METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SEMICONDUCTOR LASER

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method of manufacturing semiconductor laser by which a semiconductor laser can be manufactured by controlling the shape of a ridge in such a way that the ridge is formed symmetrically to the center line and so on when an off substrate is used. SOLUTION: In the method, a semiconductor laminate having at least an active layer 12 and first- and second-conductivity clad layers 11 and 13, respectively, formed on and under the active layer 12 is formed on a substrate 10. Then a first mask layer 40 is formed on the laminate so as to protect part of a current injecting region, and a second mask layer 42 is formed to partially overlap the first mask layer 40 by changing the protective property of the layer 42 from that of the layer 40, in such a way that the layer 42 protects the remaining part of the current injecting region and the adhesion of the layer 42 to the underlying semiconductor laminate is changed from that of the layer 40 to the overlying laminated semiconductor, and so on. Thereafter, the current injecting region of the semiconductor laminate is formed in a ridge-like shape RD through etching by using the mask layers 40 and 42 as masks.