Patent ID: 8791498

Claim:
A semiconductor light emitting device, comprising: a stacked structural unit including a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, a second semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type, and a light emitting layer provided between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer, the first semiconductor layer including a nitride semiconductor, the second semiconductor layer including a nitride semiconductor; a first electrode including a first metal layer and a second metal layer, the first metal layer including silver or silver alloy and being provided on a side of the second semiconductor layer opposite to the light emitting layer, the second metal layer including at least one element selected from gold, platinum, palladium, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium, and osmium and being provided on a side of the first metal layer opposite to the second semiconductor layer; and a second electrode provided on a side of the first semiconductor layer opposite to the light emitting layer, a concentration of the element in a region including an interface between the first metal layer and the second semiconductor layer being higher than a concentration of the element in a region of the first metal layer distal to the interface, the second semiconductor layer including a first portion provided in a region on the first electrode side of the second semiconductor layer to oppose the second electrode, and a second portion provided in a region on the electrode side of the second semiconductor layer not to oppose the second electrode, a contact resistance between the first portion and the first electrode being higher than a contact resistance between the second portion and the first electrode.