Single-mode distributed feedback laser operation can be achieved by introducing an appropriate phase jump within the feedback grating, causing lasing to occur within the stopband, One possible approach involves variation of the waveguide stripe width in an index-guided structure, in conjunction with a grating of uniform periodicity, If the phase change is allowed to accumulate over a sufficient length of the width perturbed stripe waveguide, a lambda/4 shift can rbe realized, We report the first laser of this type using a surface grating structure with only postgrowth processing.