Patent ID: 8587022

Claim:
A nitride-based semiconductor light-emitting device, comprising: an n-type GaN substrate which has an m-plane principal surface; a current diffusing layer provided on the n-type GaN substrate, the current diffusing layer being in contact with the n-type GaN substrate; an n-type nitride semiconductor layer provided directly or indirectly on the current diffusing layer; an active layer provided directly or indirectly on the n-type nitride semiconductor layer; a p-type nitride semiconductor layer provided directly or indirectly on the active layer; a p-electrode which is in contact with the p-type nitride semiconductor layer; and an n-electrode which is in contact with the n-type GaN substrate or the n-type nitride semiconductor layer, wherein a donor impurity concentration of the n-type nitride semiconductor layer is not more than 5×10 18 cm −3 , and a donor impurity concentration of the current diffusing layer is ten or more times the donor impurity concentration of the n-type nitride semiconductor layer.