Semiconductor base including: silicon-based substrate; buffer layer including first and second layers alternately on silicon-based substrate, first layer made of nitride-based compound semiconductor containing first material, second layer made of nitride-based compound semiconductor containing second material having larger lattice constant than first material; channel layer on buffer layer and made of nitride-based compound semiconductor containing second material, buffer layer has: first composition graded layer between at least one of first layers and second layer immediately thereabove, made of nitride-based compound semiconductor whose composition ratio of second material is increased gradually upward, whose composition ratio of first material is decreased gradually upward; second composition graded layer between at least one of second layers and first layer immediately thereabove, made of nitride-based compound semiconductor whose first material is increased gradually upward, whose composition ratio of second material is decreased gradually upward, first composition graded layer is thicker than second composition graded layer.