Patent ID: 8320421

Claim:
A semiconductor light-emitting device comprising: (A) a light-emitting portion composed of a laminated structure in which a first compound semiconductor layer having a first conductivity type, an active layer, and a second compound semiconductor layer having a second conductivity type are laminated in order, and (B) a current-blocking layer in contact with a side of the light-emitting portion, wherein the current-blocking layer is composed of a third compound semiconductor layer having the first conductivity type and a fourth compound semiconductor layer having the second conductivity type and being in contact with the third compound semiconductor layer, an impurity for imparting the first conductivity type to the first compound semiconductor layer includes an impurity in the first compound semiconductor layer at a substitution site which is uncompetitive with a substitution site of an impurity in the second compound semiconductor layer, for imparting the second conductivity type to the second compound semiconductor layer, and an impurity for imparting the first conductivity type to the third compound semiconductor layer includes an impurity in the third compound semiconductor layer at a substitution site which is competitive with a substitution site of an impurity in the fourth compound semiconductor layer, for imparting the second conductivity type to the fourth compound semiconductor layer, wherein the first compound semiconductor layer, the second compound semiconductor layer, the third compound semiconductor layer, and the fourth compound semiconductor layer are composed of Group III-V compound semiconductors, the substitution site of the impurity in the first compound semiconductor layer is a site occupied by a Group V atom, the substitution site of the impurity in the second compound semiconductor layer is a site occupied by a Group III atom, and the substitution site of the impurity in the third compound semiconductor layer and the substitution site of the impurity in the fourth compound semiconductor layer are sites occupied by Group III atoms.