A wavelength-tunable external cavity laser comprises a semiconductor optical amplifier chip and a laser external cavity, the laser external cavity comprising a grid filter, a phase adjustor and a silicon-based micro-ring chip, the grid filter and the silicon-based micro-ring chip constituting a wavelength-tunable optical filter which implements wavelength tuning by spectral tuning of the grid filter and/or the silicon-based micro-ring chip. A micro-ring filter in the silicon-based micro-ring chip of the tunable external-cavity laser is manufactured by adopting a mature silicon light technology, which can greatly reduce a manufacturing difficulty of the adjustable filter, and reduce the manufacturing cost of a device. An existing external-cavity adjustable technology platform may be used for smooth transition, so as to improve the degree of integration of this type of device and simplify a preparation process.