A compound semiconductor light emitting device for preparing a chip which improves the light extraction efficiency, enables mounting of easy positioning with only once wire bonding, and leads to a reduction in the manhour. One face of an insulative substrate (11) is overlaid with a semiconductor layer (4) consisting of a plurality of semiconductor thin films to form an active layer (15). One electrode (33) is formed on the top face of this semiconductor layer (4), and the other electrode (33) on the other face of the insulative substrate (11). For the exposure of a first semiconductor thin film layer (13) connected to the other electrode (33), the semiconductor film over the first semiconductor thin film layer (13) is removed to form an exposure region (10). This exposure region (10) is provided with a through hole (2) penetrating through the insulative substrate (11) and first semiconductor thin film layer (13).The first semiconductor thin film layer (13) and the other electrode (33) are electrically connected with a conductive material (3) formed on the through hole (2).