Patent ID: 8350290

Claim:
A light-receiving device, comprising: a first contact layer formed of a first group III nitride and being a low-resistance layer having an n-type conductivity; a light-receiving layer formed of a second group III nitride, having an n-type conductivity, and being adjacent to said first contact layer; a second contact layer formed of AlN, having an insulating property, and being adjacent to said light-receiving layer; a first electrode brought into Ohmic junction with said first contact layer; a second electrode, consisting of at least one of Pt, Pd and Au and having optical transparency, brought into Schottky junction with said second contact layer, wherein the Schottky junction between said second electrode and said second contact layer is strengthened by heat treatment under a nitrogen gas atmosphere; and an interface layer is formed by said heat treatment between said second electrode and said second contact layer.