In a selective growth method, growth interruption is performed at the time of selective growth of a crystal layer on a substrate. Even if the thickness distribution of the crystal layer becomes non-uniform at the time of growth of the crystal layer, the non-uniformity of the thickness distribution of the crystal layer can be corrected by inserting the growth interruption. As a result of growth interruption, an etching rate at a thick portion becomes higher than that at a thin portion, to eliminate the difference in thickness between the thick portion and the thin portion, thereby solving the problem associated with degradation of characteristics due to a variation in thickness of the crystal layer, for example, an active layer. The selective growth method is applied to fabrication of a semiconductor light emitting device including an active layer as a crystal layer formed on a crystal layer having a three-dimensional shape by selective growth.