NITRIDE SEMICONDUCTOR LASER ELEMENT

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a nitride semiconductor laser element with which light in a lateral direction is confined. SOLUTION: The nitride semiconductor laser element is provided with a substrate and a semiconductor layer where a first semiconductor layer, an active layer and a second semiconductor layer are laminated on the substrate. A resonator end face is formed in the semiconductor layer. The semiconductor layer where a stripe-like irregularity is formed extending in a vertical direction with respect to the resonator end face, and the semiconductor layer with which irregularity is filled on the semiconductor layer where irregularity is formed, are formed in the second semiconductor layer. Irregularity is formed in a first region and second regions formed on both sides of the first region in the second semiconductor layer. Width of a concave and/or that of a convex in the first region differ from that of the concave and/or the convex in the second region. A difference is given to refractive indexes or conduction rates of the first region and the second region. COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT