METHOD OF MANUFACTURING VERTICAL CAVITY SURFACE EMITTING LASER ELEMENT AND VERTICAL CAVITY SURFACE EMITTING LASER ELEMENT

A method of manufacturing a vertical cavity surface emitting laser element includes: providing a nitride semiconductor layer including an n-side semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a p-side semiconductor layer layered in this order, with the p-side semiconductor layer defining an upper surface of the nitride semiconductor layer; forming a mask member on a portion of the upper surface of the nitride semiconductor layer; placing the p-side semiconductor layer in an oxygen atmosphere together with a member containing aluminum or quartz and performing reactive ion etching on a portion of the p-side semiconductor layer; performing, in an oxygen atmosphere, heat treatment on the p-side semiconductor layer; removing the mask member; and forming an electrode on the upper surface of the nitride semiconductor layer across the portion having been subjected to the reactive ion etching and the portion from which the mask member has been removed.