The semiconductor light emitting device includes a semiconductor substrate (1), a first conductivity type first cladding layer (2) deposited on the semiconductor substrate (1), an active layer (4) deposited on the first cladding layer (2), and the second conductivity type second cladding layer (6) deposited on the active layer (4). The first and the second cladding layers (2, 6) are made of the II/VI-compound semiconductors including at least one kind of II group elements such as Zn, Hg, Cd, Mg and at least one kind of VI group elements such as S, Se, Te. The lattice mismatching .DELTA.a/a (%) between at least one of the first cladding layer (2) and the second cladding layer (6) and the substrate is set within the range of -0.9%.ltoreq..DELTA.a/a.ltoreq.0.5% (reference symbols a and a.sub.c represent the lattice constant of the semiconductor substrate and the lattice constant of at least either of the first and second cladding layers, and .DELTA.a is obtained from .DELTA.a=a.sub.c -a).