A semiconductor device comprises an n-side waveguide layer, an active layer in contact with the n-side waveguide layer and a p-side waveguide layer in contact with the active layer. An electron blocking layer is in contact with the p-side waveguide layer and comprises a first composition of two elements from group III of the periodic table and an element from group V of the periodic table. A cladding layer includes a cladding sublayer that is in contact with the electron blocking layer. The cladding sublayer comprises a second composition of two elements from group III of the periodic table and an element from group V of the periodic table. The second composition is different from the first composition.