Method for manufacturing group III nitride compound semiconductor and a light-emitting device using group III nitride compound semiconductor

Abstract

A buffer layer 2 made of aluminum nitride (AlN) is formed on a substrate 1 and is formed into an island pattern such as a dot pattern, a striped pattern, or a grid pattern such that substrate-exposed portions are formed in a scattered manner. A group III nitride compound semiconductor 3 grows epitaxially on the buffer layer 2 in a longitudinal direction, and grows epitaxially on the substrate-exposed portions in a lateral direction. As a result, a group III nitride compound semiconductor 3 which has little or no feedthrough dislocations 4 is obtained. Because the region where the group III nitride compound semiconductor 3 grows epitaxially in a lateral direction, on region 32, has excellent crystallinity, forming a group III nitride compound semiconductor device on the upper surface of the region results in improved device characteristics.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.