A light-emitting semiconductor device (10) consecutively includes a
sapphire substrate (1), an AlN buffer layer (2), a silicon (Si) doped GaN
n.sup.+-layer (3) of high carrier (n-type) concentration, a Si-doped
(Al.sub.x3Ga.sub.1-x3).sub.y3In.sub.1-y3N n.sup.+-layer (4) of high
carrier (n-type) concentration, a zinc (Zn) and Si-doped
(Al.sub.x2Ga.sub.1-x2).sub.y2In.sub.1-y2N emission layer (5), and a
Mg-doped (Al.sub.x1Ga.sub.1-x1).sub.y1In.sub.1-y1N p-layer (6). The AlN
layer (2) has a 500 .ANG. thickness. The GaN n.sup.+-layer (3) has about
a 2.0 .mu.m thickness and a 2.times.10.sup.18/cm.sup.3 electron
concentration. The n.sup.+-layer (4) has about a 2.0 .mu.m thickness and
a 2.times.10.sup.18/cm.sup.3 electron concentration. The emission layer
(5) has about a 0.5 .mu.m thickness. The p-layer 6 has about a 1.0 .mu.m
thickness and a 2.times.10.sup.17/cm.sup.3 hole concentration. Nickel
electrodes (7, 8) are connected to the p-layer (6) and n.sup.+-layer (4),
respectively. A groove (9) electrically insulates the electrodes (7, 8).
The composition ratio of Al, Ga, and In in each of the layers (4, 5, 6)
is selected to meet the lattice constant of GaN in the n.sup.+-layer (3).
The LED (10) is designed to improve luminous intensity and to obtain
purer blue color.