To provide a high-luminance LED element or a high-output laser element.

In a semiconductor element in which a nitride semiconductor layer having an active layer is laminated upon a group III nitride substrate, the group III nitride substrate contains aluminum, and the active layer is provided with an aluminum-containing nitride semiconductor. In addition, the nitride semiconductor layer formed on the group III nitride substrate has at least the active layer, an n-type nitride semiconductor layer, and a p-type nitride semiconductor layer. The active layer is sandwiched between the n- and p-type nitride semiconductor layers.