This paper presents the effects of Mg concentration in a Mg-doped aluminum nitride (AlN) strain relaxation layer according to the metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy method. A UV LED using a Mg-doped AlN strain relaxation layer at a Mg concentration of 3 x 10(20) cm(-3) on a sputterannealed AlN template produced light output power 11 times as high as that with conventional LED structures. The AlGaN-on-AlN relaxation rate and LED light output power increased starting from Mg concentrations of 10(19) cm(-3). These characteristics had almost the same values when the Mg concentration was less than 3 x 10(19) cm(-3). These results show the improvement of efficiency caused by void formation due to the inversion domain. (C) 2019 The Japan Society of Applied Physics.