A semiconductor light emitting device comprises: a substrate; an n-type
layer provided on the substrate and made of a nitride semiconductor
material; a multiple quantum well structure active layer including a
plurality of well layers each made of In.sub.x Ga.sub.(1-x-y) Al.sub.y N
(0.ltoreq.x, 0.ltoreq.y, x+y<1) and a plurality of barrier layers each
made of In.sub.s Ga.sub.(1-s-t) Al.sub.t N (0.ltoreq.s, 0.ltoreq.t,
s+t<1), the multiple quantum well structure active layer being provided
on the n-type layer; and a p-type layer provided on the multiple quantum
well structure active layer and made of a nitride semiconductor material.
The p-type layer contains hydrogen, and the hydrogen concentration of the
p-type layer is greater than or equal to about 1.times.10.sup.16
atoms/cm.sup.3 and less than or equal to about 1.times.10.sup.19
atoms/cm.sup.3.
