# US 8,541,292 B2 · Group III nitride semiconductor epitaxial substrate and method for manufacturing the same

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- Number: US 8,541,292 B2
- Document ID: US8541292B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/866,147
- Filed: 2009-01-28
- Published: 2010-12-30
- Granted: 2013-09-24
- Earliest claimed: 2008-02-08
- Assignees: Showa Denko K.K.
- Applicants: Akira Bando; Hiroshi Amano
- Inventors: Akira Bando; Hiroshi Amano
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8541292B2

## CPC

- C30B 29/403: {AIII-nitrides}
- C30B 25/02: Epitaxial-layer growth
- H10F 71/1272: {comprising at least three elements, e.g. GaAlAs or InGaAsP}
- H10F 77/12485: {comprising nitride compounds, e.g. InGaN}
- H10P 14/272: {using mask materials other than SiO2 or SiN}
- H10P 14/276: {Lateral overgrowth}
- H10P 14/2901: {Materials}
- H10P 14/3216: {Nitrides}
- H10P 14/3416: {Nitrides}
- H01S 5/32341: {blue laser based on GaN or GaP}
- H01S 2304/12: Pendeo epitaxial lateral overgrowth [ELOG], e.g. for growing GaN based blue laser diodes
- H10H 20/0137: {the light-emitting regions comprising nitride materials}
- H10P 14/24: using chemical vapour deposition [CVD]
- Y02E 10/544: Solar cells from Group III-V materials
- Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
- C30B: SINGLE-CRYSTAL GROWTH (by using ultra-high pressure, e.g. for the formation of diamonds, B01J3/06); UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF EUTECTIC MATERIAL OR UNIDIRECTIONAL DEMIXING OF EUTECTOID MATERIAL; REFINING BY ZONE-MELTING OF MATERIAL (zone-refining of metals or alloys C22B); PRODUCTION OF A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE (casting of metals, casting of other substances by the same processes or devices B22D; working of plastics B29; modifying the physical structure of metals or alloys C21D, C22F); SINGLE CRYSTALS OR HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; AFTER-TREATMENT OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OR A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE (for producing semiconductor devices or parts thereof H10); APPARATUS THEREFOR
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01S: DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL
- H10H: INORGANIC LIGHT-EMITTING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES HAVING POTENTIAL BARRIERS
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

There is provided a group III nitride semiconductor epitaxial substrate which has a suppressed level of threading dislocation in the vertical direction and excellent crystal quality, the group III nitride semiconductor epitaxial substrate including a substrate (1) for growing an epitaxial film; and an ELO layer (4) having a composition of AlxGa1-xN (0≦x≦1) formed either on top of the substrate (1) or on top of a group III nitride layer (2) formed on top of the substrate (1), wherein the ELO layer (4) is a layer formed by using a mask pattern (3), which is composed of carbon and is formed either on top of the substrate (1) or on top of the group III nitride layer (2).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A group III nitride semiconductor epitaxial substrate comprising:
a sapphire substrate for growing an epitaxial film; and
an ELO layer having a composition of AlxGa1-xN (0<x≦1) formed on top of the substrate, without forming a group III nitride layer
wherein the ELO layer is a layer formed by using a mask pattern so as to prevent formation of polycrystalline growth on the mask pattern, which mask pattern is composed of carbon and is formed directly on top of the substrate, and the mask pattern reacts under a high temperature ranging from 1250° C. to 1400° C. with H2 serving as a carrier gas or an ammonium NH3 contained in the raw material as a nitrogen source to be eliminated such that the carbon base mask may be present between the substrate and the ELO layer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The group III nitride semiconductor epitaxial substrate according to claim 1,
wherein the thickness of the mask pattern is within the range from 10 nm to 200 nm.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The group III nitride semiconductor epitaxial substrate according to claim 1,
wherein the thickness of the ELO layer is within the range from 2 μm to 50 μm.

### Claim 4

A method for manufacturing a group III nitride semiconductor epitaxial substrate comprising:
a step for forming a mask pattern composed of carbon directly on top of a sapphire substrate for growing an epitaxial film; and
a step for forming an ELO layer having a composition of AlxGa1-xN (0≦x≦1) by using the mask pattern, while preventing the formation of polycrystalline growth on the mask pattern, such that the mask pattern reacts under a high temperature ranging from 1250° C. to 1400° C. with H2 serving as a carrier gas or an ammonium NH3 contained in the raw material as nitrogen source to be eliminated, such that the carbon base mask may be completely eliminated between the substrate and the ELO layer.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method for manufacturing a group III nitride semiconductor epitaxial substrate according to claim 4,
wherein the film growth rate of the ELO layer 4 is 0.1 μm/hr or higher.

### Claim 6

A method for manufacturing a group III nitride semiconductor epitaxial substrate comprising:
a step for forming a mask pattern composed of carbon directly on top of a sapphire substrate for growing an epitaxial film; and
a step for forming an ELO layer having a composition of AlxGa1-xN (0<x≦1) by using the mask pattern, while preventing the formation of polycrystalline growth on the mask pattern, such that the mask pattern reacts under a high temperature ranging from 1250° C. to 1400° C. with H2 serving as a carrier gas or an ammonium NH3 contained in the raw material as a nitrogen source to be eliminated, such that the carbon base mask may be present between the substrate and the ELO layer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method for manufacturing a group III nitride semiconductor epitaxial substrate according to claim 6,
wherein the film growth rate of the ELO layer 4 is 0.1 μm/hr or higher.