Patent ID: 7724793

Claim:
A nitride semiconductor laser element, comprising: a substrate; a nitride semiconductor layer laid on a surface of the substrate, the nitride semiconductor layer including an active layer generating laser light and an evaporation prevention layer preventing deterioration of the active layer; a stripe-shaped waveguide formed in the nitride semiconductor layer to serve as a light confinement region; a mirror facet formed as a result of the nitride semiconductor layer being cleaved; and a trench formed at the mirror facet, at least at one side of the stripe-shaped waveguide, the trench being formed on an intended splitting line as a carved region having an opening at a surface of the nitride semiconductor layer, the trench having a floor surface located no more than 0.05 μm above a top surface of the evaporation prevention layer and no more than 0.3 μm below the top surface of the evaporation prevention layer.