Patent ID: 7842956

Claim:
A nitride semiconductor laser element comprising: a substrate; a nitride semiconductor layered portion having a plurality of nitride semiconductor layers laid one after another on the substrate, and having a ridge stripe-shaped waveguide provided therein; an insulating layer formed on the nitride semiconductor layered portion and having an opening above the waveguide; a first electrode provided above the waveguide and the insulating layer; and a cavity end face perpendicular to a length direction of the waveguide, wherein, above the first electrode, an end portion electrode protection layer is provided of which an end face is flush with the end face of the cavity, and part of the end portion electrode protection layer is located directly above a central longitudinal axis of the waveguide, wherein the end portion electrode protection layer is contiguous with the first electrode, and is contiguous with the insulating layer on at least one side of the first electrode with respect to a direction perpendicular to the length direction of the waveguide.