We report on the effect of surface plasmon on the light emission efficiency of green InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs). Internal quantum efficiency of green MQW with Au nanoparticles is increased by 6.9 times, compared to that of green MQW without Au nanoparticles. Transmission spectrum of Au nanoparticles shows that the absorption peak at 2.3 eV is due to the excitation of dipole plasmon modes in Au nanoparticles and this absorption energy is nearly matched to the photoluminescence emission energy of green MQW. These results show that the increase in internal quantum efficiency of green MQW with Au nanoparticles can be attributed to the coupling between surface plasmon of Au nanoparticles and exciton of green MQW. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.