Patent ID: 8575630

Claim:
A light emitting device comprising a plurality of light emitting device units disposed in series, each of the plurality of light emitting device units comprising: a substrate; at least one semiconductor light emitting element disposed on the substrate; and a resistor coupled to the at least one semiconductor light emitting element, wherein the resistor is coupled in parallel to the at least one semiconductor light emitting element, wherein the resistor has a resistance set at such a value that when a light emitting operation voltage for causing light emission of the at least one semiconductor light emitting element is applied to the at least one semiconductor light emitting element, a current flowing through the resistor is equal to or less than one-fiftieth of a current flowing through the at least one semiconductor light emitting element; wherein the resistor comprises a thick film resistor disposed on the substrate; and a plurality of wiring electrodes to which the at least one semiconductor light emitting element and the thick film resistor are coupled, wherein the plurality of wiring electrodes are disposed in parallel to the at least one semiconductor light emitting element such that the at least one semiconductor light emitting element is disposed between the plurality of wiring electrodes, and wherein the thick film electrode crosses the plurality of wiring electrodes, so as to be coupled to the plurality of wiring electrodes.