Semiconductor laser device, and method for producing it

1. A semiconductor laser device, having

an epitaxial semiconductor body ( 40 ) with a waveguiding layer ( 22 ), which contains an active radiation-generating layer ( 20 ),

a laser-active emitter region ( 12 ), disposed in the epitaxial semiconductor body ( 40 ) and having a primary direction ( 30 ), which essentially corresponds to the exit direction of the laser radiation from the emitter region, and

an amplifier region ( 14 ), adjoining the emitter region ( 12 ) in the semiconductor body ( 40 ) in the primary direction ( 30 ), for amplifying the laser radiation,

wherein the emitter region ( 12 ) and the amplifier region ( 14 ) form active regions in the semiconductor material,

characterized in that

the waveguiding layer ( 22 ) is at least partly removed in some regions of the semiconductor body ( 40 ) outside the active regions ( 12 , 14 ), in such a way that flanks ( 18 ; 32 ; 36 ) of the semiconductor body ( 40 ) that are produced by the removal form a shallow angle τ with a plane in which lies said waveguiding layer.

2. The semiconductor laser device of claim 1 ,

characterized in that

grooves ( 16 ) are disposed in the waveguiding layer ( 22 ) on both sides of the emitter region ( 12 ) and extending along the primary direction ( 30 ) of the emitter region, with which grooves flanks ( 18 ) at the emitter region are formed, which form a shallow angle τ with said plane of the waveguiding layer.

3. The semiconductor laser device of claim 1 ,

characterized in that

the waveguiding layer ( 22 ) is removed on both sides of and along the primary direction ( 30 ) of the emitter region ( 12 ), and the flanks ( 32 ) thus formed of the semiconductor body ( 40 ) form a shallow angle τ with said plane of the waveguiding layer.

4. The semiconductor laser device of claim 1 ,

characterized in that

the waveguiding layer ( 22 ) is removed on both sides of and along the amplifier region ( 14 ), and the flanks ( 32 ) thus formed of the semiconductor body ( 40 ) form a shallow angle τ with said plane of the waveguiding layer.

5. The semiconductor laser device of claim 4 ,

characterized in that

the amplifier region ( 14 ) widens, in particular conically, in the direction away from the emitter region ( 12 ).

6. The semiconductor laser device of claim 1 ,

characterized in that

grooves ( 16 , 32 , 34 ) are made in the waveguiding layer ( 22 ) on both sides of one or more active regions ( 12 , 14 ), which grooves are at an angle φ to the primary propagation direction ( 30 ) of the laser radiation and form flanks ( 36 ) of the semiconductor body ( 40 ), which form a shallow angle τ with said plane of the waveguiding layer.

7. The semiconductor laser device of claim 1 ,

characterized in that

two grooves ( 16 , 32 , 34 ), extending side by side and in particular parallel, that are made in the epitaxial semiconductor body and form a shallow angle τ with the primary extension direction of the waveguiding layer define between them a narrow interstice ( 38 ) for the propagation of the laser radiation in the semiconductor body ( 40 ).

8. The semiconductor laser device of claim 6 ,

characterized in that

the angle φ between the grooves ( 34 ) and the primary propagation direction ( 30 ) is between 90° and 135°.

9. The semiconductor laser device of claim 1 ,

characterized in that

the flank angle τ is between 1° and 35°, preferably between 10° and 30°.

10. The semiconductor laser device of claim 1 ,

characterized in that

the flanks ( 18 ; 32 ; 36 ) of the semiconductor body ( 40 ) are covered with an absorbent material.

11. A method for producing a semiconductor laser device of claim 1 , in which the waveguiding layer is removed by dry etching of a reshaped photoresist.

12. The method of claim 11 , in which to remove the waveguiding layer,

photoresist layer is applied to the semiconductor body;

the photoresist is reshaped in a solvent atmosphere and/or by heating of the resist; and

the structure of the shallow flanks of the photoresist is transferred to the semiconductor body by dry etching.