Abstract: A light emitting device includes a silicon substrate (1), a silicon nitride film (2) formed on the surface of the silicon substrate (1), at least an n-type layer (3), (4) and a p-type layer (6), (7) which are formed on the silicon nitride film (2) and also which are made of a ZnO based compound semiconductor, and a semiconductor layer lamination (11) in which layers are laminated to form a light emitting layer. Preferably this silicon nitride film (2) is formed by thermal treatment conducted in an atmosphere containing nitrogen such as an ammonium gas. Also, in another embodiment, a light emitting device is formed by growing a ZnO based compound semiconductor layer on a main face of a sapphire substrate, the main face being perpendicular to the C-face thereof. As a result, it is possible to obtain a device using a ZnO based compound with high properties such as an LED very excellent in crystallinity and having a high light emitting efficiency.

Abstract: A ZnO based oxide semiconductor layer is grown on a sapphire substrate 1 by supplying, for example, raw materials made of Zn and O constituting ZnO and a p-type dopant material made of N without supplying an n-type dopant material (a-step). By stopping the supply of the material of O and further supplying an n-type dopant material made of Ga, the semiconductor layer is doped with the p-type dopant and the n-type dopant, thereby forming a p-type ZnO layer (2a) (b-step). By repeating the steps (a) and (b) plural times, a p-type ZnO based oxide semiconductor layer is grown. As a result, N to be the p-type dopant can be doped in a stable carrier concentration also during high temperature growth in which a residual carrier concentration can be reduced, and the carrier concentration of the p-type layer made of the ZnO based oxide semiconductor can be increased sufficiently.