Patent ID: 7109049

Claim:
A method for fabricating a nitride semiconductor light-emitting device, the device including: a nitride semiconductor substrate having a groove and a ridge formed on a top surface thereof so as to extend in a shape of stripes; and a nitride semiconductor growth layer having a plurality of nitride semiconductor layers laid on top of the nitride semiconductor substrate, the method comprising: a first step of forming a 10 μm or more wide flat region above at least either of the groove and ridge by forming the nitride semiconductor growth layer on top of the nitride semiconductor substrate so that a height of the nitride semiconductor growth layer laid above the groove is smaller than a height of the nitride semiconductor growth layer laid above the ridge; wherein semiconductor growth layer is an n-type GaN layer formed on the surface of the nitride semiconductor substrate, wherein the n-GaN layer thickness is 0.1 μm or more but 2 μm or less and an off angle of the top surface of the nitride semiconductor substrate is 0.2° or less a second step of forming an elevated ridge stripe portion on the surface of the nitride semiconductor growth layer in the flat region formed in the first step; and a third step of performing division along at least either of the groove and ridge along a division line extending in a direction parallel to the ridge stripe portion, wherein a layer thickness of an n-type GaN layer laid on the surface of the nitride semiconductor substrate is 0.1 μm or more but 2 μm or less.