A surface emission type semiconductor laser includes a plurality of semiconductor layers defining at least one resonator in a direction perpendicular to the semiconductor substrate of the laser, the layers including at least a cladding layer in the semiconductor layers being formed into at least one column-like portion extending in a direction perpendicular to the semiconductor substrate, and a II-VI group compound semiconductor epitaxial layer buried around the column-like portion. The column-like portion is of rectangular cross-section in a plane parallel to the semiconductor substrate and having longer and shorter sides, whereby the polarization plane of said emitted laser beam is parallel to the direction of said shorter sides.