Abstract: In a nitride semiconductor light-emitting device having an n-side and a p-side electrode pad formed on the same side of a substrate wherein current distribution in the light-emitting device is improved by forming branch electrodes extended from the p-side electrode pad (and the n-side electrode pad), when sheet resistance values of n-side and p-side layers in the device are low enough, contact resistance between a p-type nitride semiconductor layer and a current diffusion layer of a transparent conductive film formed thereon is reduced and in-plane distribution of the sheet resistance is made uniform whereby improving the optical output, by increasing in a prescribed condition the sheet resistance value of the current diffusion layer.

Abstract: In a nitride semiconductor light-emitting device having an n-side and a p-side electrode pad formed on the same side of a substrate wherein current distribution in the light-emitting device is improved by forming branch electrodes extended from the p-side electrode pad (and the n-side electrode pad), when sheet resistance values of n-side and p-side layers in the device are low enough, contact resistance between a p-type nitride semiconductor layer and a current diffusion layer of a transparent conductive film formed thereon is reduced and in-plane distribution of the sheet resistance is made uniform whereby improving the optical output, by increasing in a prescribed condition the sheet resistance value of the current diffusion layer.

Abstract: A nitride semiconductor light-emitting device includes at least one n-type semiconductor layer, an active layer and at least one p-type semiconductor layer within a rectangle nitride semiconductor region on a substrate. The n-type semiconductor layer has a partial exposed area, a p-side branch electrode integral with a p-side electrode pad formed on a current diffusion layer formed on the p-type semiconductor layer, an n-side branch electrode integral with an n-side electrode pad formed on the partial exposed area of the n-type semiconductor layer, the p-side and n-side branch electrodes extend parallel to each other along two opposite sides of the semiconductor region, and conditions of 0.3<M/L<1.1 and L<Lmax are satisfied; L is the distance between centers of the p-side and n-side electrode pads, M is the distance between the p-side and n-side branch electrodes, and Lmax represents a distance between the centers of the p-side and n-side electrode pads.