SEMICONDUCTOR LIGHT-EMITTING ELEMENT

1 . A semiconductor light-emitting element comprising:

an n-type nitride semiconductor layer;

a p-type nitride semiconductor layer;

an active layer region which includes an m-plane nitride semiconductor layer and which is interposed between the n-type nitride semiconductor layer and the p-type nitride semiconductor layer;

an n-type electrode which is electrically connected to the n-type nitride semiconductor layer;

a p-type electrode which is electrically connected to the p-type nitride semiconductor layer;

a light-emitting face, through which polarized light that has been produced in the active layer region is extracted out of the nitride semiconductor light-emitting element; and

a striped structure which is provided for the light-emitting face and which has a plurality of projections that run in a direction that defines either an angle of 5 degrees to 80 degrees or an angle of −80 degrees to −5 degrees with respect to the a-axis direction of the m-plane nitride semiconductor layer.

2 . The semiconductor light-emitting element of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of projections have at least one slope which is not parallel to the light-emitting face.

3 . The semiconductor light-emitting element of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of projections have a period of 300 nm or more.

4 . The semiconductor light-emitting element of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of projections have a period of 8 μm or less.

5 . The semiconductor light-emitting element of claim 1 , wherein in the striped structure, the plurality of projections run in a direction that defines either an angle of 30 degrees to 60 degrees or an angle of −60 degrees to −30 degrees with respect to the a-axis direction of the m-plane nitride semiconductor layer.

6 . The semiconductor light-emitting element of claim 1 , wherein the polarized light is produced in the active layer region so as to have a light distribution characteristic, of which the angle of radiation is wider in a c-axis direction than in the a-axis direction.

7 . The semiconductor light-emitting element of claim 1 , further comprising an n-type nitride semiconductor substrate which has first and second principal surfaces,

wherein the first principal surface is in contact with the n-type nitride semiconductor layer, and

wherein the light-emitting face is the second principal surface.

8 . The semiconductor light-emitting element of claim 1 , wherein the p-type nitride semiconductor layer has first and second principal surfaces, and

wherein the second principal surface is located closer to the active layer region, and

wherein the light-emitting face is the first principal surface.

9 . The semiconductor light-emitting element of claim 1 , further comprising:

an n-type nitride semiconductor substrate which is provided in contact with the n-type nitride semiconductor layer; and

a light output member which has first and second principal surfaces,

wherein the first principal surface is in contact with the other surface of the n-type nitride semiconductor substrate which is opposite from the surface that contacts with the n-type nitride semiconductor layer, and

wherein the light-emitting face is the second principal surface.

10 . The semiconductor light-emitting element of claim 1 , wherein the light output member has a refractive index of greater than one.

11 . A method for fabricating a semiconductor light-emitting element, the method comprising the steps of:

forming a semiconductor multilayer structure on a substrate, the multilayer structure including an n-type nitride semiconductor layer, a p-type nitride semiconductor layer, and an active layer region which is interposed between the n-type and p-type nitride semiconductor layers and which includes an m-plane nitride semiconductor layer;

forming an n-type electrode which is electrically connected to the n-type nitride semiconductor layer and a p-type electrode which is electrically connected to the p-type nitride semiconductor layer; and

forming a striped structure, including a plurality of projections that run in a direction that defines either an angle of 5 degrees to 80 degrees or an angle of −80 degrees to −5 degrees with respect to the a-axis direction of the m-plane nitride semiconductor layer, on another surface of the substrate on which the semiconductor multilayer structure has not been formed.

12 . A method for fabricating a semiconductor light-emitting element, the method comprising the steps of:

forming a semiconductor multilayer structure on a substrate, the multilayer structure including an n-type nitride semiconductor layer, a p-type nitride semiconductor layer, and an active layer region which is interposed between the n-type and p-type nitride semiconductor layers and which includes an m-plane nitride semiconductor layer;

forming an n-type electrode which is electrically connected to the n-type nitride semiconductor layer and a p-type electrode which is electrically connected to the p-type nitride semiconductor layer; and

forming a striped structure, including a plurality of projections that run in a direction that defines either an angle of 30 degrees to 60 degrees or an angle of −60 degrees to −30 degrees with respect to the a-axis direction of the m-plane nitride semiconductor layer, on another surface of the substrate on which the semiconductor multilayer structure has not been formed.