Patent ID: 7701995

Claim:
A nitride semiconductor laser element, comprising nitride semiconductor layers in which a nitride semiconductor layer of a first conduction type, an active layer, and a nitride semiconductor layer of a second conduction type that is different from the first conduction type are laminated in that order; a cavity end face formed by the nitride semiconductor layers; and a protective film formed on the cavity end face, the protective film being a nitride film, the protective film having a region in which an axial orientation of crystals is different in the direction of lamination of the nitride semiconductor layers on a lamination interface of the nitride semiconductor layers, and the protective film having a region in which substantially M axial orientation is present on the nitride semiconductor layer with a bandgap energy that is larger than that of GaN, and has a region in which substantially C axial orientation is present on the nitride semiconductor layer with a bandgap energy that is the same or lower than that of GaN.