Patent ID: 7056756

Claim:
A method for fabricating a nitride semiconductor laser device, which comprises; a first step to form a multi-layered semiconductor on a substrate, the multi-layered semiconductor containing at least an n-type nitride semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a p-type nitride semiconductor layer; a second step to expose the surfaces of the n-type nitride semiconductor layer and the p-type nitride semiconductor layer at different heights by selectively etching the multi-layered semiconductor; a third step to cover the surface of the multi-layered semiconductor, including the exposed surfaces of the n-type nitride semiconductor layer and the p-type nitride semiconductor layer, with an insulating film that has a thickness greater than the difference in levels between the exposed surface of the n-type nitride semiconductor layer and the outermost surface of the p-type nitride semiconductor layer; a fourth step to flatten the surface of the insulating film; and a fifth step to form an n-type electrode and a p-type electrode that are electrically connected to the n-type nitride semiconductor layer and the p-type nitride semiconductor layer, respectively, through the insulating film, wherein the exposed surfaces of the n-type electrode and the p-type electrode are formed on the same flattened surface of the insulating film.