Nitride semiconductor laser element

A nitride semiconductor laser element, comprising a substrate and a nitride semiconductor layer in which a first semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second semiconductor layer are laminated in a laminating direction in this order on the substrate,

• wherein a light emission face extends in a direction generally parallel to the laminating direction so that light is emitted from the light emission face in a direction generally perpendicular to the laminating direction,
• recessed and raised portions are formed in the first semiconductor layer and/or the second semiconductor layer,
• a semiconductor layer that embeds the recessed and raised portions are formed on the semiconductor layer in which said recessed and raised portions are formed,
• the semiconductor layer in which the recessed and raised portions are formed is equipped with a side face having a first region extending downward and a second region extending farther downward continuously from the first region,
• the second region has a greater slope with respect to the normal direction of the substrate than the first region, and
• the side face in the first region has a substantially constant slope angle, and the side face in the second region has a substantially constant slope angle that is different from the slope angle in the first region.