Nitride semiconductor light emitting device and method of frabicating nitride semiconductor laser device

Abstract

There is provided a nitride semiconductor light emitting device having a light emitting portion coated with a coating film, the light emitting portion being formed of a nitride semiconductor, the coating film in contact with the light emitting portion being formed of an oxynitride. There is also provided a method of fabricating a nitride semiconductor laser device having a cavity with a facet coated with a coating film, including the steps of: providing cleavage to form the facet of the cavity; and coating the facet of the cavity with a coating film formed of an oxynitride.

1 .- 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A nitride semiconductor light emitting device having a light emitting portion coated with a coating film, wherein said light emitting portion is formed of a nitride semiconductor, and said coating film is formed of an aluminum oxynitride film, and said coating film is in contact with said light emitting portion, and said aluminum oxynitride film contains oxygen in an amount of at least 2 atomic % and at most 35 atomic %. 
     
     
         17 . The nitride semiconductor light emitting device according to  claim 16 , wherein the nitride semiconductor light emitting device is a nitride semiconductor laser device and said light emitting portion is a facet of a cavity. 
     
     
         18 . The nitride semiconductor light emitting device according to  claim 16 , wherein said aluminum oxynitride film contains oxygen in an amount of at least 2 atomic % an at most 15 atomic %. 
     
     
         19 . The nitride semiconductor light emitting device according to  claim 16 , wherein a film formed of an oxide or a nitride is deposited on said coating film. 
     
     
         20 . The nitride semiconductor light emitting device according to  claim 19 , wherein said film formed of said nitride is a film formed of a nitride of at least one of silicon and aluminum. 
     
     
         21 . The nitride semiconductor light emitting device according to  claim 20 , wherein said film formed of said nitride is a film formed of silicon nitride and having a thickness of at least 5 nm. 
     
     
         22 . The nitride semiconductor light emitting device according to  claim 19 , wherein said film formed of said oxide is a film formed of at least one selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide, silicon oxide, titanium oxide, hafnium oxide, zirconium oxide, niobium oxide, tantalum oxide, and yttrium oxide. 
     
     
         23 . The nitride semiconductor light emitting device according to  claim 16 , wherein on said coating film a film formed of an oxynitride is deposited. 
     
     
         24 . The nitride semiconductor light emitting device according to  claim 23 , wherein said film formed of said oxynitride is a film formed of an oxynitride of silicon or aluminum. 
     
     
         25 . The nitride semiconductor light emitting device according to  claim 16 , wherein on said coating film a film formed of magnesium fluoride is deposited.