Process for producing group III nitride compound semiconductor

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing a Group III nitride compound semiconductor. Particularly it relates to a method for producing a Group III nitride compound semiconductor by using epitaxial lateral overgrowth (ELO), a Group III nitride compound semiconductor device and a Group III nitride compound semiconductor substrate. Incidentally, the Group III nitride compound semiconductor may be represented by the general formula Al_xGa_yIn_1-x-yN (0≦x≦1, 0≦y≦1, 0≦x+y≦1) which includes: binary compounds such as AlN, GaN and InN; ternary compounds such as Al_xGa_1-xN, Al_xIn_1-xN and Ga_xIn_1-xN (0x<1 each); and quaternary compounds such as Al_xGa_yIn_1-x-yN (0<x<1, 0<y<1, 0<x+y<1). In this description, the expression “Group III nitride compound semiconductor” simply implies a Group III nitride compound semiconductor doped with impurities to change the conduction type to a p type or an n type if no further notice is given particularly.

[0002] For example, a Group III nitride compound semiconductor used in a light-emitting device is a direct transition type semiconductor exhibiting an emission spectrum in a wide range of from ultraviolet to red. The Group III nitride compound semiconductor is applied to a light-emitting device such as a light-emitting diode (LED), a laser diode (LD), or the like. Application of the Group III nitride compound semiconductor to a transistor such as an FET or the like has been developed actively because the band gap of the Group III nitride compound semiconductor is so wide that the device using the Group III nitride compound semiconductor can be expected to operate more stably at a high temperature than a device using another semiconductor. Development of the Group III nitride compound semiconductor into various general semiconductor devices has been expected from the environmental viewpoint because arsenic is not used as the main component. Generally, the Group III nitride compound semiconductor is formed on sapphire used as a substrate.

[0003] If the Group III nitride compound semiconductor is formed on such a sapphire substrate, dislocation is caused by misfit in lattice constant between sapphire and the Group III nitride compound semiconductor. For this reason, there is a problem that device characteristic becomes poor. The dislocation caused by the misfit is threading dislocation that passes through a semiconductor layer vertically (in a direction perpendicular to a substrate surface). There is a problem that dislocation of about 10⁹ cm⁻² propagates in the Group III nitride compound semiconductor. When Group III nitride compound semiconductor layers different in composition are laminated, it propagates up to the uppermost layer. For example, in the case of a light-emitting device, there is therefore a problem that device characteristic such as threshold current in LD, device life in LD and LED, etc. cannot be improved. Also in the case of another semiconductor device, no device but a semiconductor device low in mobility can be formed because electrons are scattered by defects. These problems occur also in the case where another substrate is used.

[0004] For example, there has been accordingly proposed a method in which: a Group III nitride compound semiconductor layer is once formed on a substrate with or without interposition of a buffer layer; a mask is formed on part of an upper surface of the Group III nitride compound semiconductor layer so that the Group III nitride compound semiconductor cannot be epitaxially grown vertically from the masked portion; and the Group III nitride compound semiconductor is epitaxially grown vertically and laterally from the non-masked portion to thereby form a Group III nitride compound semiconductor layer low in threading dislocation above the masked portion.

[0005] In the technique described in the official gazette, it is however necessary to perform Group III nitride compound semiconductor growth twice before and after masking because different apparatuses are used for Group III nitride compound semiconductor growth and masking respectively. Moreover, in the technique described in the official gazette, a space is apt to be formed between the Group III nitride compound semiconductor layer formed above the masked portion and the mask because the Group III nitride compound semiconductor cannot be formed on them asked portion with good adhesion. As a result, when separation into devices is performed in an after-process, peeling, cracking or chipping occurs in the portion where the space is formed.

[0006] The invention has been made to solve the aforementioned problems and an object of the invention is to provide a semiconductor device in which a Group III nitride compound semiconductor layer suppressed in terms of threading dislocation is formed by a smaller number of steps as a whole and in which peeling, cracking or chipping hardly occurs.

[0007] According to the invention, a method for producing a Group III nitride compound semiconductor by growing the Group III nitride compound semiconductor on a sapphire substrate through an AlN buffer layer is provided. The production method includes the steps of: modifying at least one part of a surface of the sapphire substrate by dry etching; forming the AlN buffer layer on the modified sapphire substrate; and epitaxially growing a desired Group III nitride compound semiconductor vertically and laterally on the AlN buffer layer while the AlN buffer layer formed on a non-modified portion of the surface of the sapphire substrate is used as a seed. The AlN buffer layer is formed by means of reactive sputtering with Al as a target in a nitrogen atmosphere.

[0008] Desirably, the step of modifying the surface of the sapphire substrate is carried out so that any one of a dot shape, a stripe shape, a lattice shape, etc., is formed as an island shape on a flat surface of the sapphire substrate. When modified, the sapphire substrate is etched. Desirably, the depth of etching of the sapphire substrate is set to be not larger than the thickness of the AlN buffer layer. Desirably, the sapphire substrate is a substrate having a face A as a principal surface. After the Group III nitride compound semiconductor is formed, a different type Group III nitride compound semiconductor layer can be laminated thereon to thereby form a Group III nitride compound semiconductor device. In addition, when almost all parts except the vertically and laterally epitaxially grown Group III nitride compound semiconductor are removed, a Group III nitride compound semiconductor substrate can be obtained.

[0009] Although there has been already proposed a technique in which a difference in level, a surface roughness, or the like is provided on a surface of a substrate so that a Group III nitride compound semiconductor can be epitaxially laterally overgrown, a method particularly remarkably effective in producing a Group III nitride compound semiconductor can be found by the subsequent examination when a substrate, a substrate surface and a buffer layer and methods for forming these are combined as follows. According to the invention, modification of the surface of the sapphire substrate can be achieved by etching in a very short time without necessity of forming a difference of 0.1 μm in level. According to the invention, epitaxial growth of the Group III nitride compound semiconductor can be made continuously from vertical and lateral epitaxial growth on the AlN buffer layer. Because the AlN buffer layer is formed by means of reactive sputtering, the growth of the Group III nitride compound semiconductor can be made by integrated production after the substrate is mounted in a Group III nitride compound semiconductor growth apparatus. Accordingly, a Group III nitride compound semiconductor layer suppressed in terms of threading dislocation can be formed by a smaller number of steps as a whole.

[0012] A Group III nitride compound semiconductor according to the invention is produced by vapor-phase growth using a metal organic vapor-phase epitaxy method (hereinafter referred to as “MOVPE”) Gases used are ammonia (NH₃), carrier gas (H₂ or N₂), trimethyl gallium (Ga(CH₃)₃, hereinafter referred to as “TMG”), trimethyl aluminum (Al(CH₃)₃, hereinafter referred to as “TMA”), trimethyl indium (In(CH₃)₃, hereinafter referred to as “TMI”), and cyclopentadienyl magnesium (Mg(C₅H₅)₂, hereinafter referred to as “Cp₂Mg”).

[0013] In the condition that a face A of a mono-crystalline sapphire substrate 1 cleaned by organic cleaning was used as a principal surface, that is, as a crystal growth surface, a 50-nm thick Ni film 2 was deposited on the mono-crystalline sapphire substrate 1 by means of vapor deposition (FIG. 1(a)) Then, the Ni film 2 was coated with a photo resist 3 and the photo resist 3 was patterned in the form of stripes on the face A, that is, on the flat surface by photolithography. The patterning was made in a direction perpendicular to the axis c of the sapphire substrate 1 so that both the width of each stripe of the photo resist 3 and the distance between adjacent stripes of the photo resist 3 were 5 μm (FIG. 1(b)).

[0014] Then, the Ni film 2 was removed with acid from portions where the photo resist 3 had been already removed (FIG. 1(c)). Then, the photo resist 3 was removed by organic cleaning. In this manner, an etching mask of the Ni film 2 was formed to have 5 μm-wide and 5 μm-distant stripes arranged in a direction perpendicular to the axis c of the sapphire substrate 1 (FIG. 1(d)).

[0015] Then, the sapphire substrate 1 was etched in Ar for 5 minutes by means of dry etching (FIG. 1(e)). Then, the etching mask of the Ni film 2 was removed. On this occasion, a difference of about 2 nm in level was formed between the portion of the sapphire substrate 1 where the etching mask was formed and the portion thereof where the etching mask was not formed. In this manner, a non-modified portion and a portion S_M modified in atomic order by etching were formed on the face A of the sapphire substrate (FIG. 1(f)).

[0016] Then, a DC magnetron sputtering apparatus was used so that a buffer layer 4 of AlN was formed by means of reactive sputtering in nitrogen gas with high-purity metallic aluminum as a target. The buffer layer was formed with a thickness of about 60 nm on the whole face A of the sapphire substrate (FIG. 1(g)).

[0017] FIG. 2(a) shows an RHEED image of an AlN layer 4a formed on the non-modified portion of the sapphire substrate. There are poly-crystalline spots observed. On the other hand, FIG. 2(b) shows an RHEED image of an AlN layer 4b formed on the modified portion of the sapphire substrate. There is no spot observed. In this manner, although the AlN layer 4a formed on the non-modified portion of the sapphire substrate functions as a buffer layer, the AlN layer 4b formed on the modified portion of the sapphire substrate does not function as a buffer layer so that it is impossible to produce any seed of Group III nitride compound semiconductor when the Group III nitride compound semiconductor will be epitaxially grown after that. Accordingly, vertical and lateral epitaxial growth can be made mainly on the AlN layer 4a formed on the non-modified portion of the sapphire substrate.

[0018] Then, in the condition that 20 L/min of H₂, 10 L/min of NH₃ and 5 μmol/min of TMG were introduced into an MOCVD apparatus while the temperature of the sapphire substrate 1 was kept at 1100° C., a GaN layer 5 was formed by vertical and lateral epitaxial growth (FIG. 1(h)) mainly on the AlN layer 4a formed on the non-modified portion of the sapphire substrate (FIG. 1(i)). Although the GaN layer 5 is not formed by growth on the AlN layer 4b because the AlN layer 4b formed on the modified portion of the sapphire substrate does not function as a buffer layer for growing the GaN layer 5, the AlN layer 4b adheres to the GaN layer 5 formed by vertical and lateral epitaxial growth mainly on the AlN layer 4a formed on the non-modified portion of the sapphire substrate.

[AlN Buffer Layer Using MOCVD]

[0019] If the AlN buffer layer 4 was formed by an MOCVD method using TMA and NH₃ contrary to the embodiment, the GaN layer 5 was also formed directly on the AlN buffer layer on the modified portion of the sapphire substrate by epitaxial growth. As a result, efficient selective growth could not be made, so that threading dislocation could not be suppressed.

[0020] As described above, it became clear that the formation of the Group III nitride semiconductor after the formation of the AlN buffer layer by reactive sputtering exhibited an effect remarkably different from that in the case where those were replaced by others. The surface modification could be achieved in a very short time because it was unnecessary to use long-term etching or dicing for causing a difference in level. Moreover, because the AlN layer 4b on the modified portion of the sapphire substrate adhered to the GaN layer 5 formed mainly on the AlN layer 4a on the non-modified portion thereof by vertical and lateral epitaxial growth, peeling, cracking or chipping did not occur at the time of separation into devices by dicing, scribing or the like.

[0021] Although the embodiment has been described on the case where the sapphire substrate is modified so that stripes are formed on the flat surface of the sapphire substrates the sapphire substrate may be modified partially. For example, modification may be performed so that islands such as dots, stripes, grids, etc. are formed on the flat surface of the sapphire substrate.

[0022] In the embodiment of the invention, respective choices can be made from the following options.

[0023] As a method for forming each Group III nitride compound semiconductor layer, a metal organic chemical vapor deposition method (MOCVD or MOVPE) is preferable but a molecular beam epitaxy method (MBE), a halide vapor phase epitaxy method (halide VPE), a liquid phase epitaxy method (LPE) or the like may be used. Different epitaxy methods may be used for forming the layers respectively.

[0024] The thickness of the buffer layer due to sputtering is not particularly limited but may be desirably in a range of from 5 to 300 nm, more desirably in a range of from 10 to 120 nm, most desirably in a range of from 30 to 90 nm. The depth of etching for modifying the surface of the sapphire substrate is not particularly limited either but may be desirably not smaller than 0.5 nm and not larger than the thickness of the AlN buffer layer 4, more desirably not larger than ½ as large as the thickness of the AlN buffer layer 4, most desirably not larger than 1/10 as large as the thickness of the AlN buffer layer 4.

[0025] The invention can be substantially applied to the case where Group III nitride compound semiconductor in the epitaxially laterally overgrown layer and/or the upper layer thereof is formed in the condition that the Group III element as a component is partially replaced by boron (B) or thallium (Tl) while the nitrogen (N) as a component is partially replaced by phosphorus (P), arsenic (As), antimony (Sb) or bismuth (Bi). These elements may be doped with such very small quantities that cannot be expressed as components.

[0026] When an n-type Group III nitride compound semiconductor layer is to be formed, Group IV elements or Group VI elements such as Si, Ge, Se, Te, C, etc. may be added as n-type impurities. Group II elements or Group IV elements such as Zn, Mg, Be, Ca, Sr, Ba, etc. may be added as p-type impurities. One layer may be doped with a plurality of impurities or with n-type and p-type impurities.

[0027] The etching mask for surface-modifying the face A of sapphire may be selected suitably if it can be removed without any influence on the AlN buffer layer. For example, a metal such as Ni, Ti, Al, or the like; oxide or nitride such as silicon oxide (SiO₂), silicon nitride (Si₃N₄), titanium oxide (TiO_x)), zirconium oxide (ZrO_x), or the like; or a multilayer film as a mixture of these may be used. A vapor phase growth method such as vapor deposition, sputtering or CVD or any other suitable method may be used as a method for forming these films.

[0028] A semiconductor device such as an FET, a light-emitting device, or the like can be formed on the whole of the Group III nitride compound semiconductor having regions suppressed in terms of threading dislocation or mainly on each of the regions suppressed in terms of threading dislocation. In the case of a light-emitting device, it may be conceived that the light-emitting layer is formed as a multiple quantum well structure (MQW), a single quantum well structure (SQW), a homo structure, a hetero structure or a double hetero structure. Or the light-emitting layer may be formed by means of pin junction, p-n junction or the like.

[0029] For example, the aforementioned Group III nitride compound semiconductor having regions suppressed in terms of threading dislocation can be used as a Group III nitride compound semiconductor substrate after the sapphire substrate 1 and the AlN buffer layer 4 are removed. That is, when almost all parts except the vertically and laterally epitaxially grown Group III nitride compound semiconductor are removed, a Group III nitride compound semiconductor substrate can be obtained. When a Group III nitride compound semiconductor the same as or different from the Group III nitride compound semiconductor that has been already formed is then laminated thereon, a Group III nitride compound semiconductor device can be obtained. The Group III nitride compound semiconductor substrate can be also used as a substrate for forming a larger Group III nitride compound semiconductor crystal. Another suitable method besides mechanochemical polishing may be used as the removal method. Also when a Group III nitride compound semiconductor the same as or different from the Group III nitride compound semiconductor that has been already formed is further laminated on the Group III nitride compound semiconductor formed in this embodiment in the condition that the sapphire substrate 1 and the AlN buffer layer 4 are not removed, a Group III nitride compound semiconductor device can be obtained.

[0030] Although the invention has been described in detail and with reference to the specific embodiment, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes or modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0031] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application (Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-055094) filed on Feb. 28, 2002, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0032] An application of the invention in which regions low in threading dislocation are formed on regions high in threading dislocation by using epitaxial lateral overgrowth proposed variously after regions low in threading dislocation are formed by the substrate processing may be included in the invention. For example, after a Group III nitride compound semiconductor layer having regions low in threading dislocation and regions high in threading dislocation is processed so that the regions high in threading dislocation are masked, the masked regions are covered with epitaxial lateral overgrowth according to the invention while surfaces of the nonmasked regions low in threading dislocation are used as seeds. In this manner, a Group III nitride compound semiconductor layer low in threading dislocation as a whole can be obtained. Besides, the second epitaxial lateral overgrowth above the regions high in threading dislocation may be optional.