Patent ID: 7646798

Claim:
A nitride semiconductor laser element comprising: a nitride semiconductor layer that includes a first nitride semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second nitride semiconductor layer laminated in a lamination direction in this order, the nitride semiconductor layer having a pair of cavity end faces extending in the lamination direction; and a protective film formed on at least one of the cavity end faces, the protective film being formed of a first film formed on the at least one of the cavity end faces and a second film formed on the first film, with the first film having a crystal structure that has the same axial orientation as that of the nitride semiconductor layer adjacent to the at least one of the cavity end faces, and a second film having a crystal structure that has a different axial orientation from that of the first films, the first film having wider bandgap energy than the active layer; and the at least one of the cavity end faces of the nitride semiconductor layer being the M-plane, A-plane, C-plane, or R-plane.