a chlorine-based gas. FIG. 15 is a plan view of the stacked body 150 in the state up to this point and FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A′ in FIG. 15. In FIG. 15 and the following plan views, the range in which the core 102c is formed is indicated by a shaded region.

[0081] Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 16, a resist R is stacked on the etching mask layer M. The resist R is patterned so as to cover a portion that serves as the ridge portion 121 (see FIG. 2). The resist R can be patterned using photolithography. FIG. 17 is a plan view showing the stacked body 150 in the state up to this point and FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A′ in FIG. 17.

[0082] Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 18, ion implantation is performed on the stacked body 150 from above the resist R to form the ion implantation regions F1 to F4. The ions to be implanted are boron (B), nitrogen (N), protons (H), or the like, the implantation energy is suitably, for example, 40 keV or more and 160 keV or less, and the dose amount is suitably, for example, 2 × 10.sup.13 cm.sup.-2 or more and 2 × 10.sup.15 cm.sup.-2 or less. In order to make the concentration of ion implantation uniform in the depth direction, the implantation energy may be changed to perform ion implantation twice. In this case, the implantation energy can be65 keV and 140 keV and the dose amount can be 6×10.sup.14 cm.sup.-2.

[0083] Subsequently, the resist R and the etching mask layer M are removed. The resist R can be removed by ashing or an organic solvent and the etching mask layer M can be removed by hydrofluoric acid-based wet etching. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 19, the transparent conductive film 105 is formed on the p-type semiconductor layer 104. The transparent conductive film 105 is formed by a vapor deposition method, a sputtering method, or the like.

[0084] Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 20, the transparent conductive film 105 and the p-type semiconductor layer 104 are partially removed to form the ridge portion 121. The transparent conductive film 105 and the p-type semiconductor layer 104 can be removed by the RIE using a mask patterned by photolithography. FIG. 21 is a plan view showing the stacked body 150 and the transparent conductive film 105 in the state up to this point, and FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A′ in FIG. 21.

[0085] Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 22, the insulation layer 106 is formed on the p-type semiconductor layer 104 and the n-type semiconductor layer 102 except for the ridge portion 121. The insulation layer 106 can be formed by being uniformly deposited on the transparent conductive film 105, the p-type semiconductor layer 104, and the n-type semiconductor layer 102 by a vapor deposition method, a sputtering method, or the like and then removing only the portion on the ridge portion 121. The insulation layer 106 can be removed by the RIE method or hydrofluoric acid-based wet etching using a mask patterned by photolithography.

[0086] Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 23, the pad metal layer 111, the barrier metal layer 112, and the bonding metal layer 113 are sequentially stacked on the transparent conductive film 105 and the insulation layer 106. These metal layers can be formed by being deposited by a vapor deposition method, a sputtering method, or the like and patterned by a lift-off method or the like. The patterning may be performed by removing an unnecessary portion by the RIE or a milling method. Next, the substrate 101 is polished to have a film thickness suitable for cleavage to form the n-electrode 107 (see FIG. 1). The n-electrode 107 can be formed by being patterned by a lift-off method or the like.

[0087] Subsequently, the substrate 101 is cleaved into a bar shape and the exposed end surface portion is coated. Further, the bar is cut into a chip to prepare the semiconductor laser element 100. The semiconductor laser element 100 can be produced in this way.

Modified Example 1

[0088] The semiconductor laser element 100 according to a modified example 1 of the present technology will be described. FIG. 24 and FIG. 25 are each a cross-sectional view of the stacked body 150 of the semiconductor laser element 100 according to the modified example 1. FIG. 26 is a plan view of the stacked body 150 of the semiconductor laser element 100 according to the modified example 1. FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A′ in FIG. 26, and FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B′ in FIG. 26. Although the recessed portion 150a and the recessed portion 150b are formed in the cross section shown in FIG. 24, the recessed portion 150a and the recessed portion 150b are not formed in the cross section shown in FIG. 25. Thus, the recessed portion 150a and the recessed portion 150b do not necessarily need to be continuous in the extending direction (Y direction) of the ridge portion 121, and a region where the recessed portion 150a and the recessed portion 150b are not provided may be provided.

Modified Example 2

[0089] The semiconductor laser element 100 according to a modified example 2 of the present technology will be described. FIG. 27 is a cross-sectional view of the stacked body 150 of the semiconductor laser element 100 according to the modified example 2. FIG. 28 is a plan view of the stacked body 150 of the semiconductor laser element 100 according to the modified example 2. FIG. 27 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A′ in FIG. 28. As shown in these figures, the core 101c and the core 102c may be formed not only in the vicinity of the side surface S1 but also in the vicinity of the side surface S2.

[0090] It should be noted that the present technology may also take the following configurations.

[0091] (1) A semiconductor laser element, including:

[0092] A stacked body that includes a substrate, an n-type semiconductor layer that is formed on the substrate, is formed of an n-type semiconductor material, and has a core that is a defect concentration region, an active layer that is formed on the n-type semiconductor layer, and a p-type semiconductor layer that is formed on the active layer and is formed of a p-type semiconductor material, and has a recessed portion formed from a surface of the p-type semiconductor layer to have a depth reaching the core and an ion implantation region that is formed by implanting ions into a region including the core.

[0093] The semiconductor laser element according to (1) above, in which [0094] the stacked body has a side surface including an end surface of the n-type semiconductor layer, [0095] the core is exposed to the side surface, and [0096] the recessed portion is provided between the surface and the side surface to separate the side surface from the surface. (3) The semiconductor laser element according to (1) or (2) above, in which [0097] a ridge portion that extends in a direction parallel to the surface is provided in the p-type semiconductor layer, and [0098] the recessed portion may extend in a direction parallel to the ridge portion.

[0099] The semiconductor laser element according to any one of (1) to (3) above, further including [0100] an insulation layer formed on the surface and an inner peripheral surface of the recessed portion, in which [0101] the ion implantation region is covered by the insulation layer.

[0102] The semiconductor laser element according to any one of (1) to (4) above, in which [0103] the substrate is a c-plane GaN substrate, the c-plane GaN substrate being a substrate that is formed of n-type GaN and has a main surface parallel to a c-plane of a GaN crystal, and [0104] the n-type semiconductor layer, the active layer, and the p-type semiconductor layer are formed by crystal growth on the c-plane GaN substrate.

[0105] The semiconductor laser element according to any one of (1) to (5) above, in which [0106] the ions are boron ions, nitrogen ions, or protons, and [0107] a dose amount of the ions is 2 × 10.sup.13 cm.sup.-2 or more and 2 × 10.sup.15 cm.sup.-2 or less.

[0108] A method of producing a semiconductor laser element, including: [0109] preparing a stacked body that includes a substrate, an n-type semiconductor layer that is formed on the substrate, is formed of an n-type semiconductor material, and has a core that is a defect concentration region, an active layer that is formed on the n-type semiconductor layer, and a p-type semiconductor layer that is formed on the active layer and is formed of a p-type semiconductor material; [0110] forming, by etching, a recessed portion formed from a surface of the p-type semiconductor layer to have a depth reaching the core; and [0111] Implanting ions into a region of the stacked body including the core.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

[0112] 100 semiconductor laser element [0113] 101 substrate [0114] 101c core [0115] 102 n-type semiconductor layer [0116] 103 active layer [0117] 104 p-type semiconductor layer [0118] 105 transparent conductive film [0119] 106 insulation layer [0120] 107 n-electrode [0121] 108 p-electrode [0122] 121 ridge portion [0123] 150 stacked body [0124] 150a recessed portion [0125] 150b recessed portion