A
nitride semiconductor material having low
lattice thermal conductivity and a
heat flow switching element including the same are provided. The
nitride semiconductor material according to the present invention is a
metal nitride represented by M-Si-N-Te (where M represents at least one kind of
transition metal element, and Te represents an arbitrary element), and has a
thermal effusivity of less than 2000 Ws0.5 / m2K. In particular, the M is at least one of Cr, Mn, Ni, Mo, and W. In addition, a
heat flow switching element according to the present invention includes an N-type
semiconductor layer 3, an insulator layer 4 formed on the N-type semiconductor layer, and a P-type semiconductor layer 5 formed on the insulator layer, wherein at least one of the N-type semiconductor layer and the P-type semiconductor layer is formed from the nitride semiconductor material described above.