Patent ID: 6955936

Claim:
A method for manufacturing a light-emitting semiconductor device of Group III nitride compound semiconductor with p-type conduction, said method comprising: providing a surface layer; forming a multi-layered electrode layer comprising a first electrode layer formed on said surface layer and a second electrode layer formed on said first electrode layer, said first electrode layer comprising a material having an ionization potential lower than that of said second electrode layer and said second electrode layer comprising a material having an ohmic characteristic to said semiconductor better than that of said first electrode layer; forming an electrode pad covering a portion of said second electrode layer and leaving another portion of said second electrode layer uncovered; moving an element of said first electrode layer to near a surface of said multi-layered electrode layer and penetrating an element of said second layer into said surface layer to be metallized with Group III nitride compound semiconductor as a reaction of said moving an element of said first electrode layer, by a heat treatment; and making a distribution such that the portion of said material of said second electrode layer which is uncovered by said electrode pad is distributed more deeply into said surface layer than that of said first electrode layer and provides a contact resistance between said electrode layer and said surface layer lower than said portion covered with said electrode pad.