Patent ID: 7579205

Claim:
A method of fabricating a light emitting device comprising: a light emitting device wafer fabricating step fabricating a light emitting device wafer having a light emitting layer section based on a double heterostructure in which a first-conductivity-type cladding layer, an active layer and an second-conductivity-type cladding layer, each of which being composed of a compound semiconductor having a composition allowing lattice matching with GaAs, out of compound semiconductors expressed by formula (Al x Ga 1-x )In 1-y P (where 0≦x≦1, 0≦y≦1), are stacked in this order, and a GaP light extraction layer disposed on said light emitting layer section so as to allow a first main surface thereof to compose a first main surface of the wafer, so that the first main surface of said GaP light extraction layer appears as the (100) surface; a main light extraction area roughening step forming surface roughening projections on the first main surface of said GaP light extraction layer composed of said (100) surface, by etching said surface using an etching solution for surface roughening containing acetic acid, hydrofluoric acid, nitric acid, iodine and water up to a total content of 90% by mass or more, and having a total content by mass of acetic acid, hydrofluoric acid, nitric acid and iodine larger than the content by mass of water; and a dicing step dicing said light emitting device wafer to thereby fabricate light emitting device chips each having said surface roughening projections on the first main surface of said GaP light extraction layer.