Stripe geometry lasers grown by MO-CVD lasing at 8260 Å (∼7% Al in the active region) were characterized. Pulsed current thresholds vary little with stripe width for 4, 6, and 8 µm. The lowest pulsed threshold was 31 mA for a 125-µm-long device. This laser with a 6 µm stripe exhibited a kink-free light output vs. current characteristic up to 15 mW/facet and had a differential quantum efficiency

%. The threshold currents and the increase of laser threshold with increasing cavity length were found to be significantly lower than those of previously-published devices. For 51 lasers that are 200±10 µm long with 4, 6, or 8 µm stripe widths, the average threshold currents were 40.4 mA, 41.1 mA, and 42 mA, respectively, and over 70% of these lasers fall within ±1 mA of these averages. External differential quantum efficiencies for these same lasers are 75%, 67%, and 63%, respectively.