Patent ID: 8803165

Claim:
A nitride semiconductor light emitting device comprising: a nitride semiconductor substrate; and a nitride semiconductor layer having a p-type nitride semiconductor layer formed on the nitride semiconductor substrate, wherein the nitride semiconductor layer has a ridge stripe part on a top face thereof, the ridge stripe part has a current injection region into which current is injected, an electrode is formed over the ridge stripe part, an electrode pad is formed on the top face of the nitride semiconductor layer at least over the ridge stripe part and a part adjacent thereto, the electrode pad being in contact with the electrode, a protection film is formed to cover at least a part of the electrode pad located over the ridge stripe part and the part adjacent thereto, a part of the protection film not located over the ridge stripe part being so formed as to be partially exposed to external conditions, and the protection film is made up of a silicon nitride film and/or a silicon nitride oxide film.