Patent ID: 8017932

Claim:
A light-emitting device comprising a group III nitride semiconductor layer of a multilayer structure consisting of a group III nitride semiconductor having a major surface defined by a nonpolar plane or a semipolar plane and having at least an n-type layer and a p-type layer, the light-emitting device further comprising: an electrode is provided on the surface of the group III nitride semiconductor layer, wherein the electrode is a p-side electrode; and a light output in a c-axis direction is not less than five times a light output in an a-axis direction as to light outputs of a light emitting layer from the nonpolar plane or the semipolar plane, wherein the light-emitting device is a laser diode having a pair of end faces parallel to a c-plane, wherein the major surface of the group III nitride semiconductor layer is defined by an m-plane, and wherein a major growth surface of the light emitting layer is defined by the m-plane, and polarization of light is stronger in the a-axis direction than in other directions.