A vertical
gallium nitride-based
light emitting diode and a manufacturing method thereof are provided to prevent
junction leakage and a
short circuit by preventing atoms composing a
metal seed layer from penetrating into an
active layer. A
light emission structure(120) comprising an n-type GaN-based
semiconductor layer(121), an
active layer, and a p-type GaN-based
semiconductor layer(123) is formed on a substrate, and then is etched to divide the
light emission structure into units of LED(100). A p-
electrode(150) is formed on each of the divided
light emission structures, and a non-conductive material is filled between the divided light emission structures. A
metal seed layer(160) is formed on the structure, and a first plated layer(170a) is formed on the
metal seed layer excluding a region between the light emission structures. A second plated layer(170b) is formed on the metal seed layer between the first plated
layers. The substrate is separated from the light emission structures, and then the non-conductive material is removed between the light emission structures exposed by separating the substrate. An n-
electrode(180) is formed on the n-type GaN-based
semiconductor layer, and then portions of the metal seed layer and the second plated layer are removed between the light emission structures.