A semiconductor laser array device comprising a substrate with a plurality of grooves and an active layer disposed over the substrate, resulting in optical waveguides within the active layer corresponding to the grooves, wherein the grooves are disposed over the entire area of the substrate and a means for preventing the injection of current into some of the grooves that are positioned outside of the central area of the substrate is disposed whereby the other grooves positioned in the central area of the substrate consitute a laser array portion of the semiconductor laser array device.