An ultraviolet sensor that includes a p-type semiconductor layer principally composed of (Ni, Zn)O, an n-type semiconductor layer composed of ZnO which is joined to the p-type semiconductor layer, an internal electrode embedded in the p-type semiconductor layer, and first and second terminal electrodes formed at both ends of the p-type semiconductor layer. The surface roughness of the p-type semiconductor layer is 1.5 μm or less, and preferably 0.3 μm or more and 1.0 μm or less. In a manufacturing process, the formed product prior to firing and/or the p-type semiconductor layer after firing is polished by barrel polishing so that the surface roughness Ra thereof is 1.0 μm or less. Thereby, light absorption efficiency can be improved to directly detect a desired large photocurrent and secure high reliability, and a spectral property can be controlled to strongly respond to various wavelength bands of ultraviolet light.