SURFACE-EMITTING SEMICONDUCTOR LASER DEVICE IN WHICH AN EDGE-EMITTING LASER IS INTEGRATED WITH A DIFFRACTIVE OR REFRACTIVE LENS ON THE SEMICONDUCTOR LASER DEVICE

A surface-emitting semiconductor laser device is provided that includes an edge-emitting laser formed in various layers of semiconductor material disposed on a semiconductor substrate, a polymer material disposed on the substrate laterally adjacent the layers in which the edge-emitting laser is formed, a diffractive or refractive lens formed in or on an upper surface of the polymer material, a side reflector formed on an angled side reflector facet of the polymer material generally facing an exit end facet of the laser, and a lower reflector disposed on the substrate beneath the polymer material. Laser light passes out of the exit end facet and propagates through the polymer material before being reflected by the side reflector toward the lower reflector. The laser light is then re-reflected by the lower reflector towards the lens, which directs the laser light out the device in a direction that is generally normal to the upper surface of the substrate.