US Patent 7981704 Method for manufacturing semiconductor optical device

After a metal cap layer is laminated on a semiconductor laminated structure, a waveguide ridge is formed, the waveguide ridge is coated with an SiO2 film, and a resist is applied; then, a resist pattern is formed, the resist pattern exposing the surface of the SiO2 film on the top of the waveguide ridge, and burying the SiO2 film in channels with a resist film having a surface higher than the surface of the metal cap layer of the waveguide ridge and lower than the surface of the SiO2 film of the waveguide ridge; the SiO2 film is removed by dry etching, using the resist pattern as a mask. The metal cap layer is removed by wet etching, and a p-GaN layer of the waveguide ridge is exposed to form the electrode layer.