A laser diode in which a laser diode chip (111) having a light-emitting end face (33) is resin-encapsulated by means of an encapsulating resin layer (10) constituted by an epoxy-based resin or the like. An end-face-breakage preventing layer (10) formed of a silicon-based resin having a high coefficient of light absorption in the wavelength band of a laser beam and a high bond energy is formed on the light-emitting end face (33). The end-face-breakage preventing layer (10) has a thickness of approximately 20 to 30 µm.